European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Clinton paying the Price for his poor qualities Andy Rooney Bill Clinton seems Bright and likable to. Those of us who like him and think he s. Bright but he a sure making it difficult for us to maintain our. Enthusiasm. Now it turns out that after promising to end the political tradition of accepting Campaign Money from Rich people and Rich companies in Exchange for an explicit political iou president Clinton has accepted More Money from people he a in a position to payoff than the republicans who preceded him. A since Clinton took office people and companies have Given the democratic party $20 million. They be Given republicans s13 million during that  ultimately cynical gesture for anyone to make is to give Money to both candidates or to both parties. They Arentt taking any chances. They want to pay in. Advance for favors they expect from whoever is elected. ,. /. For example the chairman of the Arcoui company Rodwrick Cook is a big Republican in California. He has Given generously to republicans but he also gave Clinton and the democrats s 170,000. Why would he do a thing like that Why would Clinton take it a what will the payoff be there won t be any done the silly. Cook did t get to be the head of Arco by. Making bad investments. A spokesman for the Oil company said they always give to both parties Quot As a matter of  i think the spokesman misspoke. He meant a was a matter of Lack of  in the Street its known As a covering your backside.�?�. For a while after the juror Over the report of Clinton a affair with Gennifer Flowers died Down it i a 1 seemed As if the american Public was Able to separate a Many a private actions from his Public behaviour. It was difficult for his most ardent supporters to believe nothing Ever went on Between the president and Gennifer Flowers so they had to make a philosophical adjustment i still think we should separate a presidents private life from his Public performance but you can to blame me for wishing we had a president who was closer to the dream of what the perfect Man should be. No one expects Clinton to be perfect but he just a Tad too imperfect. We want a hero for president and we Don t have one. And keep in mind ill probably vote for him again in 1996. The Whitewater affair is a mystery to most of us but its obvious the Clinton did some Shady dealing a or at East i Hilary did. Nothing dishonest mind you. Just Shady. You done to make $ 100,000 on a s1,000 investment without being a Little suspicious of the character who arranged it for you a especially if your. Clinton off pow out who Voute running against a 1hs texts Lection pres1p6nt Clinton husband is the governor and in a position to make decisions that will affect this character who was so Nice helping you make the bundle. Nothing dishonest mind you. Or not very anyway. It has reached the Point where i done to know How to argue with the people who listen to Rush Limbaugh. In a not asking our Leader to be a Paragon of virtue. In a not asking him to be a Man who has done nothing All his life that he a ashamed of. I do wish i could believe he never met that Tootsie in the hotel room. The one who a suing him. I know boys will be boys but if a future president of the United states is going to proposition a woman i wish head have the Good taste to pick out an attractive intelligent woman. I mean Paula Jones. We have to Rake Consolation from knowing that every president we Ever had was flawed and the fact a that we Eanet find one person in the whole country who Isnit Only Points to the imperfection of us All,., even Limbaugh. Tribune Media services Andy Rooney is a former stars and stripes reporter. Time for the a act to Advance Clarence Page he venerable National association for the advancement of coloured people like the rest of Black leadership these Days is suffering from Agenda Shock. After 85 years of successful activism it could do what might be natural for a group that has outlived its original Mission. It could disband. Its members could declare their Mission accomplished Pat themselves on the Back for past successes and announce magnanimously that the time has come to give a Chance to something or some body new. A growing National consensus even among Blacks. Agrees that the organizations original goals of do cd a Sre gation Laws civil rights protections and politic empowerment have been largely achieved. Unfortunately the Only Black Leader who has been Lia Viig much Success inspiring Blacks to move on is a fiction of islam minister touts Farrakhan who the semis likes to lace it with an unhealthy dose of anti Sot Poitie propaganda. The a act bears the vital signs of a body on its last legs its membership and contributions have / dwindled. Its s154 million Annua budget has been running at s3 million deficit. Some Bills have gone unpaid and some checks have bounced according to the Wall Street journal most tragic a new  Black youths is coming of age without even knowing what the Onee famous initials a Una acpt stand for. It could seriously consider disbanding even if Only to regroup around other issues and Start fresh. Instead under the leadership of the Rev. Benjamin Chavis 46, who last year replaced the Rev Benjamin Hooks 69, it seeks revitalization. For years Black intellectuals have called for a sequel to the Niagara movement a Niagara ii to reas. Sass where Black America needs to go As the 21st Century dawns. That Sas Good a name As any for the Black Summit that pulled together recently at the organizations Headquarters. Despite prominent absences like co Retta Scott King and the Rev. Joseph Lowery of the Southern Christian leadership conference it was Arr interestingly Broad collection of Black Academia the professions Industry the clergy and politics. Major Media predictably gave too much attention to one guest Farrakhan but had Farrakhan not appeared major Media might not have Given any attention to the Summit at All. He gave them their news Hook. Conflict is always More interesting than cooperation. A. Which May explain Why Chavis has been reaching out in recent months to the very militants he shunned last year when he Dis invited Farrakhan from the 30th anniversary of Martin Luther Kings March on Washington. Chavis now Calls that i Sinai tation a mistake and reaches out to Farrakhan a move that has caused some members of the organizations Board to Call for Chaviss ouster. I still have my doubts that Farrakhan offers much that Black americans can to find in the Heads of their a in diverse and More moderate leaders. Chavis is fight to take the a act Back to the Days of the Niagara conference. It is time for Black America to reassess its problems and directions. But Jackson also made an important Point during the summits town meeting when he said that if anything distinguishes Black folks from our White oppressors it is our moral authority. It was Kings moral authority that led to the civil rights reforms of the 1950s and �?T60s. If the Pursuit of a a Unity costs Black America its remaining moral authority in the �?T90s, this new generation of leaders will have sold its most precious gift. Chicago Tribuno