European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 ,. Columns the stabs and stripes sunday May 31.1987 Andrew j. Glass Hart s personality is the essence of his undoing an ambitious democratic presidential Candi Date with a deeply religious background a non practice ing lawyer raises the character Issue by changing his name. In the midst of a Campaign for the White House he is said o be engaged in a secret affair. Crude joke Sand Doggerel plague him. The Media bores in for the kill. Sound familiar certainly because it happened 103 years ago to a politician who dropped his first name Stephen henceforth to be known As Grove Cleveland in the tumultuous Campaign of 1884, Cleveland was accused of fathering a child out of wed lock. But there the historical parallel with the tragic Story of Gary Hart ends. Cleveland campaigning before women voted admitted to having the affair. What smore he openly paid his mistress to raise their illegitimate son. Democratic voters saw Cleveland As a Man of probity. Joined by a splinter group of republicans known As mugwumps they put him in the while House with some 55 percent one popular vote. Mart like his idols the slain John and Rober Kennedy had viewed himself As a daring political strategist and As a prescient Leader. Like the Kennedy Brothers he bore the shield of a generation which had yet to assume top executive Power. Like the Kennedy Brothers he believed he could curb the runaway arms race White restoring vitality to a troubled american Economy. And like the Kennedy Brothers Hart had putting it More finely than it has sometimes been put a Tasie for the ladies. Why then was Kennedy elected 35th president of the United Stales while by All available evidence Hart now stands no Chance of becoming its 41st? the answer in part May be found m John Kennedy s statement life is unfair. Caprice plays a Large role in framing political destinies than either reporter or historians often care to admit. Do not seek the answer in Hart s message invariably thoughtful at limes nobly inspiring. Belter to look at the personality of the Reagan spent a recent weekend one learns Reading the autobiography of a soviet Mig Pilot who defected to the West in 1980. Gary Hart spent a recent weekend one also teams re Reading Sorn Kierkegaard s sickness unto to be sure it was weekend activity of quite a differ ent sort which ignited a Media inferno clearly making it impossible for the former Colorado senator to press on with his quest for the White House. Still How Many other would be presidents can speak Knowledg Cable of the sterility of hegelian metaphysics As examined by a William Safire i be got a Mew Ipek i la make a f&lit1cal cow�6x and a can get to a 19th-Century danish Mystic the truth was not in overabundant Supply in thereat of the crisis. It is that Han lives on the dangerous Side. Otherwise Why would he have directly challenged reporters on the Issue of the conventional conduct of married a non Why did Hart assert that he subscribed to such convention Only to flout them one saturday in 1972, while Han was co manager of sen. George Mcgovern s underdog bid for the presi Dency the democratic front runner of the Day sen. Edmund Muskie shed tears on the Steps of the Man Chester . Union Leader. That newspaper then practice a knife throwing Brand of journalism that has lately come Back into Vogue. Before he key new Hampshire primary it had run a Story savaging mus Kies outspoken wife Jane. 1 recall How brilliantly Han had dissected mus kit s fall and Mcgovern s reciprocal Rise. Political re porters Hart said at the Lime had made a big Deal out of that weekend crying episode because privately Many journalists who knew Muskie regarded him As a petulant whiner. So this was their Way of revealing Ahard yet profound truth about a Public Man. Fifteen years later a like pattern seem to have in done Gary Hart. Cox news Saivii contras still Best Hope against communism the official Mcgove Nile villain of 1987 has emerged at the head of the nicaraguan resistance. He is Adolfo Calero described by Newsweek As a Politi Cal Boss who has taken charge of the contras Only two months after he was forced out by the advocates of democracy and civilian in months to come we can expect to see him denounced in the Halls of Congress As a Somoza Stooge a would be corrupt dictator and or. Not Nice Guy. Whom dovish gods would destroy they first drive Batty. The contras have been jerked around for years by Congress. First we authorized Money for bandages knowing ii to be the precursor to arms then the doves ended that humanitarian Aid forcing the contras toll. Col. Oliver North s off budget grab bag. Congress later went along with military Aid to counter communism in Central America Only to threaten to Cut it off entirely now that the Reagan administration is weak ened. Why the flip flopping a swing group in Congress knows Why the communists have not succeeded in subverting Al Salvador it is Only because soviet backed cubans and sandinista have their hands full with the contras in Nicaragua. If Congress collapsed the con Ira movement in the same callous manner Ashe Shah with our approval sold out the rebelling kurd in Iraq in the Early 70scommunism would surely resume its expansion on our continent. That is Why we see our policy swing voters com ing up with the cynical notion of using the contras As our bargaining Chip. The Republican senatorial swing ers Cohen Kassebaum and Rudman have warned the president that in the coming showdown they will vote to withdraw All Aid unless a negotiated settlement is pressed. Sounds High minded but what would such settlement entail a new York times editorial Laid out the goats a sandinista Promise to refrain from importing soviet and cuban bases advisers and missiles. A Promise not to launch takeovers across Nicara Guan Borders. A Promise to behave on human rights and maybe even allow a tame opposition party to function. The Nica iguana communists have made and Bro Ken such promises before in re i urn for a fresh set of Promise the bargaining chippers would betray the nicaraguan resistance. That would not Only invite the subversion of Al Salvador but would Send an unmistakable message of . Irresolution to any indigenous anti communist Force depending on us in Angola or Afghanistan the weakness in that sellout Plait is plainly Laid out in the times editorial " the president could rights Illy ask his critics to support the use of Force should in sandinista betray their Security fat Chance project ahead to a George Bush administration with the Nicaragua resistance Dis banded forever and dictator Ortega s Managua in lockstep with Havana and Moscow. In go a few medium Range missiles capable of taking out Miami and Houston which Managua will vehemently deny importing lately. Does anybody seriously foresee presi Dent Bush dispatching . Ships to blockade Nicara Gua and bombers to destroy the installations and kill the soviet adviser or put yourself in a More hawkish administration. President Kemp goes on television to denounce the subversion of Honduras and Al Salvador by Nicara Guan sponsored guerrillas cites the great negotiated Compromise of 1987 and asks Congress for a formal declaration of War. Democrats in Congress joined by Cohen Kassebaum Rudman swingers would instantly choke up War Send in the marines loan endless quagmire to protect a few corrupt dictators Whai Are you some kind of Jingo nut a Small but real War is now being waged in Central America. On one Side Are the comm Mats or marxists or sandinista or agrarian reformers and in the from lines on the other Side Are the Crew of ices than lovable contras led by Adolfo Calero. The communist Side is Apt in this War to Nellle though it will readily sign a list of promises while the Bone is in its Throat As always communists will carry their revolution As far As opposition weakness permits. If our Side docs not win this War with the con tras we Are going to have to Stop communist expansion with another Force. That would mean the North americanization of the War. Are most of the doves and swing voters really ready for thai i think not. When double crossed As history suggests tic Al be. Their severity will turn out to be chimera
