European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. March 3.1 bus the stars and stripes Pagas Mecham s defense blasts accusers governor too Busy to attend trial Phoenix not in a combative opening statement. Evan median s at Torney tuesday began defending the governor in his impeachment irial by charging thai he was 1hc victim of political persecution. The defense team also tried to discredit a key prosecution witness he chief of the state police by charging he was a feckless employee and suggesting thai he engaged in a Sci Una relationship with an employee. I m not proud of the political Arena of having to take our laundry and display it in front of the world said Fred Craft a member of the defense team who until last week was the state s chief lobbyist in Washington. But Here s something wrong Here Craft asserted at times shouting. There s something wrong in this state when you can depose the constitutionally elected officer of the state and throw the Book at him in three different forums at the same  in addition to the  irial the 63-year-o d Republican governor faces an election May 17 on recalling him from Vilice and a criminal trial March 22 on six counts of violating Campaign financing Ian by concealing a$350,000 loan. A two thirds majority of the 30-Mcm-Bcr Senate is needed to convict Mccleam in the impeachment trial. In the equivalent fan indictment the House last month charged Mecham with obstruction of Justice illegally using $30,000 in slate Money to prop up his strapped Pontiac Dealership and Violat ing election Laws by concealing the s3jd.ooo Campaign loan. Mecham who has temporarily stepped aside but says he is Loo Busy to attend his impeachment trial has denied All wrongdoing and has charged that in Senate proceedings Are a Kangaroo court the trial which will consider one count at a time Wai devoted tuesday to charges that Mecham obstructed Justice by ordering aides to refuse to cooperate with an investigation by at Torney general Robert Corbin into a purported death threat by one of the governor s top aides. The prosecution s first witness. Officer Frank Martinez said he was told thai the aide. Acc Watkins. Threatened Donna Carlson a legislative aide who was cooperating with a grand jury investigation into the  loan. Martinez testified he was told about the threat by Peggy Griffith an official in the Mecham administration and a Friend of Carl son. According to a detailed account provided by William p. French the chief prosecutor this is How ii occurred Watkins told Griffth there Ore friends of the governor who arc very angry and if she docs not keep her Mouth shut she can Lake a Long ride and never come Back Griffith responded wait. You would t want anything to harm Donna or the governor for that  want kens replied we won t do it until Spring or possibly  Griffith started to a drily but Watkins interrupted saying California is not far enough. She should go to Wisconsin and change her  Martinni testified he reported the Tarcai to his superiors who told Mech am. Two Day later Ralph Mih cad director of the state police Haskeil for per Mission to cooperate with the at Urney general. No Mecham said according to prosecutors. Tie attorney general is out to hang me. I m nol going to help in any  but Mecham s attorneys argue that he did not realize the threat was a felony and that he never intended to com Mit a crime. He considered the threat a personnel problem and immediately referred it to the department of administration. The attorneys said Mecham s refusal to cooperate with Gorfain a fellow re publican was a legitimate response to what hey Ltd was incessant political persecution. Omha drafting rules to forgive Farmers debts Goi Fai Washington by the Farmers Home administration the nation s second largest farm lending institution is drafting new rules that would forgive up o s7 billion in bad debts owed by Farmers. The action could help prevent 100,000 Farmers from ing put of business and could allow thousands who ailed in the last decade to gel Back into business Agency officials said. Leaders of groups supporting the family farm who for years have been protesting the Agency s aggressive rules on loan collection said that if the Agency was serious about its intentions the new policies would remove an enormous Burden from Farmers and would Aid Rural economics. The new loan policies could entend to the Moil financially burdened Farmers the same sense of Relief that most other Farmer have been experiencing in recent months. Exports Are rising prices for crops and livestock arc increasing and land values Are heading up in farming regions across the country. All of these factors make the Outlook for american agriculture brighter this year than