European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday january 25, 1989 columns William Safire Bush subtly shows he s different from Reagan remember the hit stage show i m not Rappaport the show now being directed by George Bush i Washington is i m not  the first task of every newly elected president is to distance himself from his predecessor. For snubbed and derided  pledged an end to tru Man s mess in  Kennedy replacing a popular Eisenhower stressed the generational and stylistic difference. Nixon called for an end to Johnson s Era of  car ter swore he would never lie like Nixon. And Reagan used the voters Hearty rejection of Carter s weakness As his backboard to bring about major change. George Bush has a More Subtle Chal Lenge. Because Ronald Reagan was his meal ticket to the Power feast and leaves on a note of near Universal affection the new president cannot say relax folks i won t make his  on the contrary he must snap off his Farewell Salute with the old defer ence and appear to forgo any Opportunity to put Down his Mentor. But he cannot run to Daylight Inthis year s final football metaphor until he puts Daylight Between himself and the past president. That Means Bush must Deal inthe semiotics of dissimilarity sending out the signals of difference first impersonal style then in operational management finally in philosophy. Signal no. 1 came soon after the election when he began to hold More press conferences than Reagan hashed in years. That easiness with the hard part of communication being prepared for penetrating questions sent a Mes Sage that said i m not him. I do my Homework. You can t make me Lookout of  the next sign his Choice of Cabine members was harder to read. Familiar faces holdovers and Swit Cheoros somebody for everybody where was the Daylight it could be found in the common denominator of non controversial Ity. Not one thumb in the Eye no Haig Casey Watt or Meese red flags to info Steve Gerstel. Welu this hold this. I oust a not on last it Thuc g Adda i doll. Riate the opposition. Even the eighties Kemp and Ben Nett Are intellectually respectable. Radar Man read my blips i m not Reagan. The inaugural Celebration focused As never before on family. Although Reagan spoke often of family values and dutifully observed his wife s stargazing schedule restrictions he was not what most of us think of As a family  he was not even invited to his own son s wed Ding. Contrariwise the Bush children an grandchildren Are spilling happily All Over the White House heavy photo coverage invited the differentiating message need not be spoken. That Point is underscored by the Welcome to Barbara Bush fake pearls Are in borrowed rubies  the True Bush Blue is intended to contrast with the stunning Reagan red. Formality Beverly Hills Nouveau elegance Showbiz honors Jelly Beans i Crystal jars have Given Way to easy going Ness the relaxed patrician wrinkles of Texas and new England pork rinds in a paper sack. Farewell Adolfo hello . Bean. The cultural change is supposed to be refreshing and it is except for those god awful pork rinds. On his Way out president Reagan took a parthian shot at civil rights leaders accusing them of complaining mainly to raise Money for their organizations Bush went out of his Way to reach out to Blacks on Martin Luther King Day. Respect costs nothing i not the other Guy. How to signal Access will no longer be for Sale ostentatiously throw open the doors of the Whitehouse in the fashion of Andy Jackson and Abe Lincoln banter with the press and end the need for shouted questions put out the word that ethical standards will be set High and strictly enforced in this administration. No eager Deavers i m not him. In the inaugural address the sym Bols and signals were reinforced with metaphors of change a new Breeze was invoked four times along with a new engagement with the Congress and a new activism hands on and in  what presence does the new Breeze blow away and which president has been furthest from hands on involve ment and then in a Call for tolerance that May be an encouraging sign to the civil libertarians he savaged in the presidential Campaign he said i do not seek a window on men s souls " Reagan s most in conservative legacy is the so called lie Detector used throughout government Bush seems to suggest that this new intrusiveness May be reversed. During the Campaign head to show How much like the Strong confident Reagan he would be no the new Leader must show How unlike his aging out of touch predecessor president Bush is. The new York times focus again on Cost of political television ads during the two years that Senate democrats tried and failed to enact Campaign finance re form the Cost of television advertising did not get Al the attention it deserves. The focus was then As now on limiting the amount a candidate can spend and on overcoming a supreme court ruling that stipulates a ceiling must be voluntary in a system of Public financing to make it workable. Inherent in a ceiling on spending by candidates is reduction in the Cost of paid advertising More and More the principal Avenue of communication with the voters. Obviously broadcasters Are not enthusiastic about getting less. But recently sen. Howard Metzenbaum a Ohio told them in a speech to the National association of broadcasters that they Are better off cooperating wit Congress than not. To be brutally Frank the Congress Gwyeth the con Gress can Tabeth away Metzenbaum said. There Are a number of ways. But it is Safe to say we will find  Metzenbaum s threat should not be take idly. Not Only is he very persistent he is far from alone in his increasing dismay at what a candidate has to Payfor the airwaves. I hear it in the Senate cloakroom Metzenbaum said. My colleagues think they Are paying too much for to and they Are right. They feel raising the Mil Lions needed is demeaning inappropriate and the wrong Way to conduct Public business. And they Are right  Metzenbaum who won re election handily in what initially was expected to be a close race cited his own experiences on the escalating costs of television Adver Tising. He recalled that when he first ran for the Senate in1976, it Cost $1,000 for 30 seconds on the Waltons in the Cleveland Market a similar spot on "60 min utes was $1,400 on the Mary Tyler Moore show it was $ 1,600. But last fall in the same Cleveland Market "60minutes" had climbed to $5,000 Golden girls was $4,000 and the Cosby show $5,500. Metzenbaum said he spent $600,000 a week on air time Down the stretch last year. Like it or not much of the game is won or lost wit those 30-second spots he said. It should t be that Way but it  Metzenbaum said his Campaign spent 71 percent fits Money on television to 46 percent for Cleveland mayor George Voinovich who now believes he should have spent a lot  in his speech Metzenbaum rejected a skewed a broadcaster study that showed candidates spend about one third of their budget on television advertising he also rejected arguments that govern ment regulation in this area is probably not constitutional. J to refresh your memory Congress first regulate the rates you could charge for political uses in 1952," in 1989 " Dan angry Metzenbaum apparently not intent on seeking another term is no one to trifle with. The broadcasters May be better off working with him rather than fighting him. United press International