European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes thursday May 7, 1992 a punny thing happened on the  Scott w. Wright Cox news service Austin Texas a hey did you hear the one about the Man whose wife gave up picking her belly Button for lint or the Bird that came Down with chirped a venereal disease with no tweet ment then you must not have been among the hundreds of people who sat outside the o. Henry museum last sunday trying to decide whether to moan or groan a or get up and leave. But then again it was the 15th annual Pun off. So no one really expected any Side splitting jokes. Ugh provoking plays on words a some Clever some corny a were More the order of the Day. A a it san Opportunity for people to come up and express their cleverness a said Joel Mccoll the events co producer a former four time contestant himself. A and it gives the audience a Chance for a mass  More than 30 contestants were each Given 90 seconds on stage. A did yall know 90 seconds could be so Long a asked Mccoll after a would be Munster who apparently needed More practice bombed his lines. A it does no to Cost anything to enter but your dignity a quipped the other announcer. A remember this event is for the  the event was expected to raise $2,000 for the o. Henry museum named for Short Story author William Sydney Porter. He was also an avid Munster who published a humorous newspaper in Austin and san Antonio. Lee Jackson a 28-year-old internal Revenue service computer Programmer from Kyle captured first place in the a a funniest of shows Competition with a Pun filled rendition of the John Denver hit thank god pm a country boy. A a in be been working on it since last september a Jackson confided. A it did no tall fall into place until last week and then it was too Long by five seconds. My wife helped me out a  asked what Wisdom he would offer future punters Jackson said a Tell them that a twisted mind is a terrible thing to waste. Of and perverted Talent sure does no to Hurt  of Thomas a amp a leaks remain elusive Washington apr the sources of news leaks during the Clarence Thomas nomination fight and the ethics investigation of the Keating five senators remain a mystery. A Senate Independent counsel tried for four months to find the leaders and admitted in a 171-Page report that he had failed. Counsel Peter e. Fleming or. Did conclude in his report tuesday that a Taijerson within the Senate naked a confidential statement detailing sexual harassment allegations against Thomas following his nomination to the supreme court. The leak triggered sexually graphic testimony on the accusations to the Thomas Senate judiciary commit tee last fall. Thomas vigorously denied the allegations made by former aide Anita Hill and was confirmed to the High court. Fleming also found that leaks during the Senate ethics committees investigation of five senators in the savings and loan scandal a were both partisan and Stra  but he could not identify the multiple sources involved. The subjects of the investigation were four democrats and one Republican who intervened with Federal regulators for a major political donor former a amp a owner Charles h. Keatingjr. Fleming a new York lawyer became embroiled in a confrontation with the Media during his investigation. He subpoenaed reporters from the Washington times new Day of Long Island n.y., and National Public radio in an Effort to learn their sources. All refused in lengthy depositions to cooperate citing their right to protect confidential sources. The democratic chairman of the Senate rules committee and the panels ranking Republican ended the dispute when they upheld the journalists objections. A i am disappointed that the counsel was unable to identify the irresponsible individual who broke our rules and in doing so violated professor Hills desire for confidentiality a judiciary committee chairman Joseph r. Biden a Del. Said in reaction to the report. Regarding the Thomas Hill matter Fleming said a a we have not been Able to identify the source whom new Day reporter Timothy Phelps used for an oct. 5,1991, article on Hills allegations. A a Senate source leaked Hills confidential statement containing her harassment allegations to Nina Totenberg of National Public radio. A we Are unable to identify the Senate source of the document delivered to Totenberg a who broadcast a report on the accusations oct. 6. As for the Keating leaks Fleming said a the inquiry of the select committee on ethics was permeated by disclosures of committee sensitive information. The disclosures were both partisan and strategic in nature. We Are unable to identify any source of these  the investigation was financed by Public funds but no Cost estimate was immediately available said Diane Dewhirst a spokeswoman for Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine. The report said that although Hills confidential statement to the Senate was leaked the of big a report on her allegations was not provided to reporters. Republicans made repeated statements during the judiciary committee hearings that the Fri report was leaked. Fleming absolved Hill of any role in leaking her allegations. He pointed out that