European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday october 29, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 7election Day upheaval really a myth by the new York times Washington a the election is still a week away but in much of the country the races Are already Over or never even began. For All the signs of anger among voters and the near panic among Republican politicians that the budget debacle has brought the Wrath of the electorate Down on them most lawmakers Are certain of reelection or almost so because they Are unopposed in the balloting on nov. 6 or they face opponents who Are so under financed As to be out of Contention. About 375 members of the House of representatives fall into that category As do at least 16 senators and about 90 percent of the state legislators or about 5,600. Four senators two from each party and 81 members of the House 35 republicans and 46 democrats Are running with no major party opponents. Gary Jacobson a professor at the University of California at san Diego said this is the largest group of House members to be unopposed in a general election since the 1950s, an Era in which democrats from the solid South rarely Drew a general election opponent. All the discussion in the next few Days about last minute campaigning partisan shifts and voter anger will actually be about Battles for a relatively Small percentage of the nations political offices. A even if you had some big throw the bums out surge or a huge anti incumbent trend you re never going to turn Over More than 10 percent of the House seats and 20 percent of the Senate seats that Are up a said Charles Black jr., a senior political adviser to the White House and chief spokesman for the Republican National committee. A combination of forces has produced a decline in electoral Competition. House and state legislative districts in Many places have been drawn in such a Way that they Are full of supporters of one party or the other. That makes it almost impossible to elect an opposition candidate. The Campaign finance system routinely produces incumbents with War chests 10 times As Large As those of their opponents. Political parties Are so weak that they cannot effectively recruit candidates or at least recruit effective candidates. And incumbents Are bolstered at Home by government financed staff and mailing privileges. When the head of the democratic congressional Campaign committee rep. Beryl Anthonyjr. Of Arkansas was asked last week to list Republican incumbents in the House whom he expected his party to unseat he could name Only three. And this in a year when the frustration of voters with government has been described As an a anti incumbent mood and republicans in particular seem to be taking the blame for a budget Deal that raises taxes and squeezes medicare. Anthony said he preferred to focus his committees efforts on the seats left vacant by members who retire die or move on to other ambitions. A we get our wins not by defeating incumbents but by those open seats a he said. But there Only Are 29 such open seats this year 11 held by democrats 18 by Republican sin a House of 435 members. A kind of political fatalism has developed in which the belief that incumbents Are hard to beat begins to fulfil itself. Political strategists concede that in making their plans for this election they did not foresee the volatile mood that voters would be in and the political opportunities this might create. Many potential challengers in both the House and the Senate convinced a year ago that they could not win walked away from races they might now do Well in. Indeed Jacobson a student of congressional campaigns said this years crop of House challengers is the weakest that he has Ever seen. A you have a situation where there might be opportunities to defeat incumbents if there were challengers out there with skills and resources to exploit them a Jacobson said in a Telephone interview from California. A but in the absence of challengers with skills and resources to exploit Public disaffection with incumbents there will be few  named As first Winner of poetry prize Washington up poet James Merrill was named sunday the first Winner of a National prize for poetry awarded by the Library of Congress. The Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National prize for poetry which includes a Cash award of $10,000, is in recognition of the most distinguished Book of poetry written by an american and published during the past two years. Merrill a prize winning Book is a the inner room a published in 1988. The Bobbitt prize is the Only such award Given by a National institution and is the first award Given by the Library of Congress since the Bollinger prize was awarded to Ezra Pound in 1948. Pound had been jailed for pro italian activities during world War ii and was indicted for treason. As a result of the controversy the congressional joint committee on the Library prohibited the institution from granting awards and prizes. However at the request of librarian of Congress James Billington the joint committee gave approval for resuming the awarding of prizes. Merrill the author of 10 books of poetry lives in Stonington Conn. His other awards include the 1977 pulitzer prize for a divine comedies a two National Book awards and the Bollinger  Commedore c. Canyon left and John k. Harden stroll hand in hand Down a Cincinnati Street celebrating a court decision. Police charged them with disorderly conduct for holding hands while sitting in a car in a City Park but Hamilton county municipal judge Joseph Luebbers dismissed the  Man jailed for saying he d punch Bush Seattle apr a Man convicted of threatening to punch president Bush in frustration Over a tuition Battle with a vocational school has been sentenced to 21 months in prison. Eugene r. Hains 43, was sentenced Friday and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment at a Federal prison in Butner . Hains was convicted on aug. 29 of threatening the president. He could have been Given a maximum penalty of five years in prison and fined $250,000. Hains was upset Over a dispute involving a Southern California vocational school where he paid tuition with his veterans benefits. After he withdrew from a course he asked school administrators to return his fees. When they refused he sought government help but to no Avail. Then in a letter to a los Angeles television stations consumer advocate Hains threatened to a come after Bush if his demands were not met. The letter was turned Over to secret service officials. When an agent questioned Hains about the letter in april Hains told him he would a punch Bush a lights out if he Ever got close to him. Hainsw attorney Robert Leen characterized his clients statements As a the ramblings of a frustrated  kids Eye halloween traditions face attack by the associated press As millions of children prepare their costumes the traditions of halloween Are under attack from mosquitoes in Florida a prayer warriors in san Francisco and Detroit officials weary of their City a annual arson spree. Some educators also Are taking another look at halloween activities in the classroom with a few Maryland schools urging parents to steer their children toward playful costumes a not gruesome ones. Attacks aside millions of youngsters a and plenty of adults too a will still become vampires witches or cartoon characters for a night of trick or treating and partying wednesday.  be carrying on halloween customs brought to the United states by Irish immigrants in the 1800s. In Florida however the customs Are being moved to Broad Daylight because of an outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis a disease spread by mosquitoes that like to bite at dusk. Health officials have urged communities to hold halloween activities in the afternoon to reduce the risk of exposure. In Kenneth City a Gulf coast City near Tampa mayor Alfred Wells cancelled the City a annual firemen a halloween party usually attended by 600 children. But Broward county officials in Southern Florida decided to go ahead with their plans including nighttime haunted trails through Parks said Bob Harbin assistant director of Parks and recreation. There la be Mosquito repellent Handy for those who need it. A Dallas televangelist is enlisting a prayer warriors for a halloween attack on what he Calls the satanic forces of witchcraft drugs and perversion in san Francisco. A we need to reverse the curse on halloween night a Larry Lea said when he announced his Campaign. A this is not just kids having fun. There is actual worship of the  organizers of san Francisco a Bawdy exotic erotic halloween Ball invited Lea to attend the event set for sunday night. The Ball draws hundreds of revellers who attend in various stages of dress and undress. Several educators in Maryland have sought to dissuade youngsters from wearing anything Devilish or gruesome to school. A we try to encourage the kids to Wear fun things instead of things that can be frightful and detrimental a Beverly l. Norwood principal of Dundalk elementary school in suburban Baltimore told the Baltimore Sun. But 10-year-old Erica Schwartz is dressing up As a Vampire and does no to think anyone should be worried about that. A halloween is about scary stuff a said Erica a fifth grader at mount Washington elementary school in Baltimore. A few cities Are trying to fight reputations for Rowdy or fiery halloween celebrations. Detroit is shifting the focus of its Campaign against arson sprees that hit the City on the night before halloween. A no More devils night a was the slogan of last years Effort this year the Campaign is dubbed a my heart is with  a a we re attempting to come up with a More positive image for the City a said mayor Coleman Young. A a it a obvious that devils night has a bad  devils night violence first erupted in Detroit in the late 1970s when residents began burning trash bins abandoned houses and garages. The fires peaked in 1984, with 810 reported during a three Day period