European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 06, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 6, 1993 . The stars and stripes b 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 has a reputation for toughness seemingly contradicted by a gracious Demeanour. Prosecutors defense lawyers and her fellow judges in the Federal courthouse in lower Manhattan we a 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. Keenan 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 Terice to Tavvo years in return for his cooperation with Federal prosecutors. Referring to the prominence she gained from the sentence a Friend of the judge said thursday at least she will no longer be known As the judge who gave Milken 10 cars she now has a Chance Tobe known Tor 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 1988, Wood 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 Keenan and Conboy who have Strong backgrounds in Law enforcement said Wood would have no trouble lacing 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 Kcal the German foreign minister on thursday in the White House. Kinkel Carter met with defense Secretary us Aspen and congressional leaders to talk about Bosnia and the problems Eastern european nations and Russia Are having in forming new governments. More Money wanted for kids schools Washington a school Board official asked president Clinton and Congress on Friday to spend less Money on the military and More on children and Public schools. But education Secretary Richard w. Riley has warned the Public not to expect major changes in Edu cation programs immediately because Money is scarce. Clinton nevertheless intends to fulfil his Campaign promises and is discussing options with members of Congress Riley said thursday while speaking at a con Ference of the National association of Independent colleges and universities. Sen. Bob Kerrey d-neb., accented nearly 2,000"reinvest in America resolutions Friday from Educa Tion author Jonathan Kozol. The resolutions ask the Clinton administration to make schools and Domestic programs its priorities now that the cold War has  Kerrey said any extra Money for education May not come from the military budget. It s More Likely to come As a consequence of the passing of National health care Reform he said. Urban and Rural school boards passed the resolutions during the past six weeks said Marilyn Rogers a spokeswoman for the eight groups collecting them. More Are coming soon she said. It is our Hope that these resolutions will give con Gress the will needed to listen to the people of Ameri Ca Kozol said in a written statement. Riley said Clinton was working on higher education programs that will make College More affordable. But a major overhaul will have to wait he said. Public against lifting Gay ban gop chief says Washington a Republican senators May have lost a floor fight Over president Clinton s move to end the military s ban on homosexuals but they have a winning Issue with the Public the Senate gop Leader says. With a great number of american people we re going to win. 1 happen to believe that mainstream America recognizes dad policy when they see it said sen. Robert Dole of Kansas. Republicans were less than totally United on the Issue however As seven senators joined the democrats on thursday to reject a gop measure that would have restored the original Gay ban and required a congressional vote on any change. The vote was 62-37. Earlier by voice vote the Senate adopted a nonbinding Resolution that leaves intact Clinton s Compromise with congressional democrats and Calls for a review of the policy by defense Secretary los Aspin by july 15. The president s Effort to lift the nearly 50-year-old ban touched off a storm of controversy in his first week in office. Under bipartisan pressure Clinton temporarily suspended formal discharges of homosexuals from the military and ordered recruiters to Stop asking applicants about their sexual orientation. Clinton also ordered Aspin to draw up an executive order on lifting the ban by mid july. This week divisions among Republican senators on the Issue surfaced and it took them three Days before they brought up a Senate measure which they tried unsuccessfully to attach to the family and medical leave Bill. Among the Republican defectors thursday was sen. John h. Chafee of Rhode Island a Republican who served in the Marine corps and was Secretary of the Navy in the Nixon administration. I m certain there will be no noticeable deterioration in the Quality or readiness level of the armed forces of the United states Chafee said during debate. As we All know there arc already Many homosexuals in the  Chafee admonished some of his Republican col leagues for suggesting that thousands of homosexuals will attempt to enlist if the ban is lifted and that aids will become More widespread in the military. Much distortion about homosexuals in the military has crept into this discussion he said. Led by sen. Dan Coats of Indiana other republicans argued that allowing homosexuals in the military would seriously undermine the Quality of the armed forces. First lady As chief of health care group meets senators by the Baltimore Sun Washington Millar 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  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 Clinton 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 belter 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.