European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Campaign abortion ruling May swing vote Washington apr the supreme courts decision to review a restrictive Pennsylvania abortion Law this election year thrusts an emotionally charged Issue into the presidential race and some say it could affect the outcome of the election. Vej our. Plans to hear arguments in april and a ruling is due just before the democratic and Republican nominating conventions assuring that abortion will be on the minds of voters and party strategists. Polls show most americans support legalized abortion. Democrats who Are strongly identified with that position View the court Battle As a political Opportunity that could easily touch on the race for the White House. A this is a big weight on the minus Side of the scale ii eor8e Bush a said Geoff Garin a democratic pollster. A a lot of people think he has come to his pro Ife views by political calculation. So there a a character problem but beyond that he a just out of step. He seen for constitutional amendments to make abortion  some republicans concede the renewed focus on abort Ion could put their party on the defensive. But Charles Black a Bush Campaign adviser said the Issue has been a Wash historically. Given the state of the Economy this is not going to be a decisive Issue a Black said. On wednesday the 19th anniversary of the supreme courts Roe is. Wade ruling that legalized abortion Bush called the anti abortion movement a a righteous  he told participants in the March for life rally in Washington that a i am out there with you in  the five major contenders for the democratic presidential nomination advertised their pro Choice positions wednesday night at a National abortion rights action league fund raising dinner. Those five Are former California gov. Jerry Brown Iowa sen. Tom har Kin Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton former Massachusetts sen. Paul Tsongas and Nebraska sen. Bob Kerrey. Democrats agree that the Economy is a primary voter concern. But they also play up the potential significance of a court ruling perceived As ending or seriously threatening Legal abortion. Quot this is one of those issues that can make a critical difference said Kate Michelman executive director of Friday january 24, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 5 pro Choice demonstrators hold signs and chant slogans during a rally wednesday in Washington. The abortion rights league. A it can provide a margin of Victory in key states that a pro Choice democratic candidate needs to  the Republican platform has a Strong anti abortion Plank including support for a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion. Abortion rights activists within the party have been planning to Challenge the provision at the convention aug. 17-20. Ann Stone head of republicans for Choice said her group Hopes to gain concessions from the platform committee a that will preclude us from having to be More vocal and having demonstrations at the convention. But we Are prepared for a floor fight and to be very  sen. Don Nickles r-okla., named chairman of the platform committee on wednesday said the preamble to the document could be rewritten to show that the party has ample room for  fire opening Salvo on health care Washington apr Senate democrats pushed Forward a Universal health care Bill wednesday that would require employers to contribute to their workers coverage getting the jump on president Bush a medical insurance proposals expected next week. The Senate labor and human resources committee approved the democratic leadership a Bill in a vote that strictly followed party lines. The symbolic action was intended to upstage the political Impact of Bush a first proposal on the health crisis a package of tax incentives Tor the Purchase of private insurance. Bush plans to offer the proposal in his state of the Union address. Senate majority Leader George Mitchell a Maine co sponsor of the Bill with sen. Edward m. Kennedy d-mass., said he Hopes to have a full Senate vote on the democratic measure this year. Republicans opposed the plan with most saying the Cost would be too High and that the government had no business taking Over such a Large share of the health care insurance business. The 10-7 committee vote was the opening Bell of an election year Battle Over health care which has exploded As an Issue in recent months. More than 35 million americans arc estimated to be without health insurance and the costs for those who have it arc skyrocketing. The Bill called a  a would require All employers to provide health coverage and pay 80 percent of the premiums for All employees or pay into a government run program providing coverage for uninsured people whether employed or not. Employers who done to provide coverage would pay a payroll tax of 7 percent to 9 percent into the government run program. Even so that coverage system would need additional tax revenues to operate. Labor Secretary Lynn Martin estimated the Public plan would Cost As much As $36.8 billion in Federal spending after the payroll tax to support. But democrats argued that the costs could be offset by savings from reduced administration and limits on health care costs. In the stars and stripes 10years ago Jan. 24,1982 the soviet Board of statistics withheld the 1981 Grain Harvest figure indicating that the poor Harvest May be the worst in six years. Low results had already been reported for vegetables potatoes milk meat and sugar beets.20 years ago Jan. 24,1972 a the Mcgraw Hill publishing company announced it would delay publication of Clifford Irving a biography of billionaire Howard Hughes until the question of Check fraud involving a woman named Helga r. Hughes and a Swiss Bank was clarified. 30years ago Jan. 24,1962 a seven refugees dodged communist guards to escape from East Berlin including a woman who climbed the Berlin Wall with her 4-month-old baby and an East German guard who crawled under the barbed wire. 40years ago Jan. 24,1952 a in an Effort to break the prolonged deadlock in truce negotiations in Panmunjom Korea the United nations indicated it might be willing to Compromise on its demand for an outright ban on communist construction of airfields during an armistice. Transport chief faces some Sticky issues by the Washington Post Washington a Andrew h. Card jr., nominated to be the country a 12th transportation Secretary will face Many complicated issues in the next few months. Card who was Deputy to former White House chief of staff John h. Sununu has no transportation experience and his nomination wednesday raised More questions than answers among transportation professionals in Washington. For one thing his largest Agency the Federal aviation administration is Lead Erless. The nomination of Jerry r. Curry has been blocked by sen. Howard Metzenbaum a Ohio at the request of Auto safety advocates dissatisfied with his actions As head of the National Highway and traffic safety administration. World War ii 50 years ago today 24 Jan.1.9.42 american and dutch warships attack a japanese Convoy Between Borneo and celebes sinking tour troop transports and delaying the invasion of Java a few Days. The japanese occupy the Oil port of Balikpapan on Borneo. Allied troops abandon lae and Saj Amaua on new Guinea. In the Philippines . Forces fall Back rapidly on Bataan. In Europe soviet troops push across the Donetz River. Cards most immediate problem will be the airline Industry. All airlines even the strongest Are losing Money and have served notice that As part of the expected economic Relief package they will ask for help including a new investment tax credit on the Purchase of capital goods such As aircraft. The Industry also wants changes in the alternative minimum tax. Airlines Are also embroiled in a High stakes Competition for International routes. Although the government no longer regulates Domestic routes International routes Are tightly regulated. Treaties Are required to allow air traffic Between two countries and often Only a few routes Are allowed. As Europe combines economies next year major changes Are expected in airline Access. Card must also determine whether to continue former transportation Secretary Samuel k. Skinners fight against cities trying to impose aircraft noise standards tougher than Federal standards. The department now faces a Challenge from the new York area on noise policy. Although a new $151 billion Highway mass transit Bill is now Law hundreds of Federal decisions will play a major role in How the Bill is implemented. Implementing it is a basically going to be a full time Job a said Francis b. Francois of the american association of state Highway and transportation officials. Transportation lobbyists Are looking for clues As to cards style and substance. While he is basically an unknown in transportation circles his strength appears to be his links to state governments and his education As a civil Engineer. Source 2194 Days of War. W. H Smith a publishers inc world almanac Book of world War ii. Bison books corp1981a year ago Day 8 Jan. 24 Kuwait claims Allied forces drove iraqi troops from a kuwaiti Island the first piece of its territory reported freed from occupation. Two iraqi jets Are shot Down by a saudi Pilot in the allies first double  allies capture an iraqi minesweeper in the Northern Gulf. Iraq s Southern port of Basra is reported under heavy bombardment from warplanes and . Navy missiles