European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday october 11, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary David proper democrats must do More to convince voters Reading the announcement speeches of the five democratic presidential candidates is an instructive Way to discern what the democrats have Learned from three successive White House defeats. The addresses by former senator Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder Sens. Tom har Kin of Iowa and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton vary in Quality tone and Content but contain certain common themes a More than their predecessors did in the �?T80s, these democrats emphasize that their approach is strongly rooted in traditional values. All but Wilder personalized this attachment by dwelling on their enduring connections to their hometowns a Lowell mass. Cum Ming Iowa Lincoln neb. Hope Ark. Clearly they have Learned from Ronald Reagan How important it is to stress Core values and roots. That a a plus. A to a greater degree than any democratic nominee since Jimmy Carter in 1976, these democrats Are running against Washington. Some a like Harkin a focus their distaste Only on the policies of the Reagan Bush administrations. The others draw the indictment of the capital so broadly it covers the whole political culture of the City including Capitol Hill. Carter ran against Washington and won but had a hard time governing without allies Here. Can these democrats profit from the anti Washington sentiment or will they Hurt their own credibility by posing As outsiders a running against the eighth successive president to have worn a military uniform during world War ii the democrats Are eager to present themselves As spokesmen for a different generation. Wilder the oldest of the group gives this least emphasis a Kerrey Clinton and Tsongas the most. All five democrats want to focus the voters minds on the future. They indict the republicans for failing to assure that future generations will have the same opportunities americans have enjoyed in the past. In doing so they tap in on a fear prevalent in the Public and they Challenge president Bush to present his own Agenda for the future something he has been very reluctant to do. Its a smart tactic on their part. A their speeches Echo the democrats traditional concerns for social programs and racial Equality. Health care education and the environment Are still the holy Trinity with deep bows to abortion rights As Well. On All four of those issues democrats enjoy majority support. But new social spending implies big government and the taxes to support it a and they May be vulnerable to counterattack on those fronts As were the democratic nominees of the 80s. A far from sidestepping the racial questions republicans have used As Quot wedge issues Quot several of the democrats a most notably southerners Wilder and Clinton a accuse Bush of demagogy on this front. Others notably Harkin Are lighting counter fires by fanning resentment of the Rich. One Way or another All five make the Point that they empathize with the Quot victims Quot in society because of their own experiences in overcoming poverty Harkin and Clinto racial discrimination Wilde War injury Kerrey or cancer Tsongas. Whether this will win them sympathy in the electorate remains to be seen. A the strongest emphasis for the democrats is on Middle class economic anxieties about jobs take Home pay and status. Most Promise tax Relief. Only Wilder suggests significant Domestic spending cuts and his Are unspecified. The Middle class anxiety they see is All too real. Whether voters believe democrats can guarantee Good jobs is a different question. In 1988, Michael Dukakis aimed his Campaign at the a Middle class squeeze a but Bush ran away with the Issue through his a no new taxes pledge. After breaking that Promise and enduring three years of slow economic growth. Bush is vulnerable on the Economy. If the democrats can seize the High ground on this Issue the election could become much More competitive. But they re not there yet. A the paucity of rhetoric on defense and foreign policy issues in their announcement speeches strongly suggests that the democrats wish these questions would just go away. They wont. Kerrey devoted 11 paragraphs to National Security but got no More specific than suggesting that a we need to change our military Force Structure with an Alert mind that focuses on our safety and others such As Harkin seem to think they can dispose of the question by promising to a declare a peace dividend and turn a Star wars into a Star a the democratic hopefuls will have to do better than that to pass the voters threshold test of replacing Bush As commander in chief. C Washington Post writers group a it William Saf Irein politics Stormy sea the House is a Rock observe the stutter step of political scandal. First troubling news Breaks. The charges Are brushed aside As trivial by late waking Media or Are stonewalled into silence by grim faced authorities. Then scandal coverage develops a second wind whipping up a firestorm that sucks in coverage Down to the talk show level which sets in motion investigations that bring Reform to the political process and sweep out rascals. Finally the Scanda mongers Are derogated by historians As making much fuss Over nothing. What has Housemate or rubber Gate or kit Gate a any Gate in a firestorm a taught us mainly this thank god for the House of representatives. It is the glory of american democracy. No sarcasm intended. When speaker Tom Foley responded to the wave of revulsion and ridicule by putting an end to the corruption of the House Bank last week he demonstrated a truth that the founding fathers intended the House is the political institution most closely in touch with the people. If a similar display of arrogance leading to corruption had been exposed in the Senate that club would have closed ranks on the files. If it had happened in the White House also exempt from Freedom of information disclosure the presidents counsel would have discreetly put a Stop to it with nobody punished. But the House As a body of readily accountable officials Felt the voter heat and saw the ethical Light. The internal pressure on the speaker from the members shifted from a squelch this quickly to a close the Bank and investigate the major corrupter before we All get smeared As deadbeats and Are beaten next year a or before the term limitation movement turns our seniority Sanctuary into a hotel for so hats off to the House when the Public says a jump a it should and does say Quot How High a in this Case the answer is a Little higher. Forget about the Petty embarrassment of members who inadvertently took Small interest free Loans erroneously described As Quot bounced checks that a Penny Ante stuff. Instead the sleepy Public integrity Section at the attorney general free depart ment of Justice should Zero in on the kiting recidivists and big borrowers who deserve censure if not prosecution. Something is Rotten in the office of the sergeant at arms. It goes deeper than the fixing of parking tickets or extending interest free credit of $20,000 to members who follow their Leader or influencing of local Banks to make political Loans. Jack Russ rep. Dan Rostenkowski a protege is shyly declining interviews presumably because he will be asked about the $10,000 he took out a couple of years ago. That ainu to fish bait. Who directed him to take out that Money to which member did he give the $10,000 in Cash for what blackmail gambling or compassionate reason did the member Ever give him the Money Back or did somebody else reimburse the sergeant at arms a if so who Why and were any taxes due these Are questions about Only one incident that the Fri and irs apparently have deemed too sensitive to investigate. With the folks at Home aroused clean members will now lean on the House ethics committee to get Tough on the corrupt. Perhaps we can get the momentum of congressional self discipline to extend to the most egregious example of nest feathering the abuse of the franking privilege. This enables incumbents to advertise with self serving Ink mail newsletters and Quot meeting notifications at a Cost to the Public of tens of millions each year. Aii say the perpetrators of Frank abuse but the voters need to be informed of How wonderfully we re serving them. Here is How to kick that phony argument in the head require every mailing in an election year to offer a stuffing privilege to the candidate of the opposition party or to any challenger who can come up with a thousand signatures. A single Page flier not printed at taxpayer expense would add nothing to the Cost of the mailing. But incumbents with the free mail Edge would suddenly lose the lust for partisan a voter education at Public Cost. Accountability is on a Roll. Hooray for the responsive legislators Perm limitation is the Specter that is haunting the House and scandal is the two by four that gets the attention of the most Mullish member. It thu it w York ii it
