European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a saturday March 23, 1991 the stars and stripes v b Page 7gop gets Good news in pol the stars and stripes by Jack Nelson the los Angeles times Washington a More americans now identify themselves As republicans than democrats on a scale not seen in 60 years a new Survey shows. The poll also suggests the gop will easily retain the. White House in 1992 and has the Best Chance in years at breaking the democratic stranglehold on Congress. The nationwide poll by the times Mirror corp. Shows that with support for the gop surging in the Wake of the Allied Victory in the persian Gulf those who identify themselves As republicans outnumber democrats 36 percent to 29 percent and hold a 50 percent-to-40 percent Lead in congressional voting intentions. Not since before the great depression of the 1930s has the Republican. Party held such significant leads in either the number of people identifying themselves As republicans or in their inclination to vote for gop congressional candidates. The poll showed that if new York gov. Mario Cuomo were the democratic presidential candidate in 1992, president Bush would crush him by More than 50 percentage Points. It indicated that Bush could Widen the Lead by several Points by dumping vice president Dan Quayle As his running mate and replacing him with Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Political observers of both parties said that with reapportionment and retirements expected to produce Niobe than 100 open or closely contested House seats the kind of major shift in party loyalties reflected in the poll could make 1992 a watershed congressional elec Tio Nyear. Even if the republicans manage to retain most of the Lead reflected in the poll however they still will face an Uphill struggle to break the democrats lock on Congress. Republicans Are outnumbered by democrats 267 to 167 in the House and 56 to 44 in the Senate. The House has one Independent. Moreover strategists for both parties cautioned that while the poll results strongly favor republicans today developments Between new and the november 1992, election could Benefit democrats and alter the picture significantly. Nevertheless Republican strategists were ecstatic Over the poll. A a it a great news for republicans a said Spencer Abraham head of the gop congressional Campaign committee. A a it la have a positive Impact on our Hopes it s great news for republicans Spencer Abraham the election is. 20 months away a Les Francis for gains in Congress and it la help us raise Money and recruit Good candidates because  know they have a shot to win a a v a Les Frances executive director of the democratic congressional Campaign committee said that democrats a should take the poll seriously and Sec what we can learn but there a no reason to panic a a you could say if the election were held tomorrow the republicans would win but you could say if my grandmother had wheels shed be a bicycle a Francis added. A the election is 20 months  the poll of 2,028 americans 18 years and older was conducted March 14-19. Republicans said that the timing of the poll made the results even More significant because National euphoria Over the Quick Victory in the War already had begun to fade by mid March. If current attitudes about support for the War As indicated by the poll carry Over into the election republicans will be helped and democrats., Hurt by their votes on the Issue of using Force against Iraq. Quot a of those polled 47 percent said that they would be less Likely to vote for a member of Congress who voted against the use of Force. At the same time 44 percent said they would be More Likely to vote for a lawmaker who had voted in favor of using Force. The poll showed that although the gop has made gains among virtually All demographic groups its most dramatic increase has been among Young people. Of Survey participants under the age of 30, those identifying themselves As republicans outnumbered democrats by 41 percent to 21 percent. As recently As six months ago nationwide surveys showed a 31 percent-to-27 percent margin for republicans among people under 30. In traditional areas of democratic strength such As lower income and less educated americans and those who re Side in the East republicans also scored larger than average gains the Survey showed. / Black voters were found to be less Adverse to Republican candidates for Congress than they were a year earlier. Blacks favored democratic congressional candidates Over republicans by a margin of 82 percent to 9 percent in the Spring of 1990. The new poll shows the democratic margin has been reduced to 73 percent to 23 percent. Convicted officer denies whacking boys with stick Sunrise Fla. Up a an sex policeman sentenced to probation for lining up 14 boys and hitting them in the grown with his Nightstick while singing the theme from a the Brady Bunche insists he never struck the children and suggests the Case was part of a plot to strip him of his badge. A a a. A a a a a a a a. A a ,. A Chester Noland 27, pleaded guilty to Battery and was sentenced to one year of probation wednesday for the october incident. According to court records 14 boys with skateboards were playing a raucous game of hide and seek outside a quiet business Complex in the Southeast Florida City of Sunrise. A merchant complained to police that they were cursing and making too much noise. Noland pulled up and ordered the boys to line up against a Wall with their arms and legs spread he whacked each of them Between the legs with his Nightstick while idly singing the theme song from the to sitcom records show. A the boys Middle school students Ages 12 to 14, told police Noland also made lewd comments to them and threatened to shoot them. The boys said Noland warned them against trespassing in the area and let them go. Noland resigned from the Force last month and was ordered wednesday to surrender his police credentials at the sentencing hearing. Mouth watering missiles Olympia Candy Kitchen in Chambersburg pa., is creating its version of the Patriot. The Sweet shop offers a chocolate confection folded in the shape of a missile wrapped in a Flag and accompanied by candied replicas of destroyed scud missiles. Shop owner Wil  Anes says his employees such As Ginger Clugston shown her have been working overtime to keep up with the soaring sales. Exeter . Up. A jury Friday found Pamela smart guilty of masterminding the murder of her husband of less than a year so she could pursue her love affair with his teen aged killer. Smart 23, stood quietly but a Roar went up in the courtroom and wild sobbing was heard As the jury of seven woman and five men returned the verdict. The Rockingham county Superior court Juty deliberated about 14 hours Over three Days before returning their verdict on charges of being an accomplice to first degree murder conspiracy and witness tampering. Judge Douglas. Gray immediately sentenced her to life in prison without Hope of parole. The sensational trial attracted Media attention from across the nation and abroad. It held new englander spellbound As viewers tuned in to the proceedings which were televised live. Gregory smart a 24-year-old insurance Salesman was shot to death execution style in the hallway of the couples Derry condominium on May 1,1990. His wife found the body As she came Home from a meeting at Winn Cunnett High school in Hampton where she was director of Media services for the school District. She ran screaming from the Home. Police initially believed that the shooting was the result of a botched burglary. On june 11, three Seabrook teen agers were arrested for the murder after a Friend of the teens heard them talking about the crime and went to the police. Suspicion later began to focus on smart As authorities Learned of her relationship with William Flynn now 17, one of the arrested teen agers. She was arrested at her office on aug. 1. Last month Flynn Vance lattime or. And Patrick Randall pleaded guilty to second degree murder and agreed to testify As prosecution witnesses. Throughout two and one half weeks of testimony smarts lawyers insisted that she had nothing to do with the murder. A a they admitted that she was having an improper love affair with Flynn who was 15 when the relationship began but maintained that the youths were a thrill killers a who carried out the murder on their own. / smart took the witness stand in her own defense for two Days confidently responding to prosecution charges and placing blame for the murder of her husband on the youths. A if i was guilty i would have pled guilty and plea bargained like the rest of them a she said. Smart was Cool and composed even under Cross examination about secretly recorded conversations Between herself and her student intern Cecelia Pierce who was cooperating with police. The recordings made in june and july As police focused on her possible role in the slaying seemed to indicate that smart knew of the crime in Advance