it has been in More than a decade. Executives at the Farmers Home administration a division of the department of agriculture said the new lending rules fulfilled the mandates of the agricultural credit act passed by Congress in december and signed in january by president Rea Gan in general terms the legislation required the  supports commodity credit corp outlays in bit Lions by dollars for fiscal year 1987 a is feed grains Robertson will drop libel suit scheduled for super tuesday Sarasota. Fin a Republican presidential hopeful Pai Robertson said he will drop his libel suit against former rep. Pete Mcclosky r-calif., rather than go to trial on super tuesday the biggest Day of the primary season. Robertson who was accused by Mcclosky of avoiding combat duty in the korean War through his father s influence said he wants to take the ease to voluntary arbitration in an Effort to Clear his and his father s names. But he said if Mcclosky refuses to do that he will drop the suit anyway. Mccosky s attorney George Lythner has said repeat edly that Mcclosky will not agree to a settlement in the ease unless Robertson pays Legal fees estimated at 5400,000piled up by the . Mccloskey said it s not for him la decide to drop the suit saying he would oppose any motion by Robertson to dismiss the Case. I would rather go to trial. He s called Roe a liar All Over the United states Mccloskey said in a Tele phone interview. "1 would much Preier there be a ver dict As to which of us has told the  Robertson s $35 million suit accuses Mcclosky of de Faming him in a widely publicized letter contending the former television evangelist had used the influence of his father the late sen. A. Willis Robertson to avoid combat duty in the korean War As a Marine corps officer the Case had been scheduled to Start on March 8 the same Date Republican primaries and caucuses will be held in 17 states. Robertson said if Mccloskey refuses arbitration he would Lake pre trial evidence and testimony already col levied to an unspecified panel of expert and have them give a Public opinion on Mccloskey s contentions. If he does t go to arbitration we will prove to the american people that he truly does t want the truth to come out Robertson said. Micloskey wrote in a widely publicized letter that he and Robertson had been on the same Korea bound troop ship in 1951, but thai Robertson was taken off the vessel in Japan where he was Given non combat Post after telling other marines his father would arrange a Transfer. To do everything possible to  Loans including writing offa grower s debt to keep Farmers on their land. The office of manage Mictil and budget said that the write offs would not Avreet the budget deficit because Farmers Home was never Cupic cd to be Able to recover the 17 billion owed to it by tens of thousands of Farmers who Are delinquent in their payments. Of the Lota jj.5 billion is principal loaned to Farmers Over the last decade from taxpayer funds. The rest is inter est owed. I parts in and out of the government said the new regulations which Are scheduled to Lake effect in june represent an important change in the relationship be tween the farm lending Agency and thousands of its most economically troubled borrowers. Our attitude is going to be different said Vancel. Clark the administrator of the banners Home administration which was established in the depression to assist struggling Farmers. We want to make the new act work and we re going to have a lot of room to Man Euver to restructure these  Lynn Hayes an attorney with the Farmers Legal action group a Legal concern in St. Paul minn.,said, i m thrilled they arc apparently taking this legislation seriously and arc trying to make it work her concern won a landmark Federal Law suit in 1983 preventing the Agency from foreclosing on delinquent borrowers and was Active in formulating provisions of the new Law. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. March 3, 1948 a poll of finnish parliament members indicated that Finland would accept a soviet request to negotiate a military pact 30 years ago  3. 1938 the Bahrain government officially denied that the ruler of the Oil Rich islands was in saudi Arabia to discuss a possible federation with that Arab kingdom. 20 years ago today. March 3,1%b air Force Parade Schemen made the 1,000th combat Rescue in the dense Jungles of Viet Nam by pulling a Pilot up into a Jolly Green giant Rescue helicopter under enemy fire with a Cable hoist. 10 years ago today. March 3, 1978 about 200 Farmers who were arrested for blocking traffic on the International Ridge at Edinburg. Texas in protest of the importation of agricultural products from Mexico into the United states refused to Post s18.7i Bond