Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M University November 6, 1978
Prized incentive
No two persons so richly deserve the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize as President
Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Begin of Israel. Together, with great
courage and against odds that only a short time ago would have seemed
overwhelming, they have made peace a strong probability in the Middle
East.
If they succeed in patching over the few remaining difficulties, the entire
world will have every reason to be grateful for their achievement. Parentheti
cally, too, we would add that the prize could scarcely come at a more oppor
tune time, for it should give both leaders an extra incentive for overcoming
the latest problem that stands between their countries and a peace treaty.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Don’t be deceived by mid-term scores
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — A word of caution to
the reader: There may be less going on
here than meets the eye.
When I say here, I refer to the mid
term election coming up this week. No
matter how it comes out, you are guaran
teed a rush of interpretations. Pundits and
politicians will rush to be the first to tell
you what the election means to Jimmy
Carter, the economy, the Republicans and
even to Russian-American relations. I will
be among them, dishing the dirt as fast as
my fingers can type.
But, now, before the deluge strikes,
remember please to take it with a grain of
salt. That warning was spurred by reading
a little paperback by Thomas E. Mann, the
assistant director of the American Political
Science Association.
It is called “Unsafe at Any Margin: In
terpreting Congressional Elections, and
it was published by the American
Enterprise Institute. Its cover is bright
red, and it means you ought to stop for a
moment and listen to Mann’s report be
fore you swallow any very grandiose in
terpretation of the mid-term election.
What he says is that congressional elec
tions are basically local contests, reflecting
the relative strengths and perceptions of
the particular candidates, more than they
do any big national trends.
Yes, he says, external forces — a reces
sion or a Watergate — can have broad im
pact. But, he asserts, “the forces for
change in congressional elections, which
always had a strong local component, now
originate even more at the district than the
national level.”
That may sound like common sense to
you, but it has not been the conventional
wisdom. Most interpretations of mid-term
Commentary
voting have assumed that it reflected tides
in the popularity of the party in power or
the nation’s economy or both.
One reason for this assumption was the
data indicating that voters knew very little
about the candidates for Congress — not
even their names. If they didn’t know who
they were voting for, the argument said,
then they must be voting on some other
basis.
Mann has a different view. He
moonlights as a polling consultant to the
Democratic Study Group, a caucus of lib
erals in the House of Representatives.
Surveys done in closely contested districts
in 1974 and 1976, he says, show that while
most voters may not be able to name their
congressmen when asked, more than 9 out
of 10 recognize the name when shown it,
and most of them have a definable positive
or negative reaction to the person.
Recognition levels for their challengers
varied widely, depending on the intensity
of the campaign, but, again, were well
above the stereotype of invisibility.
True, these surveys were focused in rel
atively close districts. But it is mainly in
those districts that the shifts in an election
occur. Moreover, Mann found that candi
date preference — the rating and reputa
tion of the particular contenders — was
the best predictor of voting choice.
What this really means is that congres
sional voting is becoming more indi
vidualized. In those races in which there
are enough resources of money and or
ganization to make it a race. House con
tests are more and more being decided in
the same way that senatorial and presiden
tial elections are decided — on the
strength and appeal of the rival candi
dates.
My own subjective feeling, from the
travels this year, is that Mann is right, and
that national trends will be very hard to
identify in this year’s voting.
Keep that in mind when you hear all of
us punditing in the next few days.
There may have been an unintended
and unfair implication left with some
readers in this column’s recent discussion
of the problems faced by women candi
dates for Congress (Battalion, Oct. 20). An
example I used concerned a woman legis
lator in Wisconsin, whose male opponent
in the primary for a desirable House
nomination received funds from both state
and national Republican campaign com
mittees.
The incident was accurate as reported.
But some readers apparently thought it
implied that Republicans have systemat
ically discriminated against or discouraged
candidacies by women. Quite the con
trary. In a number of cases, the national
GOP congressional campaign committee
has given early and strong support to such
candidates, and its policy is to recruit and
assist qualified women for these races.
The Republicans have enough problems
without lx?ing tagged with this charge.
1978, The Washington Post Company
Letters to the Editor
Corps ‘fish’ shouldn’t get ticket priority
Editor:
This year, the second Corps trip will be
to Austin. All of the C.T.s will be required
to go, even if they cannot get a ticket.
Since the tickets are in high demand, the
sophomores and the fish won’t likely be
attending the game
I have heard several rumors that the
Corps commander is going to ask the stu
dent senate to recommend a special ticket
allocation for the Corps, especially for the
fish, to the Athletic Council.
I am not anti-Corps or a two-percenter,
but I feel it would be grossly unfair to the
majority of the student body if the Corps
received those tickets. Only the Fightin’
Texas Aggie Band should get special tick
ets since they perform a service as an im
portant part of the Twelfth Man.
