European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes tuesday july 21. 19b7 James Reston cheating pretence led to Iran Contra caper for the first few Days of rear adm. John poin Duxler s testimony the audience at the Iran Contra hearings was silent and even solemn. But by the end of he first week when he explained that misrepresenting the truth to the Congress was no lie and concealing the facts was no cover up people began to laugh. Later they began to ask How this whole incredible series of Evams Many of them reckless most of them devious and a lot of them just Plain stupid could have happened. It takes some sorting out but herewith a try. Clearly the Reagan administration was driven by the fear that if it did t strangle communism in Nicaragua population 2.9 Millionth russians would establish a Bridgehead in the Center of the Western hemisphere and the virus would spread throughout this critical strategic area. Our credibility would collapse president Reagan said our alliances would crumble and the safely of our Homeland would be in  the other nations of the hemisphere did t share this apocalyptic View nor did the Western allies or the Congress which refused to Vole the Money o carry it out. But it was shared by it. Col. Oliver North the action officer who testified that if the Congress did t support his Covert operations the United slates might have to Send its own troops into the War and build the equivalent of Aberlin Wall along the Rio Grande to keep he refugees out. So the end of the administration s pol icy was Clear enough and he Means to this end were to Arm the contras by secret Covert action despite the prohibition of Congress and the questions of come members of the Cabinet. Loyalty to the president rather than to the Law was the first consideration. Poindexter believed that the president s general policy was to help the contras democratize Nicaragua and decided without asking the president that Reagan would approve the diversion of Iran arms Sale Money to the contras the while House said later that Reagan would nol have approved. Poin Duxler s approval dominated North who said he would go in a Corr. And stand on his head if the president instructed him to do so. Accordingly the cup Layalion begins with ideology and loyally nol to Trie Law but to the presi Dent himself. This was justified merely by saying first that the Boland amendment did t apply to the staff of the National Security Council and second that the presi Dent did i l know thai the Csc was involved in Covert operations so it was All right according to this argument for the administration to mislead the Congress and even o shred the critical damaging evidence in the presence of he Justice department s  ii helped or course 10 have Edwin Mcnese Iii at the Justice department where lit sometimes gave advice to poin Dexter and North As attorney general and sometimes As the president s Friend and gave very Little evidence of Zeal m seeing that he Laws were carefully executed the absence of continuity at the Csc could also have contributed to the disaster since Reagan has had live different Csc chiefs in his first sin years in office not to mention Bill Casey his Campaign manager As director of the Central intelligence Agency and private adviser to North it May also be relevant not Only that the secretaries of state and defense pro tested vociferously according to Poitev Dexler against the arms to loan Deal and were Cut out of he Loop on the Contra Deal but that not a single foreign service officer trained in Middle East or Central american affairs took part in this whole adventure put part of the blame then on the valor of ignorance some of it on the arrogance of presidential popularity and maybe he rest of it on the myth of the Reagan doctrine which instilled that american Money and army can unilaterally solve the complicated and torment ing social and economic problem s of nation beyond our control or understanding. Maybe the tragedy began first with the corruption of language that Patriot ism belonged mainly to those support ing he president s policies that Denis ability was More important than responsibility that finding could justify Covert operations before they were found that for the president the Buck does t Stop Here but there Thal lives Are More important than lies and anyway that lies Are merely Termi Nal  in the end it was at least an Odd Way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Constitution of the United states which assumed a sharing of Powers and responsibility and Trust Between the executive Ana the legislature. But you should t be surprised. This administration Baa been living a life of pretence cheating and borrowing for More than six years. Maybe that s the Best explanation of the whole sad affair. A Kim of Timm Andrew j. Glass Media turning to Bork confirmation hearing when John Poindexter said he never old president Reagan about the diversion of iranian arms profits to Nicaragua rebels the effect was like a thunderstorm which shatters the summer heat. Three net works decreed that the Iran Centra business was no longer three alarm news and seated Back their coverage of lie congressional hearings. Like planners in the Pentagon the elite Shock troops of Washington journalism prefer to Deal with one big crisis Al a time. As the hearings fade in interest the Washington press corps is preparing to train its sight son yet another Capitol Hill melodrama the struggle Over the nomination of judge Robert boric to the . Supreme court. Barring the possibility thai Bork makes a mess of things during hit confirmation hearings there s every reason to believe that t Senate majority can be found to confirm him. The real question in the Corning clash Over Bork i whether 60 senators will join in voting to end debate. Despite predictable pleas from the White House to resolve the Issue a filibuster is in the works. Without a three fifths majority to Slop it the talk could continue until president Reagan capitulates. As additional evidence of the tawdry excesses of this administration comes to Light Public opinion polls attest that voters while still fond of Reagan Yeam for something else that fresh Clement might be termed the politics of fairness and decency. Thai s Why sen. Joseph Biden the democratic presidential candidate who will chair the Bork hearings must Walch his step. If Biden loses his Cool in the heal of Battle the unsparing eyes of the cameras will Bethere to record it All. A poll taken by Peter Hart last summer while Rea Gan still enjoyed the support of 7 percent of Ameri cans suggests thai when in comes to supreme court nominations the issues to be debated in the Senate Aren t necessarily the same ones which concern most people. The Hart Survey showed that in the selection of Federal judges 74 percent of voters placed their highest priority on the importance of being a fair an open minded person who avoids personal  seventy one percent assigned a High rating to having a spotless record of honesty and personal  by contrast of the 12 considerations offered them voters put the least weight on ideological ones from either the left or the Nghi. Less than 25 percent be coed thai taking a Strong position in opposition to legalized abortion should be a priority concern in choosing a Federal judge. Such sentiments seem to work in Bork s favor. As Loyd Culler Jimmy Carter s former while House counsel Points out a searching look at Bork i record on the appellate court shows that he is neither an ideologue nor an extreme right Winger. In might disco fit members of the Young conserva-., live Alliance of America to learn that last year their Champion voted to uphold the constitutionality of a local Law which buried these activist from carrying their placards within 500 feel of the soviet embassy. In delivering his opinion. Bork weighed whether that Law properly balances . Treaty obligations against the first amendment s guarantees of free speech. He decided that in did much to the consternation of his Liberal colleagues on the closely divided appeals Beach. A swing vote senator might Well be persuaded by Bork s partiality As demonstrated in his writings to Ward precedents and what attorneys Call settled Case  if Bork shows that he is a fair and decent Man one prone to weigh the Cost against the benefits of reversing a decision already anchored in our system then despite the High political hurdles he could Hill make Illo the nation s highest tribunal