European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Anthon Lewis Bush using Mccarthy tactics against Dukakis thirty eight years ago. An Amer ican politician sought Power by a Campaign of character assassination Joe Mccarthy had great Success paying cynically to Public fears. Truth and decency eventually caught up with him but not before he did lasting damage to our institutions. Lit 1988, George Bush has run a Campaign of character assassination. It has been cynical and by All signs highly successful. What remains is to calculate the lasting damage to the country and to Bush. In image George Bush is no Joe Mccarthy. He comes on As a straight Arrow not a bully. The dirty work is left to his handlers Jim Baker Lee Atwater Roger Aries. But in is Bush who seeks his end through their Means. Lying is one of the Means. Consider the Bush Campaign s emphatic use of the Case of Willie Horton the Black murderer who raped a White woman while on a weekend furlough from a Massachusetts prison. A hush television commercial attacks the Dukakis furlough  As an announcer says Michael Dukakis gave weekend furloughs to first degree murderers subtitles say " 268  every one of those statements is a tie. It was nut a Dukakis furlough program bul one started by his Republican predecessor As governor Frank Sargent in 1972. Dukakis did not make the Deci Sions on who should get a furlough. Of the 168 prisoners who fled or overstayed their furloughs in the last 10 years Only four were  the and is More broadly deceptive than its particular false statements. Its purpose is to suggest that Dukakis As governor has been permissive toward. Crime and insensitive toward its victims. The facts arc to the contrary. In the most recent five years reported the crime rate dropped More sharply in Massachusetts than in any other Indus trial state. The homicide Rale in inc state without capita punishment is 3 per 100.000 residents less than half inc National rate. In 1986 the National organi 731 Ion Tor victim assistance praised Dukakis for his creation of a victims Bill of rights.". But the facts have been overwhelmed by the skill of Baker. Alwater and Ailes in playing on emotions in their Advertis ing. The furlough commercial with All Carl Rowan its crude distortions has been enormously effective in this Campaign. A poll by Louis Harris found that 60 percent of the voters surveyed remm bored the furlough and. Most thought it too negative but effective. Since that advertising started. Harris found a Rise from $2 percent to 63 percent in those who thought governor Dukakis was soft on  most political campaigns contain exaggerations and deceptions. What is Spe Cial about the Bush Campaign is its use of smears to attack the character inc per son of the opponent. From the Republican convention on the aim has been to portray Dukakis As unpatriotic soft on crime somehow alien and strange. There is an Clement of nativism in it hat Strain running through Ameri can history of hatred for people of a different origin or religion. Loretta Lynn the country Singer was with Bush when he campaigned in Central Illinois. Speak ing of Dukakis she said Why 1 can t even pronounce his name the crowd roared with glee. Bush said nothing. The Bush handlers maintain Wilh a straight face that their emphasis on the Willie Horton Case has nothing to do with race. Their own to and does not show Horton. But other pro Bush commercials and fliers do. A lot of democrats Are critical of Dukakis for not dealing effectively with the Campaign of character assassination. Yes he has been ineffectual we -. Can imagine by Way of contrast How John f. Kennedy would dispose of  smears. But it does seem unjust to blame the victim. If Bush gains the while House with the help of the Mccarthy tactics he Evi Dently plans to govern As a More Moder ate figure not sneering at civil liberties. So his friends expect at least. But will i be so easy to slip on a Gen Tler Kinder image i doubt it. The extreme right is already tiring shots across his Bow the Wall Street journal editorial Page for example warning Bush s Friend attorney Genera Dick Thorn Burgh to be More like de a desc Jesse Helms will not like i i if a president Bush comes on As a moderate. And there is the question of what Hap pens to the individual who sacrifices everything to ambition. St. Matthew put it for what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose hit own soul new Yort Timm. Like it or not Acle protects everyone a rights some years ago an exuberant orator seeking to establish my credentials As a working Man introduced me As a card carrying member of the Ameri can ncwsp3perguid.". Half the people in the audience mumbled uneasily. They did t know what the Guild was but they had been inculcated with the notion thai there was something subversive about being a card carrying member of anything other than american express and visa. The notorious Palmer red raids car ried out by attorney general a. Mitchell Palmer in the Wake of world War i and the anti commie As Saulis of sen. Joseph Mccarthy at the end of world War ii were enough to frighten millions of Macri. Cans into avoiding membership in any group remotely controversial. So Why did Michael Dukakis invite demagogic As saults by George Bush by declaring that he the democratic candidate is a a card carrying member of the american civil liberties Union Dukakis seems to Haw run from his Acle affiliation Wilh expediency but some of us wish he had stood to fight. Because for every stance the Acle lakes that some of us consider loony millions of americans think it courageous and protective of the most important thing we have personal liberties guaranteed by a Bill of rights. Some of my friends thought i d  mind when 1 joined the Acle in arguing that nazis had the right to March in Skokie 11., find Kun Klui klansmen had the right to demonstrate in Georgia North Carolina or wherever. Just arrest them when hey resort to violence or break other Laws was my plea. I know that my newspaper column marches through cities like Shreveport Houston Charleston s.c., setting off As Many Sparks As any local Bunch of  Acle knows that if the screwball arc denied the right to March ill soon be denied the right to have my column read in places where i am  there Are millions of americans who think Oliver North usurped the Powers of he presidency misused american funds destroyed evidence and otherwise obstructed Justice in the Iran Contra scandal. They d like to hang North from a Lamppost in downtown Teheran. But the Acle insists that under he Bill of rights North is entitled to a fair trial. The Acle is As american As a peach Cobbler on that Point the Acle was very unpopular in the Early years of world War ii because it was out front protesting against the unconscionable detention of americans of japanese descent. Almost half a Century later americans Are trying to Moke their consciences match the Wisdom that Acle founder to As Marlyas 19 America s great and careless dist orters like Patrick a Buchanan arc trying to whip up passions Over some absurd expectation that Dukakis in the White hous would become the Acle s agent for legalised Gay marriages and adoptions legalized prostitution legalized drugs legalized child pornography ,. And a lot of other horrible things. This is typical wild Man stuff from Ope of the More outrageous men in american journalism. \ and hat in itself raises a question about the Worth iness of the Acle. If this group would Stop fighting for the right of even the reckless and irresponsible to enjoy Freedom of speech and be part of a free press perhaps someone would banish Pat Buchanan. Nortoft am Trio Sinf til the opinions expressed lit the a alumni mid cartoons an this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way id be considered m representing the views of the stars end stripes or tie United Stales government