European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 4 b the St aps and stripes . Tuesday december 29,1992 support for . Statehood wanes prospects for legislation dim despite Clinton s backing Washington apr boosters of statehood for the nations capital have a Friend headed for the White House but ebbing support in Congress could Wash away their Hopes. While campaigning Bill Clinton said he would like to see statehood for the District of Columbia in his first term. But As president elect he appears unwilling to spend much political capital to make it happen. Quot Congress would have to act but i believe in it. And i assume a Bill will be introduced and i expect to support it Quot Clinton said recently. Moreover the biggest Issue of All a whether the Constitution would have to be amended for the District to gain statehood a is far from resolved. The Constitution gives Congress the right a to exercise exclusive legislation in All cases whatsoever for the nations capital. Statehood supporters say that Means Congress can erect any form of government it wants including a state but every attorney general since Robert f. Kennedy As Well As several Legal scholars who support statehood maintain the Constitution must be changed. Always Dicey at Best the chances for District statehood have been harmed by recent events that have raised new questions about the political acumen of the City a leaders and voters and the economic wherewithal to support a state government a a fiscal crisis was largely ignored by mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly for her first two years in office and it persists despite a 40 percent increase in Federal payments to the City. A former mayor Marion Barry was elected to a City Council scat after his release from prison on a Misdemeanour cocaine conviction. He conceivably could be elected governor if statehood came to pass. A Middle class taxpayers Black and White have continued their flight to suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. The capital City a population has shrunk 20 percent by 157,000 people Over the past 20 years. Meanwhile Clinton a support for statehood in contrast to opposition from both presidents Bush and Reagan has intensified Republican antipathy. A we republicans View it As really a method by which the democratic party gets two automatic senators in perpetuity a said House gop Leader Robert h. Michel of Illinois. A a we re on the margin right now. So i done to see How we republicans except maybe a few would be amenable to statehood for the District of  a new columbian statehood Bills have been introduced in every Congress since 1987, but support in the House and Senate has never approached a majority. The House District of Columbia committee approved the Bill in april on a 7-4 party line vote. But fearing an embarrassing defeat backers abandoned any Effort to bring it to the full House. Republicans say Only one third of the 435 House members favored it last year. Democrats contend there might have been As Many As 175 backers at one Point but acknowledge that might have slipped to 150. Nonetheless Eleanor Holmes Norton the District s nonvoting Delegate in the House plans to reintroduce it As hr51 for 51st state when the 103rd Congress convenes jan.5. Norton has no illusions that it will pass next year or even that action will be taken by the full House particularly with 10 More republicans in the House than a year ago. A we done to expect the votes Are going to Fly Down from heaven the first time but we Hope to make a respectable showing a she said. Sen. Edward m. Kennedy d-mass., plans to reintroduce a companion measure in the Senate but he has never mustered firm support from More than 31 of the Senate a 100  family leaving for s. Carolina Retreat by Michael Kelly the new York times Little Rock Ark. A president elect Clinton was to leave today for his version of a Busman a Holiday several Days of seclusion with a thousand or so friends talking. As they have done for the last eight years Bill and Hillary Clinton and their daughter Chelsea were to attend the annual Renaissance weekend a Retreat at an Oceanside resort on Hilton head Island . The Retreat combines recreational activities such As Tennis and Golf with group and panel discussions on a wide array of topics in the areas of Public policy spirituality and self improvement. But on sunday Clinton spent a quiet Day mostly with his family working at Home on what he described saturday As a a Mountain of paper that piled up while i was doing the Cabinet  he left the governors mansion Only to jog and to attend Church and declined to answer reporters questions. Before his morning run Clinton timbered up next to a newspaper vending Box in which could be seen a front Page photograph showing the Percsi debit elect As time magazines Man of the year. Clinton a silence sunday was purposeful the beginning of a week he and his staff have made Clear that they regard As strictly private time. The Clinton have regularly attended Renaissance weekend begun in 1981 by Philip Lader a South Carolina business Man and one time candidate for governor. The four Day a weekends a according to Laders news release Are Quot retreats for an a extended family committed to the transforming Power of ideas and of relationships with the objective of personal and National  talk is the order of a loosely structured Day with participants divided into discussion groups. Some 1,400 people Are expected to attend this years gathering said Sheldon Fox the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Hilton head where most of the meetings will be held. But those informal talks will be private covered by rules that put the discussions off the record for participating journalists such As columnists Edwin Yoder and Art Buchwald. The idea participants said is to encourage a level of candid intimate talk that forges Bonds. In other years the conference has been divided into two weekend gatherings of 130 families. This year with one of the participants awaiting inauguration As president the Retreat will be held in one sitting with 515 families and More than 100 on a waiting list. The exclusive guest list is limited to in the words of Lader s news release people who have demonstrated a innovative achievement on a National or regional level a a Renaissance spirit a and Broad ranging intellectual interest and personal qualities which allow them to enjoy an off the record highly informal deeply personal tradition a presidential Shiner president Bush sporting a Bruise under his right Eye Waves to onlookers sunday As he prepares to Board air Force one in route to Texas for his annual Quail Hunt. Aides said Bush received the Black Eye from one of his grandchildren during a snowball fight at Camp David md., on Christmas  House members say their to careers both help Hurt Washington apr Dan rather in Congress not quite but three newly elected House members have traded in their notebooks and tape recorders for an office on Capitol Hill. Some say its been difficult adjusting to life on the other Side of the camera. A it was Tough on the local level because a lot of the people covering the Campaign. Were people i worked with for Many years Quot said Ron Kink a Pennsylvania Democrat who gave up his weekend Anchor Job at Pittsburgh a Kaka to to run for Congress. A we had our own relationships whether they were Good bad or indifferent. It was  Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky another Pennsylvania Democrat was an emmy award winning correspondent for arc to in Washington ., and reported for stations in new York and Philadelphia before winning a House seat in suburban Philadelphia. She May be Best known from her appearances Over the last decade on no cd a today show. And Republican Rod Grams had been a news Anchor in Minnesota before Landing in Congress. A a it a so different being on the other Side of the microphone but i Learned some very Good lessons from being a journalist a Margolies Mezvinsky said citing the importance of not being afraid to ask questions and acknowledging the value of a Pithy quote. Other journalists have moved to Congress before. Rep. Scott Klug r-wis., a former to newscaster refers to himself As a member of Capitol Hills a hair dryer  the biggest Challenge in making the switch he said was establishing credibility off the to screen. Rep. Helen Delich Bentley r-md., was a reporter and editor for More than 20 years at the Sun in Baltimore. And vice president elect a1 Gore senator from Tennessee was a reporter and editorial writer Early in his career. Understanding the news Media is dearly beneficial in a City where much of the drama is played out on a to screen or the front Page. Klink said the Street level problems he saw As a reporter helped shape his political Agenda