she was reluctant to go Public with the allegations and Only agreed to be interviewed by Totenberg after the reporter made Clear that she had Hills confidential Senate statement. Limits on . Protesters upheld Washington a the government May limit How much a ear demonstrators keep with them during their 11-year nuclear disarmament Vigil across the Street from the White House a Federal judge ruled tuesday. . District judge Charles r. Richey upheld a National Park service Rule that says demonstrators May keep Only up to 3 cubic feet of property a whether it be blankets literature food or anything else a at Lafayette Park. The demonstrators who have maintained a Vigil at the Park since june 1981, contend the Rule is arbitrary and unconstitutionally limits their first amendment right to free speech. A Thomas Jefferson set aside Lafayette Park Tor people to petition the government for redress of grievances a said peace activist Ellen Thomas. A this is the front lines of the first  her husband William Thomas told the judge that Lafayette Park is a the quintessential Public forum for the entire  however Richey accepted the governments argument that the limit on property was intended to preserve the Parks appearance and did not constitute a limit on free speech. A the regulation does nothing to prohibit the Vigil a said government attorney John Munich. Richey said he determined a that this regulation does not address in a constitutional sense speech at  Munich said the demonstrators could get other people to bring their posses Sions to them and take them away As needed. But William Thomas representing himself in court said the demonstrators did not have anyone who could do that. Ellen Thomas said after the hearing that the demonstrators need water to drink plastic material to protect themselves from the weather and literature to give to passers by. A we Are having an Impact a she said. A a lot of people Are listening to what we have to  Richey also refused to award damages to other demonstrators whose property was confiscated by police when they were arrested feb. 29 for an alleged violation of camping rules. Another Federal judge ordered the property released five Days later. Funds for rocket development limited Washington of the House on tuesday approved a $47.3 billion space program Tor the next three Vears after voting to limit spending on development of an advanced solid fuel rocket motor. The Bill to reauthorize Nasa for fiscal 1993 through 1995 was passed by voice vote and sent to the Senate. The House included $7.5 billion for a proposed manned space station nearly $8 billion for other space science applications and $12.5 billion for the space shuttle. Before approving the Bill the House agreed to Cut the 1993 budget for the next generation solid fuel rocket by half to $260 million. The rocket is designed to enable the shuttle to carry heavier payloads including key components of the space station. However the measure would allow for restoration of the full amount if appropriators provided More than $15.25 billion in Overall spending for the space Agency next year. The threshold stipulation is designed to prevent craters of separate appropriations legislation from fully funding the rocket at the expense of other space programs. Also an amendment approved tuesday would kill the advanced solid rocket motor program if the space Agency determined the improved rocket could not be ready in time for the sixth space station construction flight. That flight would be the first needing the extra Power. The amendment was passed by voice vote after two Utah lawmakers Republican James v. Hansen and Democrat Wayne Owens expressed reservations. The current rocket motor a redesigned version of the one that caused the challenger disaster in 1986, is made in Utah. The new one would be built in Mississippi in the District of House appropriations committee chairman Jamie l. Whitten a miss. Hooded victims Tell of violence at fish Market new York apr witnesses so fearful of retaliation that they wore Black hoods Over their faces told a City Council panel of the violence and intimidation at the Fulton fish Market the nations largest fish Market. One of them a Brooklyn restaurateur recalled monday How he was attacked by a gang of 25 men who bashed his head with Dock Hooks and trashed his car. The reason for the attack he had parked in the wrong spot without paying an under the table fee for the privilege. Loaders Are believed to Reserve spots illegally for fish buyers who pay them such fees. At the hearing a photograph showed two Long gashes in his Scalp that were stitched shut after the beating. The Market believed to be controlled by the Genovese and Bonanno organized crime families handles about 125 million pounds of seafood every year. The Man said he never returned to the Fulton Market. A i was afraid they would catch me and finish me a he testified at the hearing of the City councils economic development committee. The hearing took place just after mayor David Dinkins announced Over the weekend that he planned to hire up to 20 More Market managers and inspectors to clean up illegal business schemes at the Market