For every Corps fish who receives a
ticket, one less senior or junior will not go
to Austin. Every non-reg’s chance to go is
decreased. Fish are not supposed to get
priority over upperclassmen. The Corps is
not supposed to get priority over the non-
regs.
Since the Corps already have a large
number of representatives in the Senate,
everyone must tell his senator to not sup
port a Corps ticket allocation.
Traditionally, the Corps makes two trips
to away conference football games. This
year they decided to attend the SMU and
t.u. games. I do not know who is responsi
ble for the decision, but whoever it is,
they are not facing their responsibility.
One of the purposes of the Corps is to
train leaders. One of the qualities of lead
ership is accepting the responsibility for
the consequences of a decision. In this
case, the “leaders” of the Corps are negat
ing that responsibility by putting the con
sequences on the rest of the student body
instead of those under their command.
The Corps knew when it decided to go to
t.u. it would be impossible for all of the
C.T.s to get tickets. If they receive ticket
allocation, it will be impossible for some
upperclassmen, after camping out for
nights, to get tickets.
The Corps is well-known for its unity
and fraternity. An internal solution to their
ticket problem, if they truly wish to stick
together, would be for the seniors and
juniors to pair their coupon books with a
fish’s for their “date.” Then, they could
have the fish spend two or three nights in
line for tickets, the same as everyone else.
Beat the hell outa t.u.!
—Carol Giles, ’80
Hit and run
Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to
beg any information leading to the person
who hit my Celica in Lot 24 between 6
p.m. and midnight on Halloween night.
My car was parked on the next to last
row of 24 at the far east end. I will be more
than glad to offer a reward to anyone who
can give me any information regarding this
incident.
— Larry Hopkins, ’80
Editor’s note: This letter was accom
panied by five other signatures.
A&M flips
Editor:
We realize that the campus of Texas
A&M University is constantly changing,
but we never thought it would completely
flip over. We are referring to your in
verted picture of the campus on page 12 of
Thursday’s Nov. 2 issue. We feel that be
fore the Battalion prints any more photo
graphs of campus, they should learn the
difference between left and right — no
wonder some freshmen get lost on cam
pus.
Not only has the negative of this picture
been put in backwards, but the highly dis-
tractive advertisement on page five seems
to be a bit out of line too. Is this expected
of an Aggie newspaper? Come on Battal
ion, clean up your act — this is Aggieland.
— Bruce F. Carroll, ’82
Kenneth Washington, ’82
Michael Holmans, ’82
Editor’s note: Oops, we goofed. Sorry
about the inverted photo.
Writing the editor
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Letters to the Editor
The Battalion
Room 216
Reed McDonald Building
College Station, Texas 77843
The wages,
and prices
of SIN
By DICK WEST
United Press Internationa]
WASHINGTON — The White House is
reported eager to keep President Carter’s
anti-inflation program in the public eye by
means people will appreciate more than a
poke with a sharp stick.
If Carter’s advisers are open to sugges
tion, I recommend incorporating the basic
elements of the program into an adult
board game.
Board games are always popular gift
items, and with the Christmas shopping
season about to begin, if it hasn’t already
started, an anti-inflation game should be a
dynamite attention-getter.
First, they will need a catchy name. I
thought of calling it “WIN,” the acronym
for “Whip Inflation Now,” but I under
stand that has been used before.
So I propose naming it “SIN,” short tor
“Sack Inflation Now. ” That name has three
things going for it.
1. Millions of people are certain to try
the game on the strength of the name
alone.
2. The word “sack” is especially mean
ingful to pro football fans, who would envi
sion doing to inflation what blitzing
linebackers do to quarterbacks. Thus the
name would smack of violence, which is so
much a part of American life.
3. Since Carter’s anti-inflation program
is largely voluntary, any breach of its
guidelines would be more of a sin than a
crime.
Very well. On with the game.
At the outset, each player decides
whether he or she wants to be “Labor” or
“Business.”
If the former, the player chooses a small
plastic marker made in the shape of a con
struction worker’s hat or a white or blue
collar.
“Business” tokens are tiny replicas of
swivel chairs, cash registers and tax
loopholes.
Players place their markers on the space
labeled “GO,” then toss dice to determine
the order in which they proceed.
The player now take turns drawing
cards from either the “Labor” or “Busi
ness” deck, which determines their prog
ress around the board.
Following are some typical “Business”
cards:
—U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicts
many businessmen “will rebel” against the
5 percent price hike limit. Advance 12
spaces.
—National Association of Manufacturers
adopts a conciliatory posture, saying “the
time has come to join (Carter) in attacking
the problem.” Advance 6 spaces.
—GOP Chairman Bill Brock calls the
plan “blatantly political. ” Remain in place.
Here are some typical “Labor” cards:
—AFL-CIO reserves comment on 7
percent wage increase ceiling. Advance 8
spaces.
—Teamsters and United Auto Workers
give plan qualified support. Go back two
spaces.
