European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Arms Industry gives big Campaign Bucks to defense legislators monday March 19, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 5 a a Washington apr the legislators who most closely oversee America s defense budget reaped $2 million in Cam Nairn contributions last year from political action committees affiliated with the defense Industry. _ the biggest chunks went to committee leaders and other legislators who Are particularly influential on military matters according to an associated press analysis of Campaign receipts by members of four key congressional panels. The committees will play a major role in determining How the pro democracy movement in Eastern Europe and improved relations with the soviet Union Are translated into Pentagon budget cuts that could have a big Impact on defense contractors. Ninety two of the 104 legislators who serve on the four panels got Money from defense pics with the largest share going a it makes sense that people in the defense Industry would support those who favor a Strong National defense. Tony Garrett to sen. J. Bennett Johnson a Louisiana Democrat who sits on the Senate appropriations defense subcommittee. Johnston received $128,000 from defense pics whose sponsors read like a who a who of military contractors. The a analysis covered Pac contributions to members of the defense subcommittees of the House and Senate appropriations committees and to members of each chamber a armed services panel. In Good times and bad it is common practice for special interests to target their Pac contributions to legislators with influence in their Fields. Congress for years has been debating Campaign finance reforms that would limit the role of pics in congressional races. Yet Many lawmakers and Pac officials reject the Contention of Public interest groups that special interest Money unduly influences congressional votes. A spokesman for Johnston Tony Garrett said a it makes sense that people in the defense Industry would support those who favor a Strong National defense and who Are key players in defense policy. They also know the senator through his efforts to bring More defense industries to Louisiana. A prominent player in the Campaign finance deliberations rep. Beryl Anthony of Arkansas chairman of the democratic congressional Campaign committee said Toncre s nothing wrong with accepting Pac Money but that the soaring costs of  Lave perhaps created the perception that lawmakers Are too reliant on special interest Money. La 989 Pac contributions detailed in Loci in Ampaw in finance reports to the a Cabral Eleanon commission cover the a j a a 1989-90 election Cycle. An. Raisin8 generally escalates during action years and past donors Are among the first targets to be tapped. T0p Opac contributions additional Nouy. Defense contractors is Chan 10 lawmakers As Honor aria for peaches and other appearances. In 1987, re a a a a my c members of the four defense a Ciati committees received $521,000 in Honor aria from the top 50 defense contractors according to the common cause advocacy group. A legislators also receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from labor Union pics whose members work at defense plants and from pics for lobbying firms whose clients include major defense contractors. Pics affiliated with companies that would be most affected by major reductions in defense spending were among the biggest financial backers of members of the four congressional panels. A pics for general motors corp., for example distributed nearly $140,000 last year among 75 members of the four defense related committees according to the a analysis. Not far behind was Mcdonnell Douglas corp., whose two pics gave $132,000 to 73 members of the congressional panels. Next were text Ron inc. And Lockheed corp., whose pics each made $ 103,000 in 1989 contributions to members of the four committees. Coming in just Short of $ 100,000 in total donations to the committee members were the pics associated with Grumman corp., Northrop corp. And Raythelon co. Rathe on a totals include donations by the Pac of its Beech aircraft subsidiary. Pics for Martin Marietta corp., Rockwell International corp., United technologies corp., Boeing co., general dynamics corp., Ltd corp. And Westinghouse electric corp. Contributed Between $50,000 and $90,000 each to members of the defense related congressional panels. While the chairmen and ranking republicans of the congressional committees generally were among the biggest recipients of defense Industry Pac Money there was one major exception last year. Sen. Daniel Inouye a Hawaii chairman of the Senate defense appropriations panel received just $1,000 in defense Industry Pac Money $2,150 in total Pac donations. 4 the ranking Republican on that same panel Alaska sen. Ted Stevens reported defense Industry Pac contributions of $112,500 in 1989 and total Pac contributions of $497,000. He is heavily favored for re election this year. The chairman of the Senate armed services committee Democrat Sam Nunn of Georgia received More than $489,000 from pics in 1989, of which $88,000 came from the defense Industry. The panels ranking Republican John Warner of Virginia received $395,000 from pics $86000 of it from the defense Industry. Other big recipients of defense Pac Money included a rep. John p. Murtha d-pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee. He received $ 150,000 from pics last year $55,500 of it from the defense Industry. A rep. Joseph m. Mcdade of Pennsylvania ranking Republican on the same panel. He raised $79,000 from pics $36,000 of it from the defense Industry. Mcdade who is under Fri investigation for his relationship with a now defunct defense contractor used All of his 1989 Campaign contributions to pay Legal fees. A rep. Les Aspin d-wis., chairman of the House armed services committee. Aspin received $135,000 from pics last year of which $41,000 came from the defense Industry. A rep. William l. Dickinson of Alabama senior Republican on the armed services committee. Dickinson received $52,000 last year from defense Industry pics representing 71 percent of his $72,000 in total Pac  yorkers ignore rain to Honor St. Pat a torrential downpour Midway through the Parade failed to Dampen the spirits of hundreds of thousands of spectators most sporting something Green who watched the country s oldest and largest St. Patrick a Day Parade make its Way up new Yorkus fifth Avenue saturday. Among them was 7-year-old Elizabeth Compa above who climbed onto the shoulders of Good Friend Mike Stocker for a better View. The parades 125,000 marchers included mayor David Dinkins in a shiny Green jacket gov. Mario Cuomo sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan d-n.y., and former mayor Edward i. Koch. Ireland s Patron Saint was honoured with parades elsewhere around the country saturday including new Orleans where float riders tossed the ingredients for Irish Stew to people lining the streets. In Dublin calif., officials cancelled the traditional St. Patrick s Day Green Beer drinking contest. Mayor Paul Moffatt said he had mixed feelings about dropping the event but added a you done to want to advertise to Young people that it May be All right to get  Kansas City mo., had sunny skies for its annual Parade for the first time in several years. A we be had rain on every Parade for the past five or six years a said organizer Bill Richerson. A the Sun really helped the  the Kansas City Parade had More than 170 entrants including marching bands family floats and a bugs o Bunny Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. March 19, 1950 a Yvette j. Madsen was convicted of murder in . District court in Frankfurt West Germany in the fatal shooting of her husband. Air Force 1st it. Andrew e. Madsen and sentenced to 15 years in prison. >30 years ago today. March 19, 1960 a civil aeronautics Board experts and the Fri dug into a 50-foot Crater trying to determine whether a bomb was responsible for a Northwest airlines plane disintegrating in the air Over Tell City ind., killing All 63 persons aboard.20 years ago today. March 19, 1970 a the co Pilot of an Eastern airlines plane carrying 73 Persis was shot to death by a Hijacker who demanded to be flown eastward before being himself badly wounded. The Pilot though shot through both arms landed the aircraft safely in boston.10 years ago today. March 19, 1980 a president Carters special envoy Lloyd Cutler reported Progress in mapping plans for a a Post olympic International sports festival Quot offering an alternative to athletes boycotting the Moscow olympics