European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes columns James Kilpatrick Burden of political fund raising borne Well Odd numbered years arc political off  when members of Congress ought 10 find some sur cease from the most important Burden they Bear. It does t work that Way. Their most important Burden of course is the Burden of raising funds for their own re election. Since inc first of the year. 32 senators who will run again in 1990 have raised Cash at the rate of $145.000 a Day. The figure comes from common cause. Running for the Senate gels More expensive All the time. Thirty one of the incumbents were last elected in 1984. Dan Oats of Indiana was appointed last january to the Seal held by Dan of Ayle since then their fund raising efforts have just about doubled. Consider the High Cost of senatorial campaigning. Since january of 1985. Bill Bradley of new Jersey has raised nearly $6.9 million. Phil Gramm of Texas is just behind at $6.7 million. Jesse Helms of North Carolina reports receipts in this period of $5.4 million. All told. 15 of the incumbents have rounded up More than $1 million each. These arc impressive War chests. Where does the Money come from since their last Senate campaigns in 1984. The incumbents have raised $53.6 million. Roughly one fifth of this $10.8million has come from political action committees. Not All the senators have accepted Pac Money. John Kerry of Massachusetts and David born of okla homa report no Pac contributions. Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas reports Only $6.250. And Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island Only $6.555. Otherwise the incumbents have welcomed the Aid of organised special inter ests. Since Jan. I 1985, eight of them have reported More than half a million each in Pac contributions. Democrat Paul Simon of Illinois has accepted $749.000 Republican Milch Mcconnell of Kentucky has thanked his Friendly pics for $692,000. As a consequence of All this High rolling finance Many of the incur Walter Mears Bent senators will take to the Campaign Trail a year hence with plenty of Money in the Bank. As of june 30. How Ell he Lin of Alabama had Cash pm hand of$l,5 million. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana had $2.5 million. Sam Nunn of Georgia whose re election is As certain As the Ris ing of the Sun. Had $822.000 to put to work. Costs escalate. Six years ago. Joe Biden of Delaware had Cash on hand of $289.000. This year he has $1 million and no credible opposition has come for Ward. Carl Levin of Michigan also re ports More than a million in the Bank compared Wilh $367,000 in 1983. Money it is said is the Mother s milk of politics. As a group the incumbent senators arc nursing very Well. And the interesting thing is that most of them Are shoo ins for re a Lection. Why do they need All this Cash the Cook political report the most reliable of political poop Slu Eis. Recently took a far off look at the senatorial prospects for 1990. Barring some calamity eight democrats Are assured of Victory Biden of Delaware born of Oklahoma. Bradley of new Jersey. Gore of Tennes see. Kerry of Massachusetts. Nunn of Georgia. Pryor of Arkansas and Rocke Feller of West Virginia. Together they have raised nearly $17 million since1985. On the other Side of the aisle nine Republican senators arc regarded As cer Tain bets for re a Lection Cochran of Mississippi Cohen of Maine. Dominici of new Mexico Gramm of Texas. Kasse Baum of Kansas Mcclure of Idaho. Sim son of Wyoming Stevens of Alaska and Thurmond of South Carolina. If Virgini a s gov. Gerald Balics decides not to run for the Senate you could add the name of John Warner. Collectively the 10 incumbents have raised $11.2 million toward financing what May lightly be do fined As their races. The Cook report documents remarkable shift in fund raising Over the past 20 years. As recently As 1982, Pac Money went overwhelmingly to Republican candidates for House and Senate seats. All that has changed. Last year democrats were on the receiving end of78 percent of All Pac contributions in House contests. In the Senate. Democrats took in 65 percent of the Pac Lar Gess. The figures partly explain the phenomenal re election rates especially inthe House where Only six incumbents lost in 1988.i raise no wild cries of alarm at the data. No doubt about it campaigns arc expensive. If outlays arc calculated per voter the figures arc less impressive. Al the same Money talks Money buys a Cess and Access buys influence a whole lot of Money is involved. 