European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday july 24, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13commentary Anna Quindlen no place for politics in a doctor s office i never thought i would have a Good word to say about rust is. Sullivan the ridiculous supreme court decision upholding regulations barring doctors in federally financed clinics from discussing abortion with pregnant patients. But the advantage is in the adjective. It seems to me that Many americans who paid no mind to abortion rights have been perplexed by the ridiculous nature of the ruling. It has also generated terrific editorial cartoons cartoonists being among our finest commentators. I can to decide which i prefer the one of the doctor with a Gavel in his Mouth or the one of the clinic sign the supreme court has prohibited us from informing you that having an abortion is a Legal alternative the universe that once consisted Only of those of us who might need an abortion or have friends and relations who might need one was enlarged to include those who have asked a physician for Complete information. A i done to like the idea of abortions Quot one elderly Yomari said a but a doctor should have to Tell you the truth even if there a politics  this expansion of the universe this recognition that politics has no place in a doctors office this appreciation of the ridiculous provisions of a Federal gag Rule May come in Handy in the future. What was once a what if has now become a How soon the supreme court As constituted by Ronald Reagan and George Bush is a total loss in terms of reproductive Freedom and next term there is considerable likelihood that it will overturn Roe is. Wade. Whether Clarence Thomas is confirmed probably makes Little difference. The president is not going to turn around and nominate Laurence tribe instead. If it is True As polls Tell us Over and Over again that the american people believe abortion is a private matter they will now have to prove it in the voting Booth. They will have to press their elected representatives for Federal Law ensuring the right to an abortion. Failing that they will have to push legislators to make abortion Legal in their states and elect legislators who will do so. State courts have begun to move into the breach. Eight have found a right to privacy that includes reproductive Choice within their state constitutions. I  clinic Steven Komarow Gimme five in new York the court of appeals will consider that Issue this fall when it hears arguments in a Challenge by the new York civil liberties Union of medicaid funding bans. The Case is Hope is. Perales Hope for Short and for sure. Alternatives to constitutional Protection will be neither easy nor Ideal. The courts Are meant to be places of principle but the Legislatures Are bastions of Compromise. A legislative guarantees Are Likely to come with strings attached. Parental notification. Waiting periods. With state by state action geography is destiny. A state constitutional right to privacy in new York is cold Comfort to a girl in Louisiana who does no to have bus fare. All the jockeying the lobbying the campaigning will be quietly enraging for those who believe that what May be growing within them is uniquely their own business not the business of a lot of men in suits. The what if is upon us. You a think the Republican leadership which incorporated opposition to Legal abortion in the party platform in 1980, would be jumping up and Down. The reaction has been somewhat dil Ferent. The uproar Over rust is. Sullivan has been so considerable and the i Louse rejection of clinic restrictions by a 353-to-74 vote so decisive that the president said last week he might be amenable to some Compromise. And just a few Days ago the Young Republican National federation voted to remove from its platform an anti abortion Plank. Delegates at the groups convention decided the position was a political liability. Interesting that that should happen now that some political opposition softens As the removal of the constitutional Protection draws nearer. Many women have thought of Roe As an umbrella sheltering our rights. But it has protected politicians too from the necessity of taking a stand anywhere but behind the podium. It will be interesting to see if George Bush will maintain his manufactured opposition to Legal abortion if it Means not merely appointing conservative jurists to the country a highest court but vetoing Federal legislation and thereby clearly directly conclusively denying the right of Choice to millions of women. Who vote. C the associated Pross rash of probes on Navy Jet tied to staff wars Congress is a competitive place and its not always Republican is. Democrat. The democratic chairmen of two House panels Are racing each other to find out first what happened to the Navy a a-12 attack aircraft program that Cost americans $3 billion a and never produced a flyable plane. In fact there Are so Many hearings on the a-12 this week a four in All a that anyone interested in the Saga of the bungled program wont be bored. Competition Between the House armed services subcommittee on investigations and the House government operations subcommittee on legislation and National Security began last january. That a when defense Secretary Dick Cheney terminated the a-12 program because he said the contractors Mcdonnell Douglas and general dynamics had defaulted. The armed services panel chaired by rep. Nick Mavroulis d-mass., was first out of the Gate with its april 9 hearing on the governments decision to let the contractors defer paying Back $1.3 billion in unspent funds until december 1992. The government operations subcommittee chaired by rep. John Conyers jr., d-mich., held a similar hearing two Days later. His panel has jurisdiction to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs. This week armed services has three Days of hearings on the a-12, on tuesday wednesday and thursday. Government operations has a hearing wednesday. How did this come about a staff wars a said one source on Conyers panel. According to the source who requested anonymity another staffer moved from Conyers staff to Mavrouli Csc staff and a stole our  House speaker Thomas s. Foley d-wash., does no to seem to relish Competition As much As his colleagues but that does no to mean he does no to have ambitions a or at least dreams. Bantering with reporters last week about potential democratic presidential candidates Foley rattled off a Long list of names. A have 1 forgotten anyone Quot a How about Tom Foley a he was asked. A a never Quot was his response As usual. But then his mind seemed to wander. A i want to be appointed president a he said. Foley went on to describe a War game on Abc tvs night inc program which put Forth a situation where a the president and vice president had been gassed by a mysterious South american terrorist group and were not dead but in comas and their recovery was  Foley next in line to the presidency said he watched As the program a a dallied for a while As to whether the hypothetical speaker of the House would accept appointment As acting president. A after this went on for about 10 minutes i was on the verge of calling up Ted Koppel and saying a ill take it a a Foley said. Sometimes lawmakers defend a less lofty status. During last weeks House debate on the striker replacement Bill anti Union rep. Richard k. Armey a Texas and pro Union rep. James a. Trail Earl jr., a Ohio began referring to each others sides by the pejorative words Quot scabs and  it got pretty personal. Armey dared Trail Earl to Call him a a Scab Quot and Traficant brushed him aside. A if the definition would so apply to the gentleman and he would in fact place that definition on himself by his own words let that be his  he said. For himself Traficant said "1 do not like anyone to refer to me As a Goon. I am not a  c the associated press