European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes commentary Mary Mcgrory democrats must admit Bush right on Israel democrats know that George Bush is absolutely Correct in trying to Stop israeli settlements on the West Bank but Only two have come out and said so sen. Patrick j. Leahy of Vermont and rep. David r. Obey of Wisconsin. A they could make a contribution to peace in the Middle East not to mention their own reputations if they joined Bush in telling israelis that the Days of wine and roses in the  relationship Are Over. The realities of the new world order have been acknowledged by the militant anti defamation league whose spokesman Abraham Foxman wrote that things have changed since the soviet collapse and the persian Gulf War. What makes the democrats position almost grotesque is the fact that most americans 87 percent and most israelis 67 percent at last count stand with Bush and against israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamire a policy of building to the horizon. Hyman Bookbinder everyone a favorite jewish lobbyist who recently retired from the american jewish committee is an impassioned advocate of Israel. He deplores Bush a methods and tactics but thinks that he has a Point on substance. To Bookbinder Bush a sept. 12 attack on the jewish lobby and his depiction of himself As Quot one lonely Little Guy a against thousands of lobbyists was a a political temper Tantrum a disgrace a and a Clumsy and dangerous move that could ignite Ever menacing anti semitism. Bookbinder who recently celebrated his 75th birthday thinks that Bush sought the confrontation and that the arabs were not insisting on a settlement freeze As a condition of joining the peace conference in Madrid Spain. Even so he knows the israelis cannot claim that the Only land available for the flood of soviet jews is in the occupied territories. Housing minister Ariel Sharon told him last december a we can accommodate 10 million jews inside the Green line the Border Between Israel and the West Bank a democrats can to afford they think to a War Ramn l own a lot Ong Kesslen than cams amp Mai knowledge that Shamir is being impossible that every time Secretary of state James a. Baker Illus plane left the ground on his frequent visits to Israel israelis rushed out and broke ground for settlements. One of bookbinders birthday party guests said a we american jews have been going Over there for years and telling israeli governments they  do certain things. They appear to listen then go right on doing what they want to do. They Are addicts and we Are  but democratic presidential hopefuls both avowed and potential make up a solid front of opposition to Bush. Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska one of those who has announced went to Israel in August faced Down Shamir and told him to Cut it out with the settlements. He says he wants a debate on settlements policy. But in his William f. Buckley or. Last statement on the subject Kerrey said he thought the loan guarantees which Bush got deferred until february should be considered at a the earliest  sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa said in the face of a Good Deal of evidence to the contrary that a the settlements Are not an obstacle to  gov. L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia does not think our Friend Israel should be a a penalized by the withholding of the loan guarantees. Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas is against any delay in the loan guarantees. Gov. Mario Cuomo of new York who May run said on a recent Washington visit that he is opposed to Bush because he thinks his withholding of the Loans suggests a a a Bias in the negotiations on the settlements a even though . Policy against the settlements has been in place since 1967. He also objects to Bush a self portrait of one against the hordes Given the overwhelming support for his position. Former sen. Paul Tsongas finds Bush a attitude a hypocritical and inconsistent since we spent so Many years trying to Force the soviets to let the jews go and we have a responsibility to House  it could be conviction that drives the democrats. Or it could be Money a specifically Campaign Money. Jewish contributors arc generous but not inclined to write Large checks for candidates who take stands that could be seen As anti Israel even though israelis do not think they Are. Peter Edelman a co founder of peace now an organization advocating land for peace said the problem is that jewish leaders do not say in Public what they say in private about the settlements a they worry that if they break ranks and speak out they could Hurt  the result is that Shamir and Sharon continue on their merry ruinous Way cheered on by democrats who know better. C Universal press Syndicate panel should give president names for court. It a a a a a. I _ i i a _ 4 4. A. A Tail lit a n David Brinkley likes to Tell the Story of How Byron White got nominated to the supreme court. You see John Kennedy the candidate needed a Stout Kennedy hand in Colorado and former football hero whizzes White raised his hand and became a member of the select group pro Kennedy before los Angeles. That is How the True believers identified themselves after Kennedy a nomination and election to distinguish them from the Mere opportunists who became Kennedy ites Only after he was nominated who Are in turn to be distinguished from the great mass of people who became Kennedy ites after Dallas. Anyway White was a corporation lawyer with a lot of influence which he used to help round up delegates. After the election he became Deputy attorney general but Only briefly. Kennedy then appointed him to the supreme court. As Brinkley tells it nostalgically a the came into the hearing room and was asked eight questions and 11 minutes after he began the hearing ended he was confirmed and he a done a pretty Good jobs a pleasing some people displeasing some people the Way it goes. I interestingly enough White As a jus Tice voted against Roe is. Wade the supreme court decision that is turning the nomination process into a this is your life melodrama. Reflections on How to improve the process Are everywhere being considered. President Bush has suggested something ought to be done about it but in respect of the a rated session recently behind us he went no further than to wonder Why the Senate committee had not gone Over certain material it wanted to confront in executive session. Think As you like about Roe is. Wade but Washington lawyer philosopher Steven Umin is undoubtedly Correct when he says pensively that it was a decision that has All but destroyed the supreme court. This is a position both sides on the abortion Issue should agree upon. The political and emotional passions invested in that decision make every nominee the subject of torrid curiosity inasmuch As the court is pretty evenly divided on whether Roe is. Wade was a sound constitutional improvisation. When Robert Bork was Defeated the Law arrived at a landmark. His defeat was an act of raw bullying by senators whose fear of Bork a intellectual prowess made them nervous hysterical and demagogic. The underground Legal Rumor in Washington is to the effect that after the defeat of Bork followed by the withdrawal of Douglas Ginsburg what the White House did was to poke about informally with key Senate members in order to avoid collisions like the one we have recently passed through. Umin who is a member of the firm of Williams and Connolly and who clerked for Justice Potter Stewart believes there is something to be Learned from the process by which the judges for the . District court in Washington Are named. What happens there is that a commission surveys applicants to serve on that court the commissioners Are of course free themselves to take the initiative in enticing a lawyer who catches their favourable attention. It then comes up with a list of three and sends these to the White House. The president has 60 Days in which to select whichever candidate most appeals. If none is accepted the commission appoints one of the three who is then routinely confirmed by the Senate. The composition of the commission is wonderfully complicated there arc seven members one named by the president two by the Washington bar two by the mayor of Washington one by the City Council and one by the chief judge of the District court. An interesting adaptation would have the Senate sending three names to the president with an invitation to select the one that most appeals to him. If the president did not like any of them the Senate would submit three More names. By such Means constitutional prerogatives would indeed be preserved the president reserving the right to nominate but exercising the political judgment required to Send along someone who does no to get humiliated by the process does no to expose the Senate to the Ignominy it so often deserves and continues to give the president the right to influence the court with reference to the mandate that took him to the White House. It is an idea Worth trying. Its Only Hope for Success obviously would be if the. Senate judiciary committee seriously attempted to find candidates whose juridical views were harmonious with those of the president. C Universal pres Syndicate