European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes thursday May 14,1987 Carole Ashkinaze Hart displayed Lack of respect for women Hove far we be come since the Everly brother shit the top of the charts with Wake up Little Susie a poignant dirty about a couple of Nice kid worried about the damage to their reputations be cause they had stayed out too late. In Hose Days a married Man seen hailing a taxi cab in the company of a gorgeous blonde would have had a lot of explaining to do. Today one of the country s most recognizable Hub ind schmooze with a blonde Beauty Queen at a new year s eve party takes her to the Bahamas aboard a yacht named Monkey business invites her up to tee Bis etchings and asks us to look the other Way because a did nothing i moral let me be perfectly candid about this. I did not care whether Gary Hart did to Donna Rice what Jim Bakker did to Jessica Hahn or not i was not interested in the hour of Rice s Depar Ture from Hart s Washington townhouse or any other details of thai encounter. Nor did 1 condone the actin taken by some merry frs of my profession in their Zeal to report them. But 1 was interested in what a leading contender for president of the United states thought was prop si1 behaviour for a Man in his position and so apparently were those advising him. They convinced hint that his Campaign had been mortally wounded. Hart seemed to think it was of to fool around with other women if one stopped Short of having sex. There were no improprieties in what he did he said Only circumstances thai were mis construed.". I am reminded of a term from my High school Days technical Virgin which did not mean shy. No immoral act took place in Washington Hart insisted Rice went Oul the Back door when he Miami Herald was t looking. In the Bahamas they slept on separate boats. Whom did be think be was kidding certainly no the Long suffering Lee Hart who had heard this sort of thing before and who mercifully will not have to play the smiling cardboard wife any longer. If Han did have romances with other women he would t have been the first presidential candidate to have done so not if you believe the stories about Graver Cleveland Franklin Roosevelt Dwight Eisenhower John Kennedy Lyndon Johnson maybe even George Washington who As new eng Landers know slept just about everywhere. Let s face it More than half the married people in Ameri Ca admit having been unfaithful at least once. William Safire but must the new morality which recognizes that nobody s perfect now be rewritten to state i s Okafor women to accompany other women s husband to the Bahamas if there is no sex this was terribly confusing Hart s emphasis on what did t happen or is Only alleged to have happened when there was no mistaking what did. Hart who is married did not deny he had been seeing another woman socially. And this did not sit Well with those of us i Don t think our numbers Are Small who expect our presidents to exercise a Little More restraint. Consider the humiliation to which he subjected both women Rice who failed to keep the press from finding out the compromising details that upended his Campaign and Lee Han who had been expected to stand by her Man through it All. Whatever he did or did t do in Rice s company his indiscretions betrayed a Jack of re Spect for wives and for women generally sadly because they even Cost him the support of feminist and family advocates who had been among hit what has Hart earned from All this for the Long run that remains to be seen. But initially he said the lesson was that for some of us in Public life even the most commonplace and appropriate behaviour can be commonplace appropriate a presidential candidate should have known better. It makes of won Der who would have been using which White House door. Cox new 50tvkm Fidelity Issue could promote press inquisitions have you Ever committed Adul Tery was the Stone some sin free questioner lobbed at Gary Hart last week. His answer was a temperate i do not Nave to answer that mine would have been go to hell neither the Media nor the government has a right to expect an answer to such personal questions. We would All be bet Ter off if candidates for office were expected la Lake offence at such intrusions. A but had t Hart s comings and goings caused a juror which made Fidelity an Issue in his Campaign certainly he foolishly ignored All the red flags but we cannot fairly use a press juror As a self generating excuse for overboard inquisitions Media protestations to the contrary future surveillance is. Not Likely to be limited to candidates who Pio Vidt probable suppose a candidate is accused of homosexuality perhaps by a publicity seeker or a rejected spouse or fired Campaign aide or a person paid by the political opposition. Some Magazine will find a High minded reason for obliquely refer ring to the charge. At a news conference a reporter eager to win an instant reputation for investing activism asks in the Light of All these printed reports have you Ever had a homosexual experience advice to candidates do no respond. Even the most measured denial might trigger like headline straight from candidate i am not Gay 1 that would spread the notion that you Are a Homo sexual. Instead express your disgust Atixhe reporter for demeaning his or her profession and conclude with the phrase that will earn you respect among vote Sand serious journalists go to hell. Suppose a female candidate takes Strong right to life stand. Under the new rules of Bluenose journalism that would make legitimate this question have you Ever had an abortion or did your own daughter Tell you Why she was in the Hospital on such and such a Dale the Only answer both proper and politic go la hell. If we do not Lum the tables on Thelitz slaters we will Load future news conferences with such significant policy questions As sir there Are widespread reports of your impotence when was the last Lime you and your wife had sexual relations Madam How do you Deal with the persistent rumours that your National so curly adviser is a herpes Vic Tim have you or any member of you family Ever taken illegal drugs some say that you once saw a psychiatrist exactly what was your problem every Normal person has something intimate to hide. In matters of private conscience the right to be de fended is the Public s right not to should be Farad to lie about what is nobody else s business or to con fess As Jimmy Carter fell called upon to do to even such a common sin As lust incur hearts. Recipients of salacious tips should examine die motive of uie tipster and de Ware of being manipulated in an entrap ment scheme the Han Story May be incomplete. Peccadilloes with a partner who shares bed with a russian agent Profumo or a mafia Don Kennedyjr by a head of slate arriving at a Summit conference with a harem of stewardesses Brezhnev Bear on National Security Ano. Deserve to be reported. But the old press protective Ness need Noi be replaced by a new nakedness secret surveillance of politicians by reporters is in the same Sleazy category As secret wiretapping of reporters by politicians. Privacy for candidates should Slop where wealth and health begin. People who want to assume the Public Trust should be willing to give up their privacy on matters of Money and illness. Ted us your holdings and show us your lax re turns that avoids conflict of interest and makes it much easier to prevent Dishon esty. And level with us in detail on medi Cal prognoses on matters that May affect your performance in office. But no Public figure not even a porno Star should have to Bare Bis or her soul or take polygraph Tesu on personal morality As a condition of employment. One Way to prevent the vicious new rules from taking Over the process of selecting our leaders is for journalist to Blaze away at Keyhole journalism. Another Way is for voters to express their repugnance by writing to editors and Send ing Money to targets. The most effective immediate Way for potential leaders to Lake the Lead. 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