European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes wednesday october 31,1990 Leon Daniel joke is on taxpayers As election Day nears Washington those lovable bozos in Congress who awarded themselves a pay raise before bopping their constituents with new taxes Are going Home to Campaign for re election. When All the votes Are counted the great majority of incumbents will have retained their seats proving once again that the american taxpayer can take a joke. It is the republicans who appear to be most threatened in the nov. 6 elections mainly due to president Bush a plummeting popularity after he broke his Promise that there would be no new taxes. Some gop candidates publicly rejected Bush a capitulation while democrats gleefully exploited his flip Flop. Democrats charged that the presidents refusal to accept higher levies on the Rich makes him a Champion of the fat cats. There is a groundswell out there in the real world beyond the Washington Beltway for throwing All of the rascals out but it wont happen. Challenged lawmakers Are shielded by bulging War chests and other perquisites of incumbency that make them virtually Invulnerable. If most of the current campaigns Are less interesting than watching paint dry a few races Are proving Lively. Down in North Carolina some thoughtful voters want to relieve Jesse Helms of his Day Job As a . Senator so the Republican Stalwart can devote his full time to Art criticism. Now that Helms has slain world communism they say his devotees should let the 69-year-old defender of the tobacco interests Lay Down his sword and Light up. Although Helms dutifully seeks re election he might secretly Welcome More time for his primary passion a perusing pictures for possible pour hence. The Man who would give Helms a rest by replacing him in the Senate is Harvey Gantt 47, a Liberal Black architect who served As mayor of Charlotte. In his Campaign to relieve Helms of his senatorial chores Gantt visited each of North Carolinas 100 counties to inquire politely of the voters what the old Man had done for them lately. Not enough if the polls Are credible. Gantt is running about even with the 18-year incumbent the Champion of the zealots on the Radical right who once was deemed invincible. In Texas gop gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams who bought the nomination with some of the millions he made in Oil and ranching May yet snatch defeat from the jaws of Victory. The sawed off Cowboy Impersonator squandered his big Lead Over state treasurer Ann Richards by shooting himself repeatedly in the foot sometimes when it already was in his Mouth. Television cameras recorded Williams latest Gaffe a his Public refusal of Richards offer to shake hands. Texans knew a real Cowboy just  act like that. At Roundup time in Texas Claytie Williams is looking As Mournful As a Motherless calf and Richards is humming a git along Little  United press International James j. Kilpatrick Helms deserves re election to the Senate in the course of 50 years of new papering i have met Only a few men in Public life of whom it could be said these Are men of principle. Among that Small number is Republican sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina who is now locked in the fight of his political life. I first met Helms in the late 1960s, when he was the vice president and editorial director of Oral Raleigh. We were about the same age and some of his broadcasts read like some of my columns. A reporter has no friends in Public life a at least one is not supposed to have friends in Public life a but subject to that stricture Helms is my kind of senator. I like the Guy. I like the principles and the values he represents. What principles Helms stands by the constitutional principle that the first obligation of Congress is to make the nation secure. If Congress has any other fundamental obligation beyond maintaining the courts i cannot recall that Helms has Ever mentioned it. Thus Helms generally but not always supports outlays for National defense a the strategic defense initiative for example and the army a kinetic Energy satellite. But in a series of votes in August he supported the closing of unneeded military bases worldwide and he voted against a higher pay raise for the armed forces than the president had requested. A second principle dear to the senators heart is rooted in a conviction that government must pay its Bills. He hates debt. In recent months if i am not mistaken he has voted against every appropriation Bill that has come to the floor. His dedication to frugality a to the idea that the Federal government should not spend Money it does no to have a often has left him lonesome on the floor. In september he was one of Only six Pinch pennies to vote against the Treasury postal Bill in october he was one of Only eight against the housing Bill. Helms says the Bills spend too much. Helms values Are the old values. He is a family Man who recently observed his 48th wedding anniversary. His moral values find expression in his work As a Deacon of his Church. Lately the senator has been much in the hews As a kind of arc villain determined to censor the work of artists. That undeserved reputation merits is word of clarification. Helms once was a City editor and later he served As a commentator dishing out opinions on to. No Man with such a background could favor a a censorship As the word is generally understood. Helms objection is to forcing the taxpayers to pay for such offensive junk through Grants of Public funds. His opposition to such Grants has brought him unceasing ridicule from the hot tub crowd but Helms is on solid ground. He is fighting against the rot that threatens the very fabric of american life and in this Battle he is far closer to the people than his contemptuous critics would have you believe. Done to let me leave an impression that Helms walks on water. His vote for the textile Protection Bill was pure Domestic politics. In most areas he defends the privacy of the individual and opposes the compulsions of the state but his Adamant stand against abortion violates that important concept. I wish his sense of Christian Charity were More generous than it often seems to be. Helms opponent in next weeks election is Harvey Gantt of Charlotte who stands on most issues exactly 180 degrees across the political Circle. If Gantt should win a the race reportedly is dead even a he would go to Washington As a senatorial Rookie. Helms would rank 14th in seniority in the chamber sixth in seniority among republicans. I Hope North carolinians Send Helms Back to the Senate. The chamber needs members with Strong convictions and the courage to vote them. When Helms votes a no a he probably is Wiser than the senators voting  Universal press Syndicate Andrew j. Glass professional incumbents stymie democracy Washington to see How far America has strayed from what the . Supreme court defines As a original intent a one need merely to read article i Section 4 of the Constitution. The framers ordered Congress to assemble a at least once in every  that meeting the Constitution says a shall be on the first monday in december a although a different Day can be chosen by Law. Why the first monday in december because it seemed like a reasonable time of the year to approve spending plans for the ensuing year. With due Diligence lawmakers could finish lip within two weeks and be Home in time for Christmas. Who could have imagined the current spectacle of a year round Congress paralysed by chronic budget woes Back when this country got started More than 200 years ago All lawmakers were volunteers. A lawyer or a craftsman would suspend work for at most a month or two to attend to the Public a business. Such tasks would be duly rotated among eligible citizens. These Days a typical member of Congress serves 12 years. The longest serving member rep. Jamie Whitten of Mississippi took his seat before the United states entered world War ii. Even after the Advent of professional All weather legislators our politics retained an Amateur cast. People who believed in a cause or a candidate volunteered their time a to lick Stamps to Knock on doors or to hand out leaflets. No More. Now volunteers Are widely regarded As a pain in the Anatomy. This is the Era of hired guns direct mail specialists computer programmers Media gurus poll takers focus group leaders event planners and fund raisers. That cadre of professionals is hired to help pay the Tab for All the other professional cadres. Occasional sputtering efforts to Reform the system serve to farther escalate costs. These Days no serious candidate for Federal office can go Forward without retaining the services of High priced attorneys steeped in election Law and accountants to prepare balance sheets that conform to the arcane provisions of the Federal election Campaign act. I in 1976, Senate arid House candidates spent $125 million seeking office. In 1988, they spent $460 million a More than three times the intervening inflation rate. This year they will undoubtedly spend More. And they will do so even though half the Senate incumbents and a higher proportion of House members remain As common cause puts it a financially  is it any wonder then that political insiders see limiting the length of time Senate and House members can serve As a hot new election Issue for 1992? raising his political weather vane vice president Dan Quayle has already donned his protective gear by endorsing such curbs. A continuing decline in voter registration further swirls this vicious Circle. No voters studies show often prove to be savvy people who nonetheless spurn what they Reg amp re As a corrupt system. This is How the decline of the american democracy proceeds. It is hard to say How it will end. But if history proves a reliable guide the outcome will not be Cost free to the Republic. Cox news service