—Labor Secretary Marshall calls pro
gram “best thing we could do considering
the alternatives.” Lose next turn.
The first player to pass “GO” ahead of
the Cost of Living wins.
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Human Relations Lab Tuesday
The Texas A&M University American Humanics organization will
sponsor a “Human Relations Lab” at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. Dr. Candida
Dunckley of the Texas A&M Psychology Department will conduct
the free, public session in Room 231 of the Memorial Student Center.
Applications due for Cotton Bowl
The deadline for applications for the 1979 Cotton Bowl representa
tive from Texas A&M University is 5 p.m. Friday. Any female stu
dent who has completed one semester at Texas A&M and has at least
a 2.25 GPR is invited to apply. Forms are available in Room 221 of
the Memorial Student Center and should l>e returned to the Student
Activities Office. The selected applicant will represent the University
at the Cotton Bowl parade and post-season football game in Dallas on
New Year’s Day.
STATE
Jury for Davis' trial picked
Testimony in Fort Worth millionaire T. Cullen Davis' murder so
licitation trial was scheduled to begin Monday at 9 a.m. A jury of
seven men and five women will hear testimony on charges Davis
plotted the murder for hire of Fort Worth Judge Joe Eidson, who was
presiding over Davis’ still incomplete divorce from his wife. The
all-\Vhite, middle class jury — eight of whom are in their 50s —was
chosen Friday after five days of careful questioning. Panelists include
four executives in technical fields, three clerical workers, two house
wives, two laborers and one who is self-employed. None is a native of
Houston, and only four were born in Texas. Both the prosecution and
defense agreed the people selected to sit in the jury box were crucial
to the outcome of the case. "We wanted people who can concep
tualize, who are not locked in, the kind of thinkers who once they get
input can entertain other possibilities, said defense lawyer Richard
“Racehorse" Haynes. State District Judge Wallace “Pete” Moore has
denied Davis’ request to be allowed to speak with reporters. In Hous
ton, Davis has been screened from re porters.
NATION
NY papers back on streets
The New York Times printed all the news it could fit into 96 pages
today and the Daily News had 176 pages packed behind a banner
headline: “Hello There, Remember Us?" The Times included nine
pages of “catch-up information. News-starved New Yorkers wel
comed the fat editions — the first since the newspapers were shut
down in a strike that lasted three months. It cost 10,(XX) employees
their wages for 88 days; cost the publishers more than $100 million in
lost circulation and advertising revenue; and cost up to an estimated
$1 million a day to the city’s economy. The strike began Aug. 9 when
pressmen walked off the joh at the Times, News and the afternoon
New York Post oyer a manning dLspute. s . ,
The last stumbling-block to tire resumption of publication was re
moved Sunday when The Newspaper Guild agreed to return to work,
even though it had no contract agreement at that time with the
Times. The Guild today ratified management’s final proposal for a
three-year contract by a vote of 226-121 after a three-hour member
ship meeting. Newspaper workers returned to the Times and News
Sunday afternoon and evening. “There were people not due in who
came in anyway. They just wanted to come home,” said Daily News
City Editor Sam Roberts. The News presses began rolling at 12:22
a.in. The Times editions rolled oft at 1:32 a.m. ’We re finally back to
newspapering,” said Times Assistant Managing Editor Peter Mil-
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WORLD
More GSA fraud indictments
Eight more General Services Administration employees have been
indicted on charges of defrauding the federal government, und
another employee has been re-in dieted on revised charges, bringing
to 31 the number of people charged in the investigation of the
scandal-ridden agency. The indictments were brought Friday by a
federal grand jury. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Clements said
more indictments are expected within four to six weeks in the inves
tigation of the agency that delivers supplies to federal departments.
More indictments also are expected in Washington, D.C., as result of
cooperation by contractors who admitted passing more than $300,000
in payoffs to GSA employees. Prosecutors are investigating GSA em
ployees for accepting gifts in exchange for padding invoices of
supplies — sometimes signing for goods never delivered — and con-
tractors for offering the gifts in return for profits from the padded
invoices. Twenty have pleaded guilty and one, a GSA store man
ager, has pleaded innocent. Six of those indicted Friday were
charged with defrauding the government, bribery and filing false
claims.
WEATHER
It will be mostly cloudy, clear and cooler tonight. High today
70 and low tonight in the upper 40s. Winds will be North
Easterly at 10 mph. The cold front which moved into College
Station last night will cause cooler temperatures this week.
The Battalion
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
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Editor Kimfy
Managing Editor LijiNe*
Assistant Managing Editor .Andy WilliH
Sports Editor Davie
City Editor Jamie Aitk
Campus Editor Steve ll
News Editors Debbie Parson
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Rogers,
Patterson, Scott Pendleti
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Photographer .Ed Cunai
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those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
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Editorial policy is determined by tlweilitt 1
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