European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday september 22, 1988 the stars and stripes Paga 9 of Secretary defends by program questions critics sincerity in this election year by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington the Secretary of the air Force had slinging words tuesday Tor the service s congressional critics and defended the much maligned in in bomber. Edward c. Aldridge jr., in a speech before the air Force association also questioned the sincerity of con Gressional efforts to close unnecessary military bases and cup Tim cd inc need to maintain a Quality Force through better pay and benefits. In this election year there arc critics who wish to engage in political football and question the mis Sion capability of inc Bob because of a single slow maturing component Aldridge said. The soviets know thai the by is capable of flying Low avoiding defences penetrating Long ranges into the soviet  but a lop aide to House armed services com Milice chairman Les Aspin was Quick to counter Aldridge s statements calling them intellectually  Aspin consistently has questioned the by s capabilities. The aide told the stars and stripes that the air Force already has admitted that the slow Matur ing component a system for evading enemy radar will never mature and that the dangers involve More Ilton just a single item. When you lose capability to penetrate enemy radar More pilots will be killed More planes will be ius1. As a result of any element failing the aide said. But Aldridge told the air Force association a lobbying group that includes Active and retired air Force members and defense contractors the so Viets know the by is a fully Mission ready aircraft currently on Day to Day Alert and capable of rapid generation in time of Cri , d-wts., contends that the aircraft is not fully Mission ready and citing the results of a congressional re porn that Large portions of the by Fleet Are a flyable on any Given Day. In another swipe at Congress Aldridge said that we believed the Congress was really interested in improving the efficiency of defense spending by closing unnecessary bases consolidating functions or cancelling marginal programs. Boy were we coach visits injured players a Vinca w Craft do Tommy Billings 13, gets visit tuesday from is coach Eric von Byrd who presented his player with a football from the Frankfurt Junior High school game that was dedicated la him. Billings was one at three teens injured last week in a taxi Accident. Billing suffered broken ribs and broken Collarbone and was oper ated on for internal bleeding near the spleen. He k now in stable condition at in us Ngun Hospital. Wrong the comment surprised bipartisan backers of legislation already passed in the House that will close dozens of unnecessary military bases next year. Aides to rep. Dick Armey a Tenas said that while he has been dismayed by foot dragging on finalizing the Bill with the Senate he Hopes action will occur soon Aspin s aide said hat there is no fool dragging on the Bill and Hal it most Likely Wilt be attached to one of the upcoming defense spending Bills one of which is being rewritten following a veto by president Reagan this summer. The vetoed Bill had included a 4 percent pay raise for service members. On the pay Issue. Aldridge said Quality people have Quality options. If we want to keep them we must ensure Hal their pay morale welfare and recreation services medical and dental care career aspirations of family members and their personal advancement opportunities match those expectations. And we must not forget the civilian members of our air Force they must also receive Ade quate compensation and Quality of life  Aldridge received loud applause when he said weapon systems Don t win wars people  West bloc polls indicate hostility to nuclear arms Washington a Western opinion polls showing hostility toward nuclear weapons and rising popularity for soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev pre sent a Challenge for nato to belter explain and sell its Basic defense policy . Assistant Secretary of slate Rozanne Ridgway said tuesday. For All of these nato countries it Means a requirement for explaining defense policy and. The approach to dealing with the soviet Union from position of strength she told a congressional hearing arms control negotiations to achieve a proper de sense at the lowest possible level require a very Long and elaborate Public presentation the results of an opinion Survey taken to months ago by a leading european newspaper West Ger Many s Frankfurter ally Mccine was termed by kids Way As startling and a matter for concern. Rep. Lee Hamilton. D-ind., told the House subcommittee on european and Middle Eastern affairs that the poll showed Gorbachev was popular with 70 per cent of the West germans questioned that 79 percent opposed nuclear weapons in Europe and is percent rejected the idea of nuclear deterrents. We Are also seeing the results of other polls that were very hostile Ridgway said adding Hal such sentiments do not seem to be limited to particular age  Hamilton gave no information on the number polled or Margi n of error in the july 22 opinion Survey. He also said 68 percent of the West germans questioned opposed modernization of nuclear forces and Only 14 percent favored it that mistrust of the soviet Union has almost vanished and there is growing acceptance in Germany of Gorbachev claims that soviet military Power is for defense rather than offensive Pur poses. Old adversaries to vie for Wash. Senate seat Seattle a Washington voters have set up a . Senate finale featuring two old adversaries former sen. Slade Gorton a conservative Republican and . Rep Mike Lowry a Liberal demo crat in other primary results tuesday state rep. Bob Williams a feisty evangelical conservative upset King county prosecutor Norm Maleng in the gop Gover nor s race and in november win face incumbent democratic gov. Booth Gardner an Early supporter of Michael Dukakis. Rep. Don Bonker of Vancouver lost the democratic Senate nomination to Lowry his old Friend and ally after a neck and Nick Vole Lally. But when his emotional roller coaster screeched to a halt his Grin gave Way to a  soon it comes loan end Bonk or 51, said in an Early morning conces Sion speech in which he pledged to sup port Lowry and help return to the democrats a seat Long held by demo cratic sen. Henry scoop Jackson. Republican Dan Evans has held the scat since Jackson s death in 1983 but elected not to seek a second term. Evans beat Lowry 49, for inc Senate scat in 1983. Gorton lost his re election bid to the slate s other Senate scat to Democrat Brock Adams in 1986. With 96 percent of the state s 6.6s5 precincts reporting the rumpled expressive Lowry had 55 percent of the democratic Vole to Honker s 45 percent. Lowry had 268,341 votes to Honker s 217,445. Gorton 60, a former state attorney general who swept Inlo the Senate on the Reagan landslide of 1980, demolished his lesser known gop challengers for Mer state supreme court Justice Wil Liam Goodloe of Seattle and Doug Smith an Everett atom by and former White House aide. Gorton took 86 percent of the gop Vole or 312,834 Voles. Smith who had called Gorton too Liberal was a Distant second Wilh 8 percent or 28,206 votes and Goodloe had 6 percent or 23,389 Voles. I m just delighted with the showing. I have no question we can do it in novem Ber Gorton said in an interview. We re in great shape. Our position contrasts Wilh Mike Lowry on almost every  Gorton was the lop Senate Volc Gill or of the night and insisted that his Lally would have been much higher had not so Many crossed Over to Vole in the More interesting democratic primary. Lowry quickly trying to move to the Center politically told a reporter. What am is a Middle of the Road candidate with my positions. Thai s How we got the Voles our common sense approach to what this country should be  pollsters say the two candidates have perhaps the highest negative ratings of any Washington politicians. Both candidates tried to polish their images during the Campaign. Gorton at tempted to warm Hij icy aloof Demeanour Anil Lowry toned Down his ebullient aim waving sly the and shaved his Beard