European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 18, 1991 the stars and stripes David Broder Page 13 commentary presidential race already in gear for 1996 the Good news is that the 1992 presidential Campaign is very late starting. The bad news is that the 1996 race is already under Way. Undoubtedly talk of the 1996 election began years ago in the private councils of several prospective candidates. But i would guess that historians will Date the Public Start of the race from the March 31, 1991, appearance on no cd so meet the press by Senate majority Leader George Mitchell a Maine. Asked by Tim Russert Abc Washington Bureau chief if he would a make a Good president a Mitchell did not feign modesty. A i would like to think so a he said. Russert a so you a like to be president a Mitchell a yes i  Russert a when a Mitchell a Well in a not going to run in 1992. I Haven t made any decision beyond  he does no to have to. The Calendar already has made it for him. Mitchells Senate scat is up in 1994 and then again in 2000. If he does not run for president in 1996, he would Likely have to wait until 2004, when he would be 71. On the sound Assumption that no one announces for president 13 years in Advance Mitchell can be presumed to be planning his candidacy for 1996. That does not exactly make him unique. It does no to even make him unique among majority leaders. Many of House majority Leader Richard Gephardt so to colleagues supporters and friends express the opinion that he too will stay put in 1992 and try his presidential Luck again in 1996. After losing to Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential primaries Gephardt has a built in excuse for waiting when they elected him majority Leader in 1989, he promised House colleagues head remain in the Post until after the 1992 election. It raises an interesting Prospect for president Bush a second term a the picture of his dealing with a House and Senate democratic leadership shaped by men who Hope to be his successor. It will cause the president to cherish even More the statesmanlike bipartisanship of House speaker Thomas s. Foley d-wash., who is unnaturally immune from the presidential Bug. But if the president is re elected As the Odds now strongly suggest he faces More than the Challenge of Mitchell and Gephardt. He also must look Forward to the likelihood that his last four years will see an increasingly intense civil War among his own allies and appointees Over the 1996 Republican presidential nomination. I am convinced that Bush will keep vice president Dan Quayle on the ticket with him next year. But he cannot guarantee Quayle the 1996 presidential nomination. He probably will not try any More than Ronald Reagan tried to quash opposition to Bush in the 1988 primaries. What is striking about Bush is that he has filled the top ranks of his administration with men who when shaving in the morning see in the Mirror a face they Are certain is that of a future president of the United  j. Glass in addition to Quayle the ambitious Bush appointees include at least Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii Secretary of defense Dick Cheney attorney general Dick Thornburgh Secretary of housing and Urban development Jack Kemp Secretary of education Lamar Alexander and former drug Czar Bill Bennett. One should also not forget the White House chief of staff John h. Sununu who May Well believe that after seven years at Bush a right hand he could go Home to new Hampshire and beat All Comers in the primary that traditionally makes a president. Although that is a Long list of potential Quayle Chal lengers it is by no Means exhaustive. It docs not include people like sen. Phil Gramm a Texas California gov. Pete Wilson also a Republican or any of a dozen others who might by then have contracted White House fever. On the democratic Side Mitchell and Gephardt will also have plenty of company. Many others who Are demur ring at 1992 a Sens. Jay Rockefeller d-w.va., Chuck Robb d-va., Bill Bradley d-n.j., Bob Kerrey d-neb., and Sam Nunn d-ga., for example a will be More inclined to run when they will not have to face the Liberator of Kuwait. And who knows How Many ambitious democratic governors will be Well positioned for a 1996 try if the democrats retain their congressional majorities next year and see them increase in the Normal a sixth year itchy swing against the  administration in 1994, Mitchell and Gephardt will share one important advantage Over any of their democratic rivals. They will be in the Best position to Challenge the policies of the outgoing Republican president and to draw the partisan Battle links for the next Campaign. Neither Lyndon Johnson nor Bob Dole was Able to convert a congressional floor leadership Job into a presidential nomination. But that will Mot. Discourage Mitchell and Gephardt from trying five years from now that is. C Washington Post Wnters group a a look at taxes using the Gingrich doctrine the average american will work 128 Days in 1991 to satisfy All his or her tax burdens. That gloomy statistic comes from the tax foundation a research outfit that analyses government data. Assuming steady toil from Jan. 1 just to fill the governments coffers the foundation this year sets May 8 As a tax Freedom  that a a record beating last year s Mark by three Days. Some pundits dismiss this stuff As dem-a8�gy. I hey see runaway budget deficits cracked highways and ill fed children ass Gas that americans Are if anything under taxed. They bolster such arguments a the studies that show other advanced societies Shell out far More to tax collectors a ban that americans must pay. That angers rep. Newt Gingrich a Jan an anti tax Stalwart. The congressman asserts that the press should Stop preaching about the nations woes which e jays Are Well known. Instead he Ould have it come Forward with solutions. So let us take a fresh look at the tax Issue in step with the Gingrich doctrine. It is no longer sufficient merely to note that people demand More government services nut nevertheless still want to hold onto their earnings. An answer might be to let taxpayers earmark levies for pet projects. That idea in fact is already on the books. Federal returns allow couples filing jointly to put As much As $2 in a Kitty for the 1992 presidential Campaign. But the irs says Only about a fifth of . Taxpayers Avail themselves of this prerogative. It has no Way of knowing How Many tax filers fail to Check their boxes because they think in error that they would be making an extra Campaign donation. Nor will the irs guess How Many let it go because they do not like politicians who Promise to lower taxes but wind up raising them. Here a another Angle should everyone get to earmark or should such privileges be limited to the biggest givers in the same Way As say american sex Kress cuddles its Gold and Platinum card olders after All the richest 10 percent of americans those who earn More than $58,368 a year Chip in a whopping 57 percent of total tax revenues.  they get a bit of a Bonus since my own return Falls into this zone ill state a preference. Id like to help fund the National economic commission a unit Congress created to find ways of cutting the deficit while promoting economic growth. But it has folded having spent a final $5,000 in fiscal 1990 to clean up Odds and ends. My second Choice is to subsidize the 1992 Federal budget. Weighing in at More than 7 pounds it can be ordered for $41 a pop. While volume discounts Are unavailable the superin Detent of documents a he a also up there among us 10 percenter a says the $41 fails to cover the governments True costs. My wife h As another solution that Gingrich might consider. Around april 15, she would declare a a tax Holiday for a one pay period during which no taxes would be withheld from pay envelopes. Instead taxpayers would have to go to a place where the government does business such As a Post office and personally Fork Over what they owe with a Check or in Cash. Such a simple change my wife holds would do wonders to Reform the tax system. She will vote for any presidential candidate who endorses her plan. But done to hold your breath until such a worthy contender comes along. A Cox nows Sonvico 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 stars and stripes or the . Government