European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes William Safire january 1978 by off Gas Coer new lances contributions to president Carter Bert Lance sent me a Friendly note the other Day from in a firm he wrote the Bible love those who despise in that spirit of he sent Holiday my Friend Bert is the Only politician who has compiled an enemies list for the purpose of Loving those on but Hes wrong about me Par from despising i Salute the presidents Best Friend in wonderment and consider his current contributions he ii providing the White House with a direct link to saudi by prevailing on a group of saudis to buy for a generous a share Stock in the National Bank of Georgia that had been recently Selling for a he has Given that government Good reason to believe that the president of the United states is obligated to them for bailing out his Best although the front Man in berts bailout is Ghaith that saudi contractor is merely the Gofer and agent of Sheik Khaled bin Deputy general Man Ager of the National commercial Bonk of saudi the Sheik sits on billion in deposits in with instructions from his King to buy control of selected Banks that have useful political con the Man who made this Deal is John who May say Nasty things about Carter in Public but who is now the White houses Darling in big Jawn was Sheik Mahfouz partner last August in buying control of the main Bank of the Young Law partner in Houston Vinson Elkins who put together the Lanc Mahfouz Deal is Frank Van who sits outside Connally Law office and handles his although the government makes a fuss about who buys government licensed television it cares not what for eign interests buy government chartered thanks to this and to Bert saudi Arabia now has close financial Polit ical ties to both a president and a re publican presidential Bert has made it possible Middle level professional to redeem the highly politicised Justice attorney general Bell has properly removed him self from All Lance matters the value of Bells shares of the National Bank of Georgia Rose thanks to the saudi since Deputy attorney general Peter Flaherty quit on a troika of aides has been pursuing the Lance investigation without that is because the next Deputy attorney Ben civil it faces Senate confirmation hearings and wants to be Able to plead ignorance of the Lance thus the troika com John Kenny and William Beckler Are creeping laboriously though they have let one statute they have been using an Atlanta grand subpoena records from first Chica manufacturers National Bank of Georgia and other Banks to deter mine if Lance collateral was real or Fichti a subject never dealt with in the Senate the Lance troika has been Laden with material from Sec investigators about securities and Money manipulation involving other Peoples As Well As the file sent for prosecution from the con trollers office about misapplication and As the Case other Justice pros wonder Why the troika has not yet Emp an eled a special grand perhaps they worry about an Atlanta Jurys Hometown or Are awaiting pressure from Balti More democratic politician but the Chance to redeem a soiled departmental reputation is Bert is it possible for the re publicans to pick up an extra 20 House seats this the Southern Salute to the president will take place at the world Congress Center in Atlanta on the which Aims to raise for the demo cratic National committee in couple will feature Bert Lance As dinner chairman and impressing friends in Georgia a d Jeddah by embracing John the new democratic chair and hearing the president say Bertim still proud of but come this if and when a potential Lance trial or plea bargaining Republican candidates will be feasting on the special treatment Diplo Matic passport Stilt granted on Carters orders to saudi middleman the nights spent in lincolns bed at Jimmy Carters and most of All the fact that every democratic candidate who gets Money from the party National com Mittee next fall will be campaigning on Lance that Why i sent Friend Bert an an swering note with cordial along with another biblical saying that motivates be shall know the and the truth shall make you  George will Carter at end of Campaign Trail Jimmy Carters manner the soft the homilies suited him to his Ori which were the Iowa caucuses and the new Hampshire meetings with Small close encounters of the gentlest his effectiveness As a campaigner declined As he became a National addressing a National he in in the Penn Sylvania in the general election he lost an enormous the largest the rejected but Only now is his Campaign Carter has been As eager As most presi dents Are to continue As Long As possible the Campaign Shell game of making flatly incompatible Semi promises to competing the rhythm of the budget process com Pels allows might be a better word a new president to submit a first budget that is primarily the work of his predecessor for a while a new president can shirk lifes Grimmer avoiding Many decisions about the allocation of finite re sources among infinite but if Carter today has a bitter sense of the it is because the ticking clock has brought budget the end of the Shell Carters budget will Call for spending about half a trillion that May seem like a especially if you Are a Stu Dent of ancient history and remember the funny bookkeeping Lyndon Johnson used to hold below billion the budget he submitted 14 years but adjusted for Infra Carters budget amounts to Only a 2 percent growth from the last budgets of the approximately billion in about half will be for the depart ment of education and but that will be primarily for mandated spending for entitlement programs such As medical and social not new the second largest slice of the billion will go to for the first time since at the Peak of the Vietnam defense spending May Rise faster than the Overall Stu dents of history will recall the candidates Promise to Cut defense at least there will be less than 10 billion in new Money for new and in spite of the relative the budget anticipates the 18th deficit in 19 and the deficit will be about after tax the causes of the budget tightness Are not they include a decade of High the related growth of entitlement and the unrelated slow growth of the the political consequences of this kind budget Are less it is perhaps too readily assumed that this budget will mean serious political trouble for certainly it will roil the Waters in parts of the democratic but the budget May signal As much difficulty for republicans in dealing with Carter As it does for Carter in dealing with the Early clamor against the anticipated budget a spokesman for the Confer ence of mayors said the administration May be considered a traitor to Urban has been shrill yet somehow As regards unemployment and Urban the two problems most important to traditional democratic con there is Little Confidence in old programs and few ideas for new but organized and the interest groups representing the troubled inner Are not the Waves of the foreseeable future of american Carter knows that his and that of his Chal is with a free floating the Middle class that is most troubled by Infra Carters budget will complicate life for those republicans who believe that the Way to invigorate their party is to Sharpen ideological differences with traditional democratic the Basic Docu ments of that Liberal tradition have been exuberant Federal and Carters budget is not such a so his budget is bound to intensify the Republican tendency to fight him on for eign policy such As the Panama canal and any strategic arms such fights May serve the National but they Are not an Ade quate political because Are rarely won on foreign policy the 1976 democratic a Gusher of impossible proclaimed Tseu a contract with the and democrats will consider Carters budget breach of but As an exercise to it May be the Best kind of campaigning for o tix Wellington Pool