Washington over the US Base, its delegation to the American capital said yesterday.

Back from their four-day trip, Opposition politicians said they had better links with the Democrats and had shown up Government's shortcomings.

PLP leader Mr. Frederick Wade, Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith and Southampton West candidate Mr. Terry Lister lobbied US lawmakers at the annual Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) legislative conference.

Yesterday, in response to United Bermuda Party jibes, they defended the caucus gathering as a serious event attended by 25,000, with a banquet addressed by President Bill Clinton.

The caucus represented 40 Congress votes, said Mr. Wade. "That was why it was important for us to lend our assistance.

"I don't apologise for helping my country to do what needs doing, when the Government seems slow off the mark and failing in their duty.'' Mr. Lister said the delegation built on relationships established years ago between the PLP and Democrats.

He said the UBP had favoured a Republican win in the Presidential election, and had lost its contacts when George Bush lost.

Government's lobbyists, paid $100,000-plus a year, had not had access to powerful Democrats.

"We have opened the doors. This was a serious political occasion and we were fortunate to be on hand, and we feel we have done great work for Bermuda.'' Yesterday's PLP press conference on the Base issue was the first of its daily election briefings during the election campaign.

Mr. Wade has said he should share credit with the Premier for killing a proposal moving through Congress that would have cut off funding for the Base 90 days after it passed.

The Opposition leader has been challenged on why he did not reveal the apparent reprieve before the Premier did.

Yesterday he said the Opposition had not wanted to make the Base a political issue. "We were going about our business very quietly.'' But the Premier had started "chasing around the world for photo opportunities,'' making it an election issue, so the PLP decided to make its efforts public.

He did not think the House armed services committee chairman, Congressman Ron Dellums, appreciated the fact that when he met the Premier "the camera was there in a flash''.

Mr. Wade said the delegation had been assured by Mr. Dellums that the proposal would not go through the final bill in Senate.

The Opposition leader said PLP efforts over the Base began with talks with the Base commander and other work on the Island.

The CBC visit, the next stage, had been planned "months and months and months ago''.

Mr. Wade said family friend Congressman Albert Wynn was a member of the House foreign affairs committee and also of a sub-committee which covered the Western Hemisphere, including Bermuda.

Mr. Wynn had been his link to Mr. Dellums and others, he said.

Base talks hailed `a success' From Page 1 The delegation had talked to more than a dozen Congressmen, pushing home the fact that the Base ran the Island's Airport.

"None of them had ever heard of the Bermuda Base agreement. No lobbyists had talked to them.'' Nor had the British Embassy sent them any information. One Congressman had asked what rent the US paid for the Base, and was "amazed'' to find none was paid.

The legislators had promised to watch out for Bermuda's interests, Mr. Wade said.

The final stage of the PLP's Base effort would be to talk to the Clinton administration itself. "We hope that when the next phase comes we will be the Government.'' Ms Smith, who was briefly introduced to the President during the event, rejected a charge from Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness that the PLP risked making the Base a race issue by going to the CBC. "I'm black and this is a majority black country and I feel a great affinity with these members of the CBC.'' The event was "a meeting of great minds'', she said, and one of the highlights for her was a meeting addressed by the Rev. Louis Farrakhan and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Mr. Lister said the delegation had learned the US Government would not make a final decision on the Base until after Bermuda's election.

"We will have the proper access and the proper door to President Clinton.'' UBP chairman Dr. James King said last night the PLP had made a "callous attempt'' to politicise the Base issue. "Proper diplomatic dialogue'' could be at risk, he said.