European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a a a the stars and stripes columns saturday october 6,1990steven Komarow Leven Bush could t make bitter pills Sweet George Rush Winlon National television enlisted the help of three former presidents mid i  ill Republican a i Iii a Elmerman mid in of slaughtered. I lie a Don t Ami a he Nappy Quot Llic Rne of ii fair Sidenia i ii Campaign just Ilion t i i  his i\.111-3� a 111 Tor Swa Lam veg a. Cd Hie apr i in i i. Iii. Lie broke Idla 1 i i i i adj quote he  to Idle l ii Ienn i Tuv v no  in Roll. A. Quot i in polities it i Ilie i is is was a lets pre of Quot a Iid rep. Ste ii i i Oyer did. Quot dial Pye Holley is deeply embedded in i he polities of America a a with the most intensive congressional lobbying Effort of his presidency Bush mustered Only 71 of 176 republicans to vote for his $500 billion deficit reduction Deal with Congress. Democrats feared giving republicans an Issue and rebuffed their own leaders too and the budget failed 254-179. Lawmakers just did no to buy the argument that they had to Swallow tax increases cuts in medicare and other unpopular measures in order to reduce the deficit. Not five weeks before election Day. Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia the House minority whip who led Republican opposition won big and he did no to even get up and speak during the debate. That a deficit plan had to contain entirely bitter Medicine was a a false notion Quot said rep. Vin Weber r-minn., who helped Gingrich. A it is possible to put together a Good plan for the Economy that will  a Why was it the Compromise put Forward and pushed ahead with such vigor a he asked following the lopsided rejection. The vote clearly was an embarrassment for House speaker Thomas s. Foley d-wash., and House minority Leader Robert Michel r-ill., neither of whom could summon Many loyalty votes from their troops despite stirring appeals that earned them standing ovations in the House. But it was surely a much More astonishing loss for the president who enjoys almost incredible popularity in the polls whose one on one cajoling ability is credited wit ii arranging the International blockade of Iraq and who appealed to the nation on television to pressure Congress to pass Ellen Goodman the plan. Its difficult to imagine what More he could have done. He had groups of gop lawmakers come to the White House so he could lobby them face to face. He kept Telephone lines All Over town Busy with House members hearing from him even before 7 . A How painful to him to have to ask each of us personally a said rep. Bill Frenzel r-minn., one of the budget negotiators who reminded his colleagues during the debate that Bush and his veto were the House republicans Only defense against the majority democrats. The president enlisted the help of the three living former Republican presidents a Reagan Ford and yes Nixon a to Telephone gop members and urge them to support the plan. A i guess Jimmy Carter did no to Call anybody a speculated rep. John Myers r-ind., one of the normally Loyal republicans whom Bush  win Over on this one. Republican National committee chairman Lee Atwater who is battling a brain tumor sent Republican members a letter warning that without passage of the budget a your hard won gains could be wiped  a please do not turn your Back on the president a Atwater asked. There was evidence that part of Bush s problem was heavy handed lobbying by some of his staff. Rep. Gerald Solomon r-n.y., said Bush called him at 6 45 . At Home then his chief of staff John Sununu phoned later a and he was a Little  rep. Ralph regular Ohio said the White House took Back its offer of the presidents Box for a show at the Kennedy Center after he refused to come around. A there have been better moments a he said. C associated pres sports America s showcase of social issues Boston a As a certified sports orc Xic i face a daily groaning Board of games and news with hardly a Pang of temptation. The Only sport that passes my lips is an occasional baseball one red sock at a time. Even then i just nibble. Despite this deep aversion it has become Clear Over the past decade that almost every social Issue concerning americans gets played out on or around a Field. Everything except Rock a no Roll ends up on the sports pages and shows. You want to talk about drugs you want to talk about greed you want to talk about race relations you want to talk about men and women tune in to your local sports station and argue about drug testing on the football Field the undeserving Rich on the Mound race relations in the front office segregation at the Golf course and sexual harassment in the locker room. The latest of this Breed of sort of sports news comes via Lisa Olson the Boston Herald reporter whose treat mint by a gang of new England patriots meaning to the term a locker room  this Story Well into its third week of life and going Strong began when a group of naked football players reportedly displayed their parts before the seated reporter. They allegedly suggested that she wanted to reach out and touch someone. In All its nationally publicized permutations did team owner Victor Kiam Call Olson a a classic Bitch will the Remington Man find his profits shaved by irate women this tale has focused More time and space on harassment than a dozen National surveys. Moreover if you doubt that the moral attention of the country has switched from politics to sports the Man appointed to investigate the locker room incident is Harvard Law schools Philip Heymann. Heymanns last moment in the limelight was As associate special prosecutor for watergate. I admit that bingeing on this sports news has left me feeling queasy. For openers i remain bewildered at the psychology of sexual intimidation. Try to imagine a collection of angry women punishing a male invader in their midst by circling him naked daring him to touch them. A 1 am also fascinated at Why these issues get their longest and most heated run when attached to sports figures. It May be simply because sports Are truly a Spectator event. Every glorious and smarmy moment the whole business is played out before fans or their Media emissaries. What happens is Public knowledge in a Way that behaviour in the boardroom or the mine Shaft is not. But i also think that what fans expect from sports a the people and the games a May be contradictory two notions that rub against each other and inevitably set off Sparks. As Berkeley sociologist Todd Gitlin says a a everything ohm in a fun. A j of n. A o hangs out in sports. The lid comes off. Sports is the zone where society permits itself to get out of  i Quot people go to the games to throw things and  Fin in a Tatnai Tun it a 1 _ _ 1 a on the other hand there is a lingering heroism about athletics. A every game is a morality play. We want to see the players As being swifter stronger More dedicated adds Gitlin. A in a society that does no to have leaders it trusts people actually look to sports figures As carriers of  this is especially True for children. What happens when sports Are expected to be both a out of hand and a Field of dreams when athletes Are set outside the Normal set of constraints and expected to embody our finest when the hero flunks his drug test when the Pristine ground is a Golf Green of bigotry when Gridiron giants harass a woman in their locker room these morality plays set the terms for arguments about the rules and who is required to live by them. In the Olson Case the fans who booed her in the stadium last weekend sounded like ticket holders at an Andrew Dice Clay concert. There were More than a few ugly cheers a a she asked for it a in the autumn air. But these Are jeers of losers. Sexual bullying now has a name and a Cost. Its against the rules. What of the nervous Victor Kiam the razor Man who wanted his own football team and got a locker room full of trouble somebody should have told him that times have changed since he first helped Market the Zipper Playtex Girdle. We re All breathing a bit More freely now. Washington Post writers group 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 Mars and stripes or the United states government