European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 06, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 6, 1993u.s. The stars and stripes a Page 7 Likely attorney general Choice praised by the new York times new York Federal judge Kimba m. Wood whom president Clinton plans to nominate to be attorney general Nas a reputation for toughness seemingly contradicted by a gracious Demeanour. Prosecutors defense lawyers and her fellow judges in the Federal courthouse in lower Manhattan were unanimous Al most exultant in their Praise thursday. Judge Kenneth Conboy said she s wonderful. Shell make a great attorney general. She s extremely smart courteous to a fault almost aristocratic.". Judge John f. Keurian said she s a wonderful lawyer sensitive simply  a defense lawyer who lost a Case before her said she s always three Steps ahead of the  the 49 year old judge gained a National reputation for toughness in 1990 for giving the Wall Street junk Bond King Michael r. Milken 10 years in Federal prison for his guilty plea to six counts of fraud. Last year Wood reduced the sen. Wood to acc to two years in return for his Coop cration with Federal prosecutors. Referring to the prominence she l gained from the sentence a Friend of the Edge said thursday at least she will no Conqer be known As the judge who gave Milken 10 cars she now has a Chance Tobe known for something  Wood was appointed to the Federal court in 1988 by president Ronald Rea Gan on the advice of sen. Alfonso d am Ato even though he is a conservative re publican and she a self described moderate Democrat. For 17 years she had been an antitrust defense lawyer in Manhattan. When she joined the District court in july 988rwobd, at 44, became the court s youngest judge. Courthouse Secu Rity officers admitted thursday they had a difficult time believing someone they said was so Young and looked like a film Star could in fact be a Federal judge. But prosecutors and defense lawyers quickly found out who was in charge. She was always in command of her courtroom but she always wore a velvet Glove one said. Both a Conan and Conboy who have Strong backgrounds in Law enforcement said Wood would have no trouble being the nation s top prosecutor despite never having been a prosecutor she has already More than prepared herself with five years on the Bench presi Ding Over a series of criminal cases said Conboy. Shell have no problem being a leading  Oval office meeting president Clinton gestures while meeting with Klaus Kin los Aspin and congressional leaders to talk about Bosnia Kcal the German foreign minister on thursday in the and the problems Eastern european nations and Russia White House. Kincl earlier met with defense Secretary Are having in forming new governments. Aid to be slow education chief says by the Washington Post. Education Secretary Richard w. Riley on thursday delivered a sobering message to hundreds of the nation s College presidents warning them that tragic Federal and department budget deficits May make some of president Clinton s Campaign promises impossible to fulfil anytime soon. Riley warned that the education department May be unable to give much Relief to american families immediately because of debts incurred Over the last two years when the government gave $2 billion More in Grants to needy College students than it had Money for. I Don t like it you Don t like it he told a meeting of the National association of Independent colleges and universities which represents 1,600 private col Leges. After listening to several speakers recall Clinton s Promise to invest More in education and build a nation Al service program Riley said it was not possible under current circumstances to raise the maximum student Grant to needy College students from $2,300 to $4,000 a year As some panels of educators have suggested. During the Campaign Clinton said that by 1996, he would double the amount of financial Aid for higher education spending billions on National service alone. He also said that any College student who wanted to regardless of income should be Able to work As a police officer teacher or Community Helper to pay off College Loans. Gridlock still lives despite democratic Edge in Congress Liy Karen 1iosler the Baltimore Sun Washington just As the democrats new unified government was trying this week to prove that gridlock is broken the Senate was demonstrating Why that won t be so easy. Despite another round of consultations that thurs Day brought president Clinton Hillary Rodham Clin ton and vice president Al Gore to Capitol Hill on sep Arate lobbying missions the democrats could t win speedy enactment of a relatively simple Bill that has overwhelming bipartisan support. Senate passage thursday night of the family and medical leave Dill came after three Days of delaying tactics by republicans who succeeded in forcing reluctant democrats to vote on whether to Block Clinton from lifting the ban on homosexuals in the military. The House approved the Bill wednesday. It now goes to the president who has asked Congress to get it to him As soon As possible. It was a terrible Start for everybody said so n. Dale bumpers a Democrat from Clinton s Home state of a Kansas. They demanded a vote that is senseless and unnecessary but that they can use two years from now against democrats at the polls. That was the Price they extracted for the family leave  the democrats had to pay that Price because Senate rules allow a minority to Jam up the works until it gets its Way. With Only 57 democratic senators Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell of Maine could t Muster the 60 votes required to shut off a gop filibuster. But the republicans were taking advantage of the Opportunity Clinton provided to capitalize on differences Between the president and Many senators in his own party Over How to handle the politically explosive Gay rights Issue. If had t been for the Senate s eagerness to leave town thursday night for a 10-Day recess the delay might have lasted a lot longer. The notion that gridlock is Over because one party has the White House a huge majority in the House and a significant majority Here May not be Correct said sen. Pete a Domenici r-n.n1. We Are not going to be Able to Stop them on our Side but they Are going Mohave trouble keeping some of the democrats Happy. "1 think we re going to see a lot of that when the really hard fiscal issues come Domenici said but this May be the first illustration of  first lady As chief of health care group meets senators by the Baltimore Sun Washington Hillary Rodham Clinton on thursday made her first visit to Capitol Hill As head of the president s task Force on health care and left no doubt that she s in charge. Clinton met first with 29 democratic senators then with two Republican Lead ers and told them she would be their first Point of Contact with the task Force which includes Cabinet members and High ranking presidential aides. A White House official said Clinton would lobby lawmakers on behalf of her husband explaining it s part of building a policy on health care Reform. _ at the meeting with Senate democrats Clinton said the president s major goals Are to control health costs and provide Security for every american family without burdening employers who provide insurance according to the White House official who asked not to be identified. The senators offered suggestions and policy ideas and asked about the task Force s procedures. White House and congressional aides say the task Force is dividing into roughly 20 working groups to tackle specific issues and that Mem Bers of Congress will be brought into the discussions. In remarks to reporters after the meet ing Climon cautioned that health care Reform will encounter obstacles because it will require people to do things differ  she did not spell out particular policy directions that the task Force might pursue. We Are continuing to study health sys tems in other countries that work better than ours an administration official said. Though a lot of specific suggestions were made no conclusions were reached said sen. Majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine. But he predicted Congress will enact far reaching changes this year and when that Hap pens a major part of the credit will be due to the Effort and leadership of mrs.