European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday september 10,1986 columns Tom Wicker Reagan finally meets his match As fund a ser president Reagan Ivray be inc biggest Money raising Star on the political circuit but for once inc democrats matched or maybe even lopped him with a superstar of their own barbra Streisand singing in Public for the first time in six years. Ragan rang up close toll. Million at a ,000-a-Plale dinner for 1,500 on sch aloof rep. De Zschau the Republican candidate for the scat of California s democratic senator. Alan Cranston. But for Streisand s performance in an outdoor Amphitheater constructed at her secluded ranch in Malibu 250 couples paid s3.000 each. Together with other revenues that brought the democratic Box office take to an estimated ,5 million too benefiting Cranston and five other demo erotic candidates for the Senate a video recording of the evening which included a monologue by the comedian Robin Williams Rea Gan he observed was Disney s last wish May also be produced. If so its profits could run to More millions which a foundation formed by Streisand could use to finance voter registration anti nuclear activities and the like. Under Federal Law the video revenues could not be used to support political Candi dates. The weekend in los Angeles might have set som kind of record for political fund raising an activity of crucial political importance in the expensive age of television but one that is tending to entangle politics More and More with show business and big Money. Nowhere do these elements tap into each other More Anthony Lewis naturally than in los Angeles. The democrats weekend coup was organized primarily by the Hollywood women s political committee but actually earn Aboul because of the Soyil nuclear Accident Al chernobyl. When she read or in. Streisand told an audience of some or Holly Wood s prettiest faces biggest names and fattest Wal lets. "1 realized we arc All she asked friends nuclear experts and political activists for advice on what she might do to help Avert the nuclear dangers symbolized Liy chernobyl. The consultations resulted in her decision 10 again in Public for Only the fourth time in 20 years to dramatize the Issue and with inc practical object of raising Money to help democrats regain control of the Senate the profits from the concert will support Cranston s re election Campaign and that of sen. Pal Leahy in Vermont As Well As the Senate bids of reps. Tim Wirth in Colorado. Bob Edgar in Pennsylvania Tom Daschle in South Dakota and the Winner of a demo cratic primary in Maryland. All except Leahy and the Maryland candidates we represent ill Streisand s elaborate but Well hidden ranch where they were fulsom Ely introduced by former Jordan of Texas. Other leading democrats wandered among the Hollywood notables who crowded the manicured ranch grounds and ogled Strei Sand s five separate houses. The near reverence in which show business holds the reclusive Singer made possible a ticket Price staggering even Tor the Rich movie and television enclave. The opening of her ranch Temple Beth malt by Williams called it guaranteed inc evening a Raof exclusivity and the event probably was Sola out As much because it was the place to be As because of its political significance. Even some known republicans put Down their 15,000, and some in the audience prob ably shelled out for the Reagan dinner too. Political Money is often nonpartisan but hat makes it no less Welcome to either Side. But Williams and Streisand never wavered from the evening s theme. The comedian mercilessly imitated the president what would this country be without this great land of ours and his nominee for chief Justice. William Rehnquist Wilt i be allowed to have a Hood on my new Robe. Besides her frequent references to the nuclear danger Streisand appended to her Standard Semi in the clowns a satirical version dedicated to the administration Send Home the As if inspired by the closeness of her audience the Beautiful setting and he cause that brought her Back to inc stage Streisand s presence and singing mostly numbers identified Wilh her people the Way we we removed the producer and political activist nor Man Lear to say that he d never seen such a magnificent theatrical the applause Sugges Teci that even at 12,500 a head and whatever their political interests those who heard her though they got their Money s Worth. In by my Timoll Moscow should Correct Daniloff error quickly a great Opportunity is at hand historic is not Loo Strong a word to Case relations Between the soviet Union and the United Stales. Bui inc Opportunity May be lost if the soviet leadership docs not quickly Correct a Gross misstep he detention of Nicholas Daniloff. Moscow correspondent for . News & world report. The Slakes arc High in the Daniloff affair. Us Resolution will test the seriousness of Mikhail Gorbachev desire to seek accommodation with the West or perhaps test his ability to make that desire into effective policy Gorbachev has sent Many signals that he is ready to Deal. On a Broad Range of arms control issues in particular lie has changed soviet positions that have been longstanding obstacles to agreement he is evidently eager for enough Progress on arms control to make possible a meaningful Summit conference Wilh presi Dent Reagan at the end of the year. For 13 months Gorbachev has had a moratorium on soviet nuclear tests. The Reagan administration brushed in off As propaganda when he first announced inc moratorium and later extended in. Bui the fact is that the soviets have not carried out any tests in that Lime and the impression grows thai Gorbachev is serious about a comprehensive lest ban treaty. In recent weeks soviet officials have said that their nuclear lest Sites could be opened to Ameri can inspectors to Monitor a test ban. That offer if nailed Down would go a Long Way toward ending . Doubts about verification of a treaty similarly at a Stockholm conference on Means to prevent accidental War a soviet marshal offered tallow air and ground inspection of military forces if in is done in soviet vehicles. The . Stale department called that Oiler a significant step toward effective these and other Steps have evidently had an Impact on the Reagan administration. Key figures in the administration have All along been opposed in principle o new arms control agreements. But the balance seems to be Lippin toward a More pragmatic View favouring a real Effort at negotiation and toward the belief that these next few months offer a rare Opportunity to reach results. Even More intriguing than the foreign policy shifts As one looks at Gorbachev s soviet Union Are some changes of atmosphere Al Home. Often in the past so Viet moves toward accommodation abroad have been accompanied by crackdowns at Home. Gorbachev seems to be casing upon both fronts. Openness was the motto Wilh which he assumed the leadership a Call for Candor about Public life. That claim looked hollow after the initial soviet secrecy about the nuclear disaster at chernobyl. Bui Western correspondents in Moscow More recently have reported some signs of More openness. Soviet newspapers have published critical tellers and articles on chernobyl on drug traffic in Moscow on ill conceived Public projects. The Swift and detailed announcement of the cruise ship sinking lost week was extraordinary by soviet Standard. And soviet scientists at the Vienna meeting of the International atomic Energy Agency went a considerable distance in an swering questions about chernobyl. In that context Dan lofts arrest is an extremely serious matter. In reawaken All our forebodings How can we Deal Wilh a system that resorts to such transparent inventions As the trick to Plant evidence of spy ing on a correspondent As thoughtful and straight As Nic Daniloff some Kremlin Logiste believe that the acted on its own against Dan loft in the Hope of thus protecting its own Man Gennadi Zakharov who is under arrest in new York. But even if the affair began that Way responsibility immediately poised to Gorbachev. Certainly Only the leadership could approve the grave step of charging Daniloff with espionage for americans individuals always Mailer More than abstractions of foreign policy however Noble. Personalize an Issue and we care. If the espionage charge against Daniloff is pressed virtually no Ameri can would want to go Forward to a Summit conference. The diplomats May keep talking for a while but not for Long. The fragile Opportunity will collapse. Nor can the United Stales accept any direct linkage Between Daniloff treatment and the Zakharov Case. The fools on Reagan s staff in Santa Barbara who floated the idea of a Deal Are just that fools. Secretary of state George Shultz had it right at Harvard when he said we would not accept such an invitation 10hostage-taking, it is for Gorbachev to find the Way out h Torrai
