European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday february 10,1989 columns Leon Daniel Good Guys Send Congress running for cover Aring a shoot out at High noon in Bright Fearin sunlight the masked miscreants of the Capitol Hill gang abandoned their salary heist tuesday and gave up without a fight. Surrounded by a posse of outraged citizens Riding hell for leather toward a showdown the cowering culprits looked Down the business ends of gun barrels and saw nothing but outraged Public opinion. White hatted Ralph Nader a gunfighter known in these parts As the lean Raider got the drop on the gang s Leader House speaker Jim Wright of Texas. The democratic desperado fired nary a shot drop ing his six shooter As if he had grabbed hold of the wrong end of a red hot branding Iron. Virtually speechless for once the usually Silver tongued speaker could do Little but Grin weakly under his Coal Black Sombrero looking for All the world like a sickly steer who had overdosed on Loco Weed. Then the old Horn Swogger reached for the sky. Seeing their Leader fold like an accordion the rest of the gang threw Down their guns and surrendered As meekly scurrying for cover like Field mice con verging on a Haystack. The victorious posse cheered when joined by Allied lawmakers who had worked from inside the Capitol to bring the gang to Justice by exposing the salary heist to the scrutiny of voters. Whooping for Joy posse members jammed local saloons to celebrate pressing on Teet Taler Nader celebratory shots of Sarsaparilla. Unsmiling in Victory the lean Raider warned that the routed gang must still be watched. Carving yet another notch in the much nicked handle of his six gun the lanky gunslinger noted that even though Texas Jim had declined to shoot it out the speaker still had made his Day. In hide outs around town the unmasked lawmakers nursed battered egos with tumblers of redeye and plotted desperately to retain some of their other Money making scams. They vowed no matter what to hold onto Honora Ria which folks have come to know is nothing More than some fancy foreign word for payoffs. But the More savvy of the chastened lawmakers rejoiced in their Good Fortune in narrowly averting tarring and feathering As Well As transportation to far beyond the Washington Beltway on Fence rails. Meanwhile Back at the ranch former top gun Ron Reagan did not look at All like a Man who George f. Will common. Just a low135 grand. Had just Learned the caper he had approved had col lapsed costing him his split of the spoils. The nation s favorite gunfighter knew for sure he would not now be getting a pension hike. No matter he told miss Nancy chuckling contentedly As he chopped Wood. After All the affable Snake Oil peddle explained he could hit the Trail again with his old Medicine show and pocket at least $50,000 a Spiel. As for George Bush the new top gun who also had approved the pay heist he now was More concerned with larger problems. Among them was How to track Down and Nab other gangs that had emptied Many of the nation s savings and loan associations and Ridden off Scot free while America s most beloved gunslinger was looking theother Way. Leon Daniel is senior editor of up. Dukakis May be democrats Choice again in 92 f hpa/ior1? attf1 � adv  u1n1n a _ i i i.  _ ,. The democratic party the party of William Jennings Bryan and Adlai Stevenson might do it again. Some democrats believe 1992 could be a trip Down memory Lane with Michael Dukakis. Even before Kitty Dukakis latest troubles it probably seemed improbable that he would run again As he did successfully after losing the Massachusetts governorship. Surely democrats would not nominate him again. Some democrats Are not so sure. Losing with Dukakis was not As los ing three times with Bryan was an exciting moral crusade. And in 1988 democrats were denied the Adlai Ste Venson  democrats who were madly for Adlai in 1952 and 1956 could say each time at least our stylish hero won an aesthetic  Dukakis made George Bush the first presidential candidate in the history of polling to have a net disapproval rating at some Point in an election year an still win. Bush won because in three months Dukakis managed to go from a 4-to-l approval rating to a decisive defeat. Surely you say democrats have Learned. There Are serious democrats who know Dukakis and know their party s nominating process and who say do not underestimate his tenacity or it peculiarity. The nominating process has its own inner logic and momentum. The demo cratic party is now essentially a party of Blacks and White liberals who Are Dis proportionately Public employees. Since the election Senate democrats have chosen As their Leader a North Eastern Liberal George Mitchell of Maine and a Black Washington lobbyist Ron Brown has captured the party chairmanship. Jesse Jackson probably will Lead in preference polls for the demo cratic nomination As late As Early win Ter 1991. If Dukakis runs he probably will be second far in front of whoever is third in part because of name recognition. President Bush and Many members of his Cabinet Are treating Jackson As the Leader of his party mischievously making sure his political weight in creases. These republicans Are not political rookies. As Horace Busby notes Bush is the first president to have served As chairman 9f his party and his Cabinet includes his Campaign manager James Bakerlis Early Campaign adviser Nicholas Bradyne of his prominent rivals for the nomination Jack Kemp and the wife of another rival Elizabeth Dole. When they meet with Jackson As though he is the Leader of the Loyal opposition they know they Are sowing trouble for the Loyal opposition. Jackson will have a third or so of the party behind him and if there Are two or More White candidates on super tuesday if there is a super tuesday he May win that event. Jackson now has such political weight that by Early april 1992, the anti Jackson vote is Apt to swing toward a single candidate. That is what doomed Al Gore s 1988 candidacy. In the new York primary he found himself standing in the disappearing Middle getting just 10 percent As Dukakis became or. Not Jackson. Could Dukakis do it again the party s supposed stars gov. Cuomo Sens. Bradley Nunn and Robb again might not enter the race. Already some democrats Are saying yet again that the party s message is Fine but a bigger turnout is the key to Victory. In 1988, voter turnout was the Low est percentage since 1924. But Ruy a. Teixeira writing in Public opinion shows that even if you assume wildly that Blacks and hispanics who had lower turnouts than Whites had a turn out rate 10 p9ints higher than Whites in 1988, Dukakis would have gained only4.3 million votes. He lost by 6.9 million. And one sur vey of voters and non voters shows that if every eligible american had voted Bush s Victory would have been even More decisive. Voters under 30 Are today the Uriost Republican voters. In 1988, 40 percent of All non voters were under 30 and surveys indicate that these Young non voters were even More pro Bush than those who voted. But the 1990 elections Are Apt to boost democratic Confidence. Stuart Rothenberg writes also in Public Opin Ion that Only once since the civil War has the party holding the presidency gained House seats in off year voting. And although democrats have a five seat Senate majority More republicans than democrats 18-16 Are up in 1990. Republicans have had net gains in the Senate in Only two of the last nine elections 1978 and 1980 and probably will decline in 1990.,. So democrats including Duka Kis May feel a sense of Confidence As they think Thomas Jefferson was the Only sitting vice president to be elected president and then win re election an Bush is no Jefferson. True. But Trust the democrats to find a Way to make an opponent seem like Jefferson. Say what you will in disparagement of Dukakis. In 1988, he did what sup Posedly stronger democrats did not do. He ran. Unless new candidates rep resenting other constituencies come Forward and there is no guarantee that they will the party s immediate future May resemble its recent past. C Washington Post the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the unite states government