European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Walter r. Mears Gingrich s solution a Wright for Foley Swap politicians have an uncanny Knack for stepping on their own tines and for sneaking when silence would serve them Best i s a bold mine for consultants who charge big fees for telling i hair candidates lobe quiet. Republicans at least most of them figured in out for themselves when House. Speaker Jim Wright was hauled up on civics charges with the nation s ton democratic office Holder facing 69 charges of Viola ing House rules no com to Cal could improve upon the Issue for Hegop. Wright s democratic defenders argue the whole Case is a matter of partisan polities even Hough the charges came from an civics committee evenly divided Between inc parties six members apiece. Since that is a Central message of. The defense. Republicans attempts to Capi Lalic on the Wright Case Row would be counterproductive. So the top theme has been judicious righteousness leaving the democrats to Stew Over their own problems. Ali Ems Norilyn Leader. Rep. Hob Michel of Loti Mooij counselled his colleagues to exercise extraordinary restraint and patience until final action is taken.". President Bush has been careful to avoid the Wright Case. The last thing i Waal to do is involve myself in any Way he has said. One school of political thought has h that republicans Wilt use the Wright civics Case 10 retaliate against democrats for Senate rejection of Bush s nomination of John g. Tower to be Secretary of defense. Bush does t Tike that thought. I simply would t condone that at nil. And i would condemn it he says. Even Ren. Cwi Gingrich of Georgia the new Republican whip kept his pro file and voice uncharacteristically Tow for a while avoiding Public comment when the ethics committee charges were announced. Thal could t last and did to Gin Erich who Larj Decd inc accusations that led to the Wright investigation spoke up last week repealing thai he believes the speaker will be out by summer. A Don t show the Guy survives Gingrich said at luncheon with reporters. He said he doubted the charges Ever would reach the House door suggesting that democratic leaders would press Wright to resign As speaker in return for Jim Fain some lesser punishment. Gingrich then insisted republicans arc carefully avoiding  on the ethics committee process. We have been saying this ought to be done in a careful and judicious Way and Jack Brooks and Charlie Wilson have been mining around publicly threaten ing members of the civics committee lie said. Brooks and Wilson arc Texas democrats and leaders in the Wright defense. Rep via Weber of Minnesota an activist conservative of the Gingrich school claimed the democrats i ave made a non partisan Issue into a Politi Cal firestorm. In commentary he wrote for the new York times we bar said while most republicans have been wailing to judge the Case on the facts virtually All prominent democrats have declared the speaker  hearing the evidence.". We republicans Are not attacking the gentleman from Texas rep. Dan Bur ton of Indiana told the House. We arc liking a wait and see attitude until All i lie facts Are out until we All read the report until in is brought before the  Well sort of Gingrich praised the civics committee findings As solid and remarkably thorough although he a Knowle Decd he had Only skimmed the documents. He said he d lived with the Wright care Long enough to know serious work when he sees it. Republicans can afford political piety on this one because they assume thai Wright is on a Hook he cannot eel off and the democratic majority thai made him speaker will ultimately have to Fig ure out what to do about it. Gingrich suggested a Way out Short of an embarrassing showdown on Wright although he insisted he was t offering a Deal. He said they could Cut their losses if right were to resign As speaker and majority Leader Thomas s. Foley of Washington succeeded him. There would be a very Large Effort on both sides of the aisle i think to have a period of bipartisanship if you had Foley As speaker and to try to heal some of the wounds Gingrich said. Editor s note Walai r. Manais Irful Phr tin Andhi Lor .th4 a$l1�d pro Lihas ram Rebd w aug fill comic inv to g Ittin is year defense budget just postpones Tough decisions president Bush s defense budget saws the babies Iii half it s a grab bag of Compromise with a dab of political cuteness thrown in now. That Ronald Reagan s gone people like John Tower who knew All along Star wars was a goofy dream finally say v out loud. Only the fanatic right holds out partly from  and partly be cause  a shield for offensive missiles. Stilt Bush asks $4.6 billion for Star wars less than Reagan s $5.7 billion but More than needed to keep up research As the president Welt knows it s also More than Congress will vote which is Tahr inc sleight of hand comes in Bush counts on democrats to Cut Star wars and boost funding for Midge than a congressional pet Ria gins Pentagon wanted to scrap but Security adviser. Brent scowcroft favors by sending up a budget with Token funding for mid go Tran Bush pleased Congress and will get a desirable new system. By finessing democrats into taking the rap on Star wars he will appease the nut right. Thai s How the game is played in Washington no great harm. But the rest of his budget is just As political and far More dangerous. In trying to please everyone it spreads limited resources wastefully thin. For a ican and Mach defense we need Tough Steps tied to strategic not political goals. They include transferring Large numbers of ships air planes and infantry into the reserves instead of the meager army manpower cuts and elimination of one Navy Battle group that Bush proposes. Streamlining command and beefing up special forces to fight limited wars and combat terrorism. These Are real a opposed to conceptual threats. We be largely ignored them because the brass knows peacetime promotion comes with larger conventional forces and exotic weapons development. Cancelling the stealth bomber and relying on cruise missiles launched from Les costly air tails. Limiting Star wars to a research program de signed o guard against a soviet breakthrough producing and deploying the truck Mobile mid Eckman and leaving in Wlos the my s we never should have built. The my muddle is 10 years old and ought to have been resolved Long ago. No logical Basing plan Ever has been devised for my. It can aim and fire 10 warheads independently. Such multiple warhead missiles Are destabilizing. They make trigger Finger itch. If caught on the ground my s 10 warheads can be knocked out by two. It is by nature a first strike weapon. Devel Oping mires. As multiple warhead missiles arc called Wai a mistake an example of technology driving Strat egy. We built mires without thinking Aboul How they would change inc nuclear War scenario. Midget Man can be moved from spot to spot on a number of huge bases. Even if an attacker could locate it he d have to allocate two warheads to be sure of knocking out its one a serious Choice especially if arms controls limits the offensive systems available to him. A rail based my would be an Albatross. Any presi Dent would hesitate to deploy it in a crisis because doing so would invite a pre Captory attack alarm at lies and panic americans along its path. The air Force supports it mainly because it s already built and there fore cheap like Bush s Overall budget Compromise his defens blueprint is a punt that merely postpones the important questions another year