European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday August 28, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary. Elaine care Gorbachev s Surprise move May be too late for 2vi Days it appeared that while soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev survived the coup his deft ability to keep a tight grip on world shaking Power did not. Then on saturday night he announced that he was resigning As general Secretary of the communist party becoming the first Leader Ever to try to control the soviet government without holding the party a highest Post. He said the Central committee should be dissolved which would throw it into chaos and probably Speed it on toward oblivion. But in his initial statement read on soviet television he stopped Short of saying he was cutting up his party membership card. For a lifelong communist who wanted to Reform the party rather than abolish it quitting is a wrenching decision one that russian federation president Boris n. Yeltsin now the leading voice from the soviet unions democrats himself arrived at Only last year. But distancing himself from the party was vital to Gorbachev a chances of hanging onto a real position of Power. His card or the party will have to disappear if the 60-year-old Leader wants to survive politically. Without that he might keep the title of soviet president beyond another year or two but Only because the Post will have been reduced to a ribbon cutting role. His religion the communist party had proved to be his Achilles Heel. The unshakable Faith he expressed in the communist party after it tried to overthrow him was something soviets Coulch no longer fathom. As a matter of fact it is beginning to enrage and disgust them. On thursday Back from his crimean Captivity Gorbachev was still expressing sadness about the decision the previous week by his close associate Alexander Nikolajevich Yakovlev to leave the party. A i have to state that Alexander Nikolajevich was in a bit of a hurry a Gorbachev said Vve artly. A a initially he said he was going to fight through for Reform of the party but then he said a i done to believe in the possibility of reforming the party even if my Friend Mikhail Serg Yevich Gorbachev now i regret that an individual is leaving the party who should be making his contribution to reforming the on thursday Gorbachev also quoted communist Demigod Vladimir i. Lenin to underscore a Point. A i am convinced that socialism is Correct. In Man adherent of socialism a he said. A a sentence of Lenin a in which he said that socialism is the vital creativity of the masses a this is the Model we have to Gorbachev did not have much time to see his error and publicly repent in order to survive As a vibrant president. It May have been too late already even for the most nimble footed and Only anti violence politician Ever to tap dance to the top of the party a Pyramid. Before Gorbachev revolutionized this country with the concepts of glasnost and perestroika his people were scared a scared of the party a Iron hand that was always so eager to choke them if they dared to speak up. The people thanks to him and luckily for him Are no longer risked their lives to save Gorbachev and the Freedom and rights his policies had Given them when the party a jackboots tried to oust him last week. It May strike the outside world As very Peculiar that the crowds facing Down the soviet armed forces by surrounding the russian parliament to free Gorbachev on monday tuesday and wednesday last week were shouting at the president to resign when he left the building Friday. But what the world must understand is that those thousands wanted to save Gorbachev the Symbol a not Gorbachev the politician. He was the Symbol of a soviet Union that is beginning to build democratic Freedom and enshrine it in just Laws that Are obeyed by everyone. If they did no to fight then they would lose those freedoms and rights that even though they arc still in their i fancies suddenly were precious enough to justify risking death. Anti on saturday like the French revolutionary who leapt out the drawing room window to run to the front of a passing mob Gorbachev decided that he would rather do the leading if that was where his people wanted to go. His profound belief in the party Wasny to really so startling. The party got him where he is today. But for Gorbachev the party had not merely been a Way to Power. He truly believed that it would eventually create a Good and fair life for soviets. A presidential election is Likely to be held next year. Gorbachev will not run unless he is sure of Victory. He might have been Able to do that front within the party if the Post by then meant nothing More than being a master of ceremonies. But if the Post has real Power the kind that can affect Peoples lives the new majority he converted to the new democratic non communist political vision will give it Only to one of their own. C Cox nows service Tom Wicker Bush Likely to be big Winner in Thomas fight the staggering news from Moscow momentarily obscured events that ordinarily might have occupied americans attention such As the new questions raised about the integrity of financial markets by the Salomon scandal. A the withdrawal of another potential democratic presidential candidate Albert Gore of Tennessee. A the Battle developing Over president Bush a nomination of Clarence Thomas i to the supreme court. But the latest Wall Street disclosure Only underscores again the Sleazy grab it while you Cali economic atmosphere of the �?T80s, which is now coming into full democrats sooner or later will Field a presidential candidate weak or Strong and contest the 1992 election Well or poorly. The Thomas nomination has larger implications a and not merely that his confirmation apparently would strengthen the already existing conservative majority on the court or that his and other justices comparative youth would sustain that majority far into the 21st Century. The impending confirmation Battle in the Senate could have lasting repercussions on the democratic party and in the racial issues Central to National politics. The single most cited reason for opposition to judge Thomas is his critical View of affirmative action programs which the Bush administration has been busily branding As a a quotas and indicting the democratic party for supporting. If judge Thomas loses in a Senate with a democratic majority it will be largely on this ground and would give Bush a new store of ammunition for his anti quota Campaign in 1992. The rejection of Clarence Thomas a Black opponent of quotas by a democratic Senate could Hurt the democrats in several ways. It could shake their vital Black political support enough to change election outcomes in some constituencies. It would add plausibility and effectiveness to Bush a expected Campaign against a a quotas and the disadvantages they supposedly impose upon White workers. Thus ironically enough though judge Thomas is Black his defeat and the presidents ensuing Campaign would further identify the democrats As a party primarily concerned about Blacks and minorities a an identification already so Strong As to be probably the major political liability democrats take into National campaigns. Even if the struggle is considered solely in terms of the Senate judge Thomas is a More difficult target than Robert Bork. The latter was Defeated not least by the nearly Universal opposition of Blacks. With their new found political strength in Southern states they were Able to influence White Southern senators to oppose a Man these senators ordinarily would have supported. Southern conservative votes a for instance Howell Heflin of Alabama a doomed that nomination. No such Black unanimity is evident in opposition to Clarence Thomas. For that reason and because he is from Georgia and viewed As a self made a role Model a it will not be easy to swing Southern senators or other conservative democrats against him. Given the nearly unanimous Republican support Bush probably can evoke a relatively narrow continuation vote is Likely. Even that could Hurt the democrats it they Are perceived to line up largely against judge Thomas a particularly it that becomes their party line. They might Well be damned if they do defeat him and damned if they done tas the party that opposed a role Model Black conservative opponent of quotas. Way George Bush wins. Of now a Ltd k turn
