European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 28, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 17 fighter Nixon was Dov Nabut he William Safire late one night in the White House working Ona speech Richard Nixon tried to encapsulate his More recent predecessors in a single word or phrase tru Man a fighter. Eisenhower a Good Man. Kennedy. Charisma. Johnson work. Me what i did not have a Good answer that night in 1970 i do now. Nixon an inspiring  the 60s, he Rose up after his political obituary and employed his unique combination of grit guile and greatness to seize the moment that had been denied him before he expressed the secret of overcoming adversity in a private note to Ted Kennedy after Chappaquiddick a Man s not finished when he Defeated he s finished when he  liked the comeback theme because it identified his return from defeat with the Ca Reers of Churchill and Degaulle. During another break in speech collaboration he re called a meeting with de Gaulle at which Nixon aides took notes ,." "  got everything Down of substance. But then de Gaulle said in a kind of an aside All the countries of Europe lost the War but Only two were Defeated they never wrote that Down. And that s the one thing i la never forget from that meeting he instructed those of us in the five o clock group to get the word out about his 60s comeback which made the Media All the More resistant to our image making. But As Henry Kissinger once said of a Selling argument it had the added advantage of being  we had no idea How True it was or How soon the essence of Nixon s character would be put to the test again. From the Pinnacle of Success the vote of Confidence of a 49-state landslide he plunged to the Nadir of forced resignation. After watergate he stood naked to his enemies who had become legion. Stripped of Power denuded of Honor deserted by supporters rightly dismayed at the coverup he had no Reservoir of Public Trust and no visible Means of de sense. His Only assets were his mind his Pride and his hard bought experience. Visited him at san Clemente during one of the most depressing moments. It was april 29,1975, the Day the capital of South Vietnam fell to the communists and he took personal responsibility for the debacle. Terrible Day for Freedom and All my fault he said his phlebitis inflamed foot elevated on a Cushion. The fall of Saigon is the direct result of the Way i messed up watergate.". Then the second and even More difficult comeback began. He thought he travelled he wrote. He took no fees for speeches and ended the Public expense of secret service Protection. Despite the glares of the guardians against his feared rehabilitation he slowly Over two decades worked his Way Back first to a tentative acceptability then to grudging respect finally to an honoured role As Leader to opinion leaders and adviser to presidents. How did he resurrect himself by learning a great lesson and by living an example. The lesson was the need to Rise above the us against them ethos of the political gunfighter. Those who hate you Don t win he told his White House staff on his Way out unless you hate them and then you destroy  Nixon haters go to their Graves hating him he goes to his grave knowing better than to hate them. The example he set in his subsequent full generation of peace was that of a Man who again refused to accept personal  Nixon in becoming America s greatest sex president proved there is no political wrongdoing so scandalous that it cannot be expiated by years of useful service no humiliation so painful that it cannot be overcome by decades of selfless sagacity no personal doldrums so deep that they cannot be dispersed by a Gutsy engagement with  s Why to sum up Nixon in a phrase this former aide would choose an inspiring resilience. By resolving second time to earn his Way to political redemption and then by doggedly brilliantly triumphing in that second comeback he justified the Faith of All those millions who Ever believed in  be not proud in Richard Nixon ruination met its master. V a -. A " c new by rec times in Call it the big bailout. Call it the great democratic defection of 94,whatever the name it spells trouble for the democratic party and president Clin ton in their bastion of bastions the House of representatives. A preponderance of democratic retirements combined with the Normal off year trend against the party in Power an the continuing Public hostility toward incumbents could jeopardize working control of the House by the predominantly pro Clinton party  a Republican takeover is unlikely a revival or the old conservative coalition could make the final two years of Clinton s term a lot More uncomfortable than anything he has seen so far. That threat is recognized by demo cratic insiders but its dimensions have not drawn much Public discussion. In the first week Back after the easter recess democrats counted four More retiring House members boosting to 20 the num Ber in their party who have announced that they would return to private life atthe end of this 103rd Congress. By con Trast Only six Republican members of the House have said they Are stepping out of , democrats now count 29 districts where their incumbent will note on the november ballot either be cause of retirement candidacy for other office primary election defeat or in one instance death. Eighteen Republican districts Are open 12 of them because the incumbents Are running for governor or  in the past democrats have done almost As Well in the open sea traces As in those where incumbents were running. But this year will pose special challenges officials acknowledged. In 15 of those 29 democratic districts but Only three of the 18 Republican seats the incumbent was elected with less than 56 percent of the vote in 1992, As one demo cratic operative put it in an inter a Yipu we re ins David s. By overview we r losing senior Guys like Butler Der Rick South Carolin Billy Ford Michi Gan Bill Hughes new Jersey and Phi Sharp Indian who have held their seats in Good years and bad. Without them Well have a hard  Ford is a 30-year Veteran the other three were part of the watergate baby class of 1974. In none of their districts did Clinton win a majority in 1992 i Derrick s and Sharp s districts he got barely one third of the  Are they the Only ones that look especially vulnerable. In 16 of the 29 a  democratic districts Clinton received less than the 43 percent of the vote he got nationally and in 12 districts he trailed George Bush an indication of the potential for a Republican takeover " it is too Early to gauge the size of the Republican gains in the House but that does not keep the democrats or the White House from worrying. In 1978, the last time a first term democratic president Jimmy Carter faced a midterm election democrats lost 12 House seats. That is the Low end of the Range most observers have been predicting for 1994, even before the retire ment pattern swung so heavily against the democrats now it is not hard to imagine republicans netting eight or 10 seats from the open districts alone. And the anti incumbent sentiment continues As a Clear threat to democrats in a body they have controlled for 48 consecutive years. That Public hostility toward Congress was a Clear Factor in the retirement Deci Sions of such younger members As  Penny of Minnesota Mike Kopetski of Oregon and Jim Bacchus of Florida. So far the National polls show democrats leading republicans in the Likely congressional vote. But their exposure i great across the South where Clinton some of their and the democrats weakest ratings. California is also a serious potential problem. The virtual abandonment of Testate by the Bush Campaign in 1992 de Nied republicans a Chance to capitalize on a favourable redistricting plan that gov. Pete Wilson a Republican had engineered for them. At least half a dozen democrats mostly3 freshmen Are sitting in seats which in a More Normal competitive year like this one could go to the gop. The Bottom line is this it is not implausible Given current circumstances for republicans to think about adding at least 16 seats to their current 176 in the House reaching a level of 192 that would match the number they held after their party s presidential victories in 1968, 1972 and 1980. At that level it would be fairly easy for republicans to attract enough conserva Tive democrats on spending and social policy issues to revive talk of a conserva Tive coalition opposing the Clinton administration on the floor of the House. Along with the widely expected re publican gains in the Senate that would give the gop real leverage against presi Dent Clinton in the 104th Congress. C Washington Post