European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 12 a the stars and stripes sunday May 24, 1992 Wilder says Robb Aims to smear him Washington a Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder charged Friday that sen. Charles s. Robb d-va., and his aides had engaged in a Campaign a to smear and discredit Wilder said he could not accept a letter of apology sent to him thursday by Robby a state coordinator Christine Bridge. The governor said he went to the nations capital a to set the record the governors comments were the latest twist in a Long and occasionally bitter rivalry with Robb. Three of Robby a former close aides have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the secret taping of a Wilder Telephone conversation in which Wilder chuckled with a supporter Over Robby a political problems. Federal prosecutors have sent Robb a letter advising him that he is a target of their investigation into the eavesdropping. Wilder parrying reporters questions at the National press club repeatedly suggested that he had been a victim of a coordinated Campaign of negative publicity because he is Black. But when asked if he was asserting racism was behind exchanges Between the Robb and Wilder Camps Over the Telephone eavesdropping Wilder said a a in a not saying it. You All Are asking it in your Robb said in a statement that he had tried to dissuade Wilder from holding the news conference. A i expressed concern that it would Only Hurt both of us and our party a he said. Robb said he hoped things could be patched up a now that the governor has fully aired his he also said that he stood a a foursquare behind previous commitments to Stop a feuding Between certain members of our Wilder told reporters a a in be known for quite some time that there a been a deliberate Effort on the part of these people to smear and discredit me. A sitting governor. And my he said Robb tried to discredit him As an attempt to a deflect attention from Robby a struggles with rumours that he had attended parties in Virginia Beach va., at which illegal drugs were used. The governor said he had written Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine alleging that Robb As head of the democratic senatorial Campaign committee used the organizations staff As part of a Campaign to discredit Wilder. But he stopped Short of asking that Mitchell oust Robb from the Post. He said that such a decision would be up to the majority Leader. Wilder said he called the news conference to discuss a memorandum by Bridge outlining a plan of negative publicity against the governor. A the whole sordid affair of illegal distribution of an illegally made tape recording misappropriated Federal Campaign funds the use of democratic Senate Cam Saign committee staff to discredit a sitting democratic governor and the spreading of scurrilous lies has not been seen since watergate a the democratic governor said. Wilder on thursday returned unopened a letter of apology from Bridge. A i was not interested in the contents a he said. 16 charged in thefts from Airport baggage Chicago up . Attorney Fred Foreman saying Airport theft has become a major problem on Friday announced charges against 16 people accused of stealing guns jewelry and Cash from baggage at of Hare International Airport. A was the National Media has observed theft at the major airports has become a severe problem. Passengers Are feeling trapped As they Are forced to entrust their possessions to persons who have the potential to abuse that Trust for their own personal gain a Foreman said. A we feel that the indictment of this 16-person theft ring is a major step toward the abolition of this fifteen of the 16 people worked at Denair services inc., an airline service company that provides baggage handlers for Domestic and foreign carriers. An Fri agent who posed As a Denair baggage handler for six months broke the ring in an undercover investigation dubbed operation grab bag and operation ram Check. A it really Speaks to a problem at do Nair when you have this Many people Able to pilfer from Luggage a Foreman said. Assistant . Attorney Kristina Anderson said the agent observed a multitudinous acts of theft on a consistent basis and posed As a Fence to buy the stolen items. About $250,000 in valuables was recovered. The items included some $21,000 in Cash seven guns numerous camcorders computers cameras Vars televisions furs and jewelry. Odis White 23, of Chicago faces up to 60 years in prison on six felony counts a the most brought against one person in the Case. Virginia gov. L. Douglas Wilder gives an address at the National press club in Washington d.c., on Friday. Wilder said sen. Charles s. Robb d-va., and his staff Are running a smear Campaign against the governor. In a memo Bridge had outlined possible uses of the secretly recorded Telephone conversation in 1988. Bridge wrote that Wilder and his staff and advisers a Are vindictive Petty untrustworthy devious and will lie to your face spread scurrilous rumours and use any tactics of intimidation and threat that they feel Are Bridges three paragraph letter of apology which was released by Robby a office began a i regret very much the Public release of a confidential internal memorandum. That May cast aspersions upon you and members of your staff. For any personal offence my words May have caused i she added a i want you to know that i regret having offended you and i regret the tone and substance of my Federal court upholds assault weapon ban san Francisco a californians ban on semiautomatic assault weapons passed after the 1989 schoolyard shooting deaths of five children was upheld Friday by a Federal appeals court. The 9th . Circuit court of appeals rejected arguments by the National Rifle association that the Law the first of its kind in the nation violates the constitutional right to Bear arms. The supreme court in an 1876 ruling that is still binding declared that the second amendment restricts Only actions by Congress and not by the states judge Pamela Rymer said in the 3-0 decision. Rymer also rejected the nral a argument that the California Law conflicts with a Federal Law passed in 1924, that established a nationwide program of civilian marksmanship Competition. Though one of the rifles that can be used in the Competition is prohibited by the state Law its use is not essential to the contest and neither that Federal Law nor any other Law prohibits state regulation of guns Rymer said. The California Law forbids sales of specified military style rifles and pistols to private residents. It also requires owners of existing weapons to Register them with the state. It was prompted by a january 1989 shooting by Patrick Purdy who opened fire with an ak-47 Rifle in a Stockton schoolyard killing five children and wounding 30 other people before killing himself. State officials say the Laws registration provisions have been widely ignored prompting several extensions of the deadline. About 45,000 weapons had been registered As of Early March the state attorney general a office said recently. The office had no estimate of the number of privately owned assault weapons in the slurs exposed by Golden pit awards new York up they gave out the annual Golden pit awards for ethnic insults last week and Berkeley calif., crazy horse Beer rappers ice cube and Public enemy Arizona and Texas were among the winners. The 10 annual winners were chosen from hundreds of examples of slurs cheap shots and stereotyping submitted to the National ethnic coalition of organizations made up of religious racial and ethnic groups around the country. Actually Berkeley got a special Platinum pit award on thursday for officially replacing Columbus Day with indigenous Peoples Day. Texas got a of. A bus Day As a state Holiday. A a it a a travesty that Berkeley and Texas saw fit to abolish Columbus Day in time for the qui Centenary a said Neco chairman William Fugazy who is also Active in the italian anti defamation league. A we believe that indigenous Peoples should be honoured with a Holiday but it is patently wrong to accomplish this by removing a Day celebrated and cherished by an ethnic group. Rather than create friction and disharmony we should be bringing people the other winners included Golden pit for doing away with Colum a Arizona cited for not honouring mar tin Luther King or. With a Holiday. A the g. Heileman brewing co., for its crazy horse malt liquor a which offends native americans who Admire the 19th-Century Sioux hero and traditional spiritual a the rap Singer ice cube for his song death certificate which threatens violence against korean american shopkeepers. A line of the song a pay respect to the Black fist or Well Burn your store right Down to a a the family entertainment network for its videotape series of animated Bible stories a that feature unflattering stereotypical portrayals of jews and a the rap group Public enemy for its music video by the time i get to Arizona which advocates physical violence against Arizona officials including portraying the governors being blown up by a bomb for not establishing a state Martin Luther King Day. A the movie my Cousin Vinnie described As a yet another mass Media depiction of italian americans As bumbling idiots who survive solely by their a new York area Tri state Pontiac dealers for an and Campaign a that attempts to promote automobile sales by stirring up anti japanese a Whitz radio in new York for ii2 a be a Jap jewish american Princess for a Day
