European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday april 14, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary Maureen Johnso labor s past May have sealed tories future with a fourth consecutive election Victory Britain a conservative party showed it can hang on to Power even in a recession and raised new doubts about whether the opposition labor party can Ever win again. Labor Leader Neil Kinlock who announced his resignation monday pulled the party Back from the left fought a smooth Campaign and challenged a government dogged by rising unemployment record Home repossessions and a Litany of unfulfilled promises that things were about to get better. Almost All the opinion polls and Many of the political pundits pointed to the end of 13 years of conservative Rule. Right up until the first few dozen results were declared Early Friday the big question was whether labor would get the 8 percent swing it heeded for Overall control of the 651-member House of commons a or simply be the largest party. In the end labor managed a swing of Only 2 percent against the government. And prime minister John major emerged strengthened by a personal mandate a despite a majority Down to around 17 seats from nearly 90 when he succeeded Margaret Thatcher 16 months ago. In the View of Many analysts major won on the curse of labors past the party remains linked to strikes and a currency free fall. A the problem for labor is that those memories have bitten deep and have been passed on from one generation to another a said Anthony King professor of government at Essex University. A there Are just an awful lot of people out there who Are mistrustful or even frightened of the possibility of a labor government a he added. The conservatives fared better than governing parties in France Germany and Italy which faced electorates recently with less depressing economic statistics to explain. A labor at the end of the Day failed to get across their message that the conservatives were responsible for the recession a said professor John Curtice a political scientist and analyst with the British broadcasting corp. Labor made Little headway in the Southeast of England prime beneficiary of the prosperous heyday of the Thatcher Era in the mid-1980s, but now badly hit by recession. The problem there appeared to be labors higher tax plans. Kinlock in an emotional speech conceding defeat told stunned party workers a the whole country deserves better and we will work to ensure that the Day will come when with a labor government the country will get better in its spirit in its but with the latest defeat labor faces being out of office for another five years bringing the total to nearly two decades of Rule by one party. Many analysts believe the tory Victory will pro Voke a confrontation Between major and opposition parties Over the Constitution. Labor May now Back demands for a change to a european Continental style electoral system of allocating scats according to the proportion of the vote won. Under the British system Only coming first in a District counts. The conservatives flatly refuse the labor demand. The conservatives understandably arc Content with the rules they play by a and win by. C the associated press . Apple democrats jumping on Clinton bandwagon even though Bill Clinton won four primaries a week ago even though Paul e. Tsongas announced thursday that he would not re enter the race for the democratic presidential nomination even though Many of them concede there is probably no stopping Clinton now dozens of democratic senators and representatives remain reluctant to endorse him. Sen. John d. Rockefeller of West Virginia held a news conference Friday to announce his backing. Sen. Thomas a. Daschle told news organizations in his Home state South Dakota that the moment had come to rally around Clinton. But beyond that there was Little movement. Of 264 super delegates in the House and Senate 93, or 35 percent have endorsed Clinton so far according to a continuing Survey by the new York times. Most Are Southern and most made their statements some time ago. A much larger number remain officially uncommitted. Dee Dee Myers Clinton a press Secretary insisted that a people Are starting to rally around the Flag a and she mentioned Rockefeller As an example. She also said the Arkansas governor plans to meet with uncommitted super delegates on Capitol Hill on april 29, the Day after the Pennsylvania primary when Congress will return from the Pactor Rerp but rep. Dennis e. Eckart of Ohio More willing perhaps to speak on the record than Many of his colleagues because he has announced his retirement from the House said he and some of his col leagues had constituted an informal a Missouri caucus a a show me caucus a and would do nothing for now. A the voters Haven to embraced Clinton so i done to see any reason Why i should endorse him a Eckart said. A look at the exit polls. People have terrible doubts about this Guy and we re talking about democrats. A in the new York primary last tuesday the turnout was exceptionally Low 29 percent of the electorate backed Tsongas a ghost candidate two thirds of the voters said they were dissatisfied with the Choice presented to them and four in 10 said they doubted Clinton had the integrity to be president. A there s no reason for us to do anything a said rep. Barbara b. Kennelly of Connecticut. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa one of those who competed with Clinton in the Early primaries has endorsed him and has been campaigning for him. But sen. Bob Kerrey another erstwhile rival has not. A a he a got it locked up a the nebraskan said but aides said that he would Issue no endorsement As Long As there was still an Active contest. One of Clinton a supporters said heavy pressure has been brought on sen. George j. Mitchell of Maine the majority Leader and sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas who May be the most influential Democrat on Capitol Hill. An aide said Mitchell had been Able to give the matter Only limited attention. Bentsen said wednesday that he might Issue a statement this week but aides said thursday that an announcement might not come so soon. Ronald h. Brown the democratic party chairman has been phoning uncommitted delegates and others a discussing the Lay of the political territory a As he described it. He denied putting pressure on anybody but others in the party said he was sending a Subtle but Clear message that it was time to halt the squabbling. Eventually most of the super delegates Are Likely to Back Clinton if Only because there is no place else for them to go. But they will do so a with extreme reluctance a one said and the delay and the grudging spirit makes it harder for Clinton to move his Campaign onto a higher plateau free of character issues. The Clinton Campaign pointed out that Michael s. Dukakis was in much the same situation four years ago and won easily on the first ballot at the democratic National convention. But the reluctance in 1988 stemmed mainly from unwillingness to offend Jesse Jaclson who was still an Active candidate this year it stems largely from fears about Clinton a weakness not from any fear of angering former California gov. Jerry Brown Clinton s Only Active rival. A a there a a real tug of War up Here a said one House member. A especially on this Side there Are a lot of people who Are terrified that All the character questions All the negatives about Clinton that showed up in new York make him so weak that a lot of people will lose their a prominent senator who also asked not to be identified added Quot lots of people Are hearing from Home a keep it open even if the Odds make it look impossible a because Clinton May self destruct before the As a result predicted the senator who remains uncommitted Quot its not going to shift into cruise control for Bill Clinton very in California whose june 2 primary will provide the grand finale of the nominating Campaign Only two of 34 super delegates . Reps. Calvin Dooley and Maxine Waters have endorsed Clinton. In Pennsylvania site of the next major test Only three of 19, including two members of Congress have done so. Another Large group of uncommitted super delegates Are representatives of labor unions. Lane Kirkland head of the Al Cio has summoned its political work committee to a meeting in Washington to discuss presidential politics and some labor super delegates such As George Kurpius of the machinists said they might have something to say following that session. Nathan Landow of Maryland a leading democratic Money Raiser has called together 65 big party contributors to discuss a How a brokered convention might they will meet Landow a former Tsongas Backer on april 23. I the new York times
