European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes thursday july 30.1987 Carl Rowan reputations at stake Over Bork confirmation sometimes the place in history of very pow Erful men can hinge on just a single Lesl. The Tui toning War Over Senate confirmation of judge Robert h. Bork to a seat on the . Supreme court will go a Long Way toward making or breaking the reputation of these men among others Ronald Reagan whose presidency is in scan Dalous disarray. He can again become the hero of Mil Lions of conservative americans if he gets Bork con firmed and guarantees perhaps a generation of restrained High court decisions. Benjamin Hooks whose 10-year tenure As executive director of the a act has been marked by controversy but who would be hailed a a great Leader if he should succeed in his promised Campaign to fight Bork i nomination till hell freezes Over. Neither Man is powerful enough to succeed alone. Hooks whose a act is now in its 7gth convention inner York already has As allies the 1,860,000-Mernbcr National education association Many organizations in the leadership conference on civil right and politicians such As sen. Edward m. Kennedy d-mass., and former Arizona gov. Bruce  Reagan has the support of conservative newspapers such As the new York Post which has issued a front Page warning to liberals to go ahead make our Day and the Washington times which accuses opponents of Bork of staging an  Reagan also has the backing of a wide array of Republican and conservative groups. He will need powerful support from the likes of Sens. Bob pole of Kansas and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina if he is to prevail in nil Choice of Bork. Reagan is going to win if he can hold re publican senators in line and gain the votes of enough conservative democrats to give him 60 of the Senate s 100 Voles. I say 60 Voles because Bork cannot be confirmed if Hooks and his allies can gel 41 senators to stage a filibuster and Block a floor vote on the strict construction isl appeals court judge. A filibuster seems inevitable. We know that there will be democratic defections to Reagan and perhaps a few republicans opposing Bork. And no one can now know who has the Voles. One key Republican sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon told me i feel strongly about a woman s right to an David Broder abortion and said he will oppose Bork if he docs not recant his earlier assertion that the court s hoc is. Wade decision giving women abortion rights was in  of course Bork stands to lose other Republican votes if he disavows his assault on Roe v. Wade. What we know is that we Are about to see the most explosive Battle of the Reagan years despite his laughable demand that his foes keep politics out of  that s like asking sailors to keep the wind out of the America s cup race Hooks has said that the a act will talk to Ever senator and no doubt so will representatives of Many of the groups Allied with Hooks and the a act. White House lobbyists will talk to each senator Many limes Hooks will be making requests and threats making it Clear that any Democrat voting for Bork will face the Wrath of teachers Blacks women who think they own their bodies and others Reagan will plead for loyally even As his aides warn that the Long Arm of the White House will come Down on defectors. Meanwhile Senate majority Leader Robert dyed of West Virginia and sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware chairman of Fth judiciary committee which must first pass in Bork will realize that their places in history also Are at risk in the historic fight. Noral aft wed s secret operations should t take new initiatives rep. Lee a. Hamilton a and is one of the remarkable members of Congress Independent thoughtful ind in every respect reliable. That is not a fresh discovery. By it is a conclusion the country has come to share As it watches him function As co chairman of the joint House Senate hearings on the or of str fast those of us who were Here 22 years ago look the measure of this tall Hoosier lawyer and methodist minister s son when he became president of the big class of freshman House democrats elected on Lyndon b. Johnson s coattails in 1964. As class president and As the Man who had beaten a longtime Republican incumbent in his Southern Indiana District. Hamilton was a White Home favorite. In his first term Johnson arranged three major Public works projects and 13 Post offices for his District. But when it was Lime to blow he whistle on the fran tic incessant legislative demands John son was placing on Congress in his grandiose desire to build a great society Hamilton did not flinch in september of 1965, freshman Hamilton wrote a Public letter to the president calling for a pause for reflection and a More Del in Erale Pace of legislation in  Johnson was Furich a but Hamilton was right. And his insistence on consultation aggravating 10 a series of successor presidents also has been Correct. As former chairman of the House intelligence com mile and rank ing Democrat on foreign affairs Hamil ton is As consistent in his principles As he is faithful to his Long out of fashion Crew Cut. His colleagues of both parties know this and now the american Public is finding it oui. Hamilton s big Ramiu a of the lessons of the hearings brought the confusing detail of 16 witnesses and 110 hours of testimony Inlo Clear perspective. The principal lesson. Hamilton said is that presidents get in hot water when their administrations abandon legitimate ways of operating. Our government cannot function cloaked in secrecy. It cannot function unless officials Tell the truth. The Constitution Only works when the. Branches of government Trust one another and  privatization of foreign policy is a prescription for confusion and failure he went on. The use of private panics to carry out the High purposes of govern ment male us the subject of Pule men and  finally he added. There must be accountability. High officials cannot look the other Way or distance them selves from key aspects of policy or the a Linns of those i Haj supervise. Account lability requires rigorous oversight by the Congress and a full exercise of the pro ten of checks and balances under the Constitution. It requires above All the operation of the Normal processes of gov Ern ment. When i went to Sec Hamilton the Ether Day i asked the obvious question. Having watched presidents from John son to Reagan commit excesses of one kind or another How do we assure adherence to the Normal processes of govern ment Hamilton s answer is that it is a question of Altitude More than of Law of people a Alicr than Legal prescriptions. I Don t think we will be making Mas Sivc new legislative recommendations he said in his thoughtful Way. A lot of changes Are already occurring As a result of the process of investigations by the Tower commission the congressional panels and the special prosecutor. Don Reagan is out and Howard Baker is in. John Poindexter is Oul and Frank c a Lucci is in. The president already has said he will no longer use the National Security Council for Secreti operations bul will restore its advisory role " while Hamilton talked Public in a weekend to interview of the Post Bihli of impeachment proceedings if evidence develops that Cagan knew of the diver Sion of funds to the contras he dts nut want to put further restrictions in the authority of the president Thyl i Ongert a. Be notified of court operations Eul Cen with All he has i n and cant Uline Iran con Ira affair Hamilton Vaid i would not join those democrats in Evjy a president should not conduct a Covert action without approval of Congress. I think a president has to have authority to conduct secret operations so Long As Congress is  but then he added an in Ponall proviso thai. Somehow presidents have great difficulty learning secret operations should supplement existing policy nol Lake new  Hamiton said. In this Case they were at Odds. The United states was urging All nations to refrain from Selling arms to Iran or Iraq bul secretly we wore Selling arms to Iran. Our so Crew policy contradicted our Public  that is what subverted the Normal processes of  and the credibility of the Reagan administration with coils being Felt everywhere Tram the per Sian Gulf to the he presidential preliminaries. If Hamilton is right again in judging that Congress will not find Kris Lalic remedies for such fully we have to be sure these seeking to succeed Reagan understand the Fuji Llanil Nihil lesson of the opinions expressed in the columns and cart  on this pan rep Rohnl Tho us the Guthuri and Arr in no Wai to be i id id Ford Asri pros ruling the or a of i i stars and Stripo or the i in Ted suit s