European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 29, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5 Bush Happy with Aba s rating of Thomas Washington apr the White House said it s Happy with the mid level rating of a a qualified that the american bar association has bestowed on supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas. But Thomas critics said the appraisal by the nations largest lawyers group undermines president Bush a assertion that Thomas is the Best Man for the Job. Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said tuesday in a statement from Kennebunkport Maine that Bush welcomed the Aba action. A we Are very pleased that the Aba s standing committee on the Federal judiciary has found judge Thomas qualified to be an associate Justice of the United states supreme court a Fitzwater said. Would be candidates testing Waters for 92 when Bush picked Thomas who is Black in july to succeed retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall the High courts Only Black member the president denied he was filling a racial quota on the court. He described Thorn. As As the a Best qualified candidate for the vacancy. But Thomas Quot critics were Quick to describe the Abas weak endorsement As evidence that the conservative Thomas is a mediocre Choice. A a Thomas rating is the worst of any nominee in the past decade and that fact will not be lost on the Senate a said Arthur Kropp president of people for the american Way a Liberal group. A the panels misgivings about his nomination will weigh heavily in the  two of the 15 members of the Abas judicial evaluation panel voted Thomas a not qualified to sit on the High court. An Aba source who requested anonymity said one panel member did not take part in the vote. The names of the two dissenters were not made Public. The Aba has three rankings for High court nominees Well qualified qualified and not qualified. The mid level rating for Thomas is the same Aba evaluation he received when he was appointed a Federal appeals court judge in 1989. Thomas a former chairman of the equal employment Opportunity commission has been attacked by civil rights groups including the a act and women a rights groups. By the Baltimore Sun Washington a As summer comes to an end some More democratic prospects Are sticking their toes into the presidential Pool. This week sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska became the latest to admit he might take the plunge in 1992. Kerrey a new generation Democrat perhaps Best known for his Romance with actress Debra Winger expects to decide within the next week to 10 Days whether hell run a spokesman said tuesday. The 48-year-old decorated Vietnam War Veteran is reviewing his plans in the Wake of recent decisions by Sens. Albert Gore or. And John d. Rockefeller in and rep. Richard a. Gephardt not to enter the race said Steve Jarding the senators press Secretary. The gaping Hole created by the apparent unwillingness of More prominent democrats to take on a popular president could draw other unlikely starters As Well including former gov. Edmund g. A a Jerry Brown of California. The Rev. Jesse l. Jackson has said that he will decide later this fall whether to stage a third presidential Campaign. At least three other democrats none of them Well known outside their Home states Are also nearing decisions on whether to become candidates. The Only the stars and stripes announced democratic candidate is former Massachusetts sen. Paul Tsongas who has attracted Little support despite months of campaigning. Republican politicians and Many democrats contend that none of the Likely democratic candidates has the stature to Challenge president Bush. This a stature Gap has led to continue ing speculation that a democratic heavyweight such As new York gov. Mario m. Cuomo might decide to run. For most democratic contenders the effective deadline for getting in the race is next month in order to begin organizing for the primaries that begin in february. There were reports that Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder who is testing his Appeal this week in new Hampshire the first primary state May wait until the end of september before announcing his plans. He had said earlier that he would signal his intentions by this weekend. Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton recently said he had not yet decided to run and several Clinton advisers confirmed that he was not yet 100 percent committed to a �?T92 race. But Clinton who bypassed the 1988 presidential race because he did no to want to spend time away from his family said monday that his wife and daughter have Given him the go ahead for a possible bid.10 years ago aug. 29,1981 a John w. Hinckley or. Pleaded innocent to charges of shooting president Reagan and three others. Hinckley May change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity after psychiatric tests.20 years ago aug. 29,1971 a swimmer Mark Spitz broke the world record in the menus 200-meter Butterfly for the second time during the National Amateur athletic Union swimming championships.30 years ago aug. 29,1961 a 13-year-old Caldwell Idaho boy incensed at having to irrigate his family a farm went on a shooting spree in which the police chief and a Deputy sheriff were critically wounded.40 years ago _ aug. 29,1951 a the United nations accused the communists of Quot perpetrating a deliberate fraud by using one of their planes to stage the Kaeson bombing for which they blamed the United nations. Gov. L. Douglas Wilder d-va., meets prospective voters in Nashua n.h.,  gov. Hunt under probe Montgomery Ala. A the Alabama ethics commission on tuesday began an investigation to determine whether gov. Guy Hunt broke the Law by taking state aircraft to out of state preaching stops where he accepted Cash offerings. The probe started at the request of a North Alabama Coal Miner who gave the commission a petition bearing 500 signatures. A a in a a taxpayer and i just done to like the Way the governor has been spending taxpayers Money a said Charlie Tipton of Bibb county. Flight logs and Church members have confirmed eight trips Hunt made on state aircraft this year to religious functions including a funeral and a wedding. In four cases Church members said Hunt received Cash offerings after preaching. Hunt a primitive Baptist minister said from now on he will use taxpayer funded planes to go to Church appearances Only in a a critical eases. He said the department of Public safety in charge of Hunts Security will receive Advance approval from the ethics commission for such trips. The Republican governor said his trips were a completely  ethics commission executive director Melvin co Operand chief investigator How Ard Mckenzie declined comment on the complaint. Both cited a court ruling that bars the Agency front discussing pending eases. Alabama a ethics Law prohibits officials front using their Public jobs for private financial gain. The state Law empowers the ethics commission to decide whether there has been a violation that should be sent to the state prosecutor. Action could conic As soon As sept. 20, the commissions next meeting. The governor Friday gave the state a Check for $1,750, which aides said represented Money Hunt received after preaching in Virginia and Georgia. Ferraro reports payment for 85 to and. I dam i wet .1.�u. I 7 Washington apr Geraldine Ferraro says she san author lecturer by profession but she got a fat Check last year from a 1985 Pepsi cola commercial. Ferraro the 1984 democratic vice presidential nominee received almost $370,000 in deferred payment from the 30-second television and according to her personal financial disclosure form. Ferraro who is seeking the democratic nomination to Challenge sen. Alfonse do Amato r-n.y., has never revealed exactly what she earned for the commercial. The and was made several months after her unsuccessful run with presidential nominee Walter Mondale. A it was paid out Over a period of time a Ferraro said tuesday. A under an agreement we never disclosed the  Ferraro said she received a final payment of $200,000 last year and interest of almost $170,000. If she were to release her income tax returns Ferraro said the total payment would become Public. But she said she wont do that unless her competitors do the same. Ferraro earned roughly Between $503,000 and $ >50,000 during the 17 months leading up to her candidacy according to the form which lists income and assets in Broad ranges. Of that nearly $119,000 consisted of lecture fees. A a that is what i did for a living a Ferraro said in an interview. A from 1984 to 1990, if you look at anything we sent out my title was author lecturer. I had my own Little cottage  Ferraro said she went Over the disclosure form several times with lawyers and accountants to make sure there were no oversights