The results of the 1996 election show a "vote for the status quo," the Democratic National Committee chairman said at the UA Friday.

Election results include a Republican gain of two seats in the Senate, the Democrats' gain of nine in the House, and President Clinton's election to a second term.

At a speech in the Center for English as a Second Language, sponsored by the University of Arizona Young Democrats, Chairman Don Fowler said the vote also indicated the electorate's approval of the President's policies.

"(The election) means, I think, that the president's position on health care, education and the environment, and the president's terms on balancing the budget are going to be the dominant issues in 1997," Fowler said. "The Republicans will beat their chest, breath hard, and speak loudly about their version of these issues, but we know that the American people do favor the president's position on these issues much more than they favor the Republicans' position."

However, he said November's election results should not make Democrats overconfident because they did not indicate the electorate's overwhelming support for one party.

"This election was not conclusive." Fowler said. "It was just a stopover in a long, continuous fight."

Fowler also said the re-election of President Clinton to a second term indicated the public's approval of his character.

"The Republicans will continue to try to speculate on Whitewater, cam-paign contributions, and a whole lot of other things that surround the whole issue of character, but I think the Amer-ican people have made a decision about Bill Clinton's character," Fowler said.

According to a Gallup Poll taken in September, 46 percent of those polled believed the President was trustworthy and honest, 49 percent believed he was dishonest and lacked trust, and five percent were undecided.

Fowler said he is not confident a Democratic solution to welfare will be passed any time soon.

"I think it's going to be very difficult to get (a Democratic bill) passed through this Republican Congress," he said. "I'm not optimistic about it."

Passing legislation on campaign finance reform will also be difficult because the two parties see the issue differently, he said.

"The truth of the matter is that I think it's going to be extremely difficult to get protective legislation (on campaign finance reform) because we mean something so terribly different than the Republicans do," Fowler said. "What (the Republicans) mean by campaign finance reform is that unions can't donate money anymore, and what we mean is a whole lot more complex and a whole lot more comprehensive."

Fowler said the Democrats are in favor of limiting "soft money" and Political Action Committee donations, and a reducing in the total amount of money spent on a campaign.

Fowler was in Tucson to speak to the Association of State Democratic Chairs.

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