11 leaves me uneasy and i expect Many of the Candi dates feel uneasy too. C Unive Rul press Syndicate Noriega poses a problem that won t go away a democratically elected government was supposed to take Power in Panama sept. I. But As president Bush said Don t hold your breath. Bush has said he sees no sign that strongman Man Uel Antonio Noriega will yield Power voluntarily. The Panama knot is As tangled As Ever on the eve of what was supposed to be a Transfer of Power to a newly elected president. There in t any because the regime Noriega dominates As commander in chief decreed that the elections his Side lost were not going to count. The organization of american states spent the sum Mer trying to mediate a path to democratic  it managed to do was produce a statement expressing concern that its Mission had not succeeded and urging panamanians to work out their differences themselves. When that was attempted in a May 7 election and Noriega s regime apparently lost his government simply annulled the election returns after the fact. For Good measure. Noriega s paramilitary supporters beat opposition candidates bloody when they staged a protest March. The Oas then tried its hand rebuking Noriega and sending emissaries to seek a peaceful transition to demo cratic Rule in time for the sept. I inauguration Date set by the panamanian Constitution. Noriega s Side offered to share Power in a provisional government with the general still holding his command but the opposition rejected that Deal. Thai left no Deal. The United states wants Noriega out. It also wants to put him on trial for drug trafficking under two indict ments returned in Florida in february 1988. The Reagan and Bush administrations have been trying to dislodge him Ever since imposing economic sanctions with holding Panama canal revenues and helping to finance the opposition Campaign for inc abortive elections Las Spring. But Noriega remains commander of the Panama defense forces and that hold on Power docs not seem to have been shaken. I m not holding my breath on his voluntary  Bush told a mid August news con Ference. The Long stalemate is a ease study in the uses and constraints on . Power in latin America even in Panama where some 13.000 american troops Are stationed. Bush described those limits when he said there would be no unilateral use of . Troops to Deal with the drug crisis in Colombia. I know enough about this hemisphere and i be had enough experience in dealing with countries in latin America in South America Central America All through the Caribbean to know the constraints that exist in terms of or should exist in terms of dispatching  he said at a news conference aug. 23, those constraints apply in Panama too playing on latin american sensitivities Noriega constantly complains that the United Stales is intervening interfering and Bent on rescinding the treaties under which Panama will take Over the Panama canal in 1999. The Oas mediation team criticized the United states for conducting military Maneu vers in Panama this sum Mer saying that had a negative effect on its Effort to negotiate a Transfer of Power. The United states said other Oas nations should join in isolating the Noriega backed government that apparently will continue in Power. Assistant Secretary of state Lawrence engl Burger called it an outlaw  Eagle Burger said Noriega is Allied with cocaine traffickers in aggression As surely As Adolf Hitler s invasion of Poland 50 years ago was  Bush has left open the possibility that Noriega might somehow be seized if he is not extradited. We have an indictment put against Gen. Noriega for drug  he said on aug. 15. I m told that its a Good indictment. I m not saying what i would do or would t do. I have an obligation to try to bring people to  Bush has said that the United slates will continue to support what the people of Panama Voled for in their aborted election. The question is How. The president s most recent answer was that he did t know for sure. Pressure for tougher . Action is certain to increase in Congress and elsewhere. There already arc proposals in Congress to suspend or abrogate the Panama canal treaties. The administration reportedly is considering stiffened economic sanctions. And there is always the military option sol m. Linowitz who negotiated the canal treaties says Oas mediation remains the right course. To Date the negotiating efforts of the Oas have been proceeding fitfully but the reports from the negotiating table give some reason for  he wrote in the Washington Post. He said that Effort should get More Lime. The Bush administration has made a Good Start to Ward addressing the crisis in Panama by encouraging a regional diplomatic solution Linowitz wrote. We should stick with  associated press columnist Walter Mears has reported on Washington end National poetic i Lor More than 25 years