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The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Monday
January 22, 1979
Carter placates no one
with Abzug firing
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Carter admin
istration will win no political awards for its
skill in firing people. Especially not for fir
ing women.
Having muscled Midge Costanza out of
the White House with a minimal show of
chivalry, the friendly folks at 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue belted Bella Abzug
around the last week in so crude a fashion
that they almost make that most
obstreperous New Yorker an object of
sympathy.
In doing so, they raised a serious ques
tion as to whether there might not b^ a
double-standard for male and female
foul-ups in this supposedly “equal rights ’
administration, and renewed the old ques
tion as to whether or not they understand
the nature of interest-group politics todav.
TO TAKE THE LATTER POINT first,
the thing that strikes you about both Ms.
Costanza, who was removed from her po
sition as assistant to the president for pub
lic liaison last year, and Ms. Abzug, who
was fired as co-chairman of his advisory
committee for women last week, is that
there was no obvious reason for either of
them being there in the first place.
They were hired in an effort to placate,
through government patronage, a force
within the Democratic party which Carter
finds, franklv, threatening.
THE ACTIVIST WOMEN in the party
have laid on him, as they do on other
politicians, a series of policy demands
which he is unable to meet to their satis
faction. In an effort to buy time and
perhaps tolerance, he has instead offered
the women several symbolic appoint
ments.
Costanza, a feisty former deputy mayor
of Rochester, N.Y., who had the wit to join
up early with the Peanut Brigade, was an
nounced with fanfare before Inauguration
Day as one of the president’s senior staff
aides. It was a myth from the beginning.
She was given a series of secondary public
relations assignments and hand-holding
missions with groups of White House
visitors no one else really wanted to see.
As a woman of spirit, she rebelled, and
when her rebellion included public op
position to the President’s stand against
federal funding of abortions, she was
squeezed out of her job.
The White House was apparently sur
prised that on that issue, at least. Costanza
was a feminist first and a loyalist second.
But it certainly should have known what it
was getting when it accepted Abzug, for
she has made no secret of her priorities.
Her liberal Democratic and feminist phi
losophy was expressed clearly before the
press release attacking Carter’s domestic
budget cuts, which prompted her re
moval.
THE LESSON of this experience is one
the White House should not still be learn
ing. In a system overly porous to interest-
group influence, it is a mistake to placate
interest groups with symbolic presidential
appointments. But Carter has done that,
not only with women’s groups, but with
ethnic, religious and other groups as well,
and each time he does so, he invites more
trouble.
The other point concerns the way the
firings were handled. Costanza was re
moved in a protracted, embarrassing fash
ion, being gradually stripped of her duties,
her office and her staff, to the accompani
ment of a series of humiliating press leaks
about her discomfiture at her reduced
status, until she finally got fed up and left.
A VISITOR who happened to be
backstairs at the White House last Friday,
a few hours before Abzug s removal, could
not help but notice the lip-smacking glee
with which presidential aides were savor
ing her impending execution. They chuck
led at the fact she was unaware of her fate
No adjustment of your
TV set is necessary
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON — Once again
television has been criticized for ex
cessive jiggling. This time the com
plaint comes from, of all people, the
Civil Rights Commission.
Part of a new survey commis
sioned by the commission deplores,
the trend toward programs that fea
ture women with vibrant bosoms.
The report implies that this is a form
of sexism. Presumably, it discrimi
nates against the static bust.
Now you and I know that the net
works would not deliberately risk of
fending civil rights groups. So the
explanation must be that all that
jiggling is caused by technical diffi
culties beyond their control.
If some device were available that
would suppress or reduce the
vibrations, I’m sure television execu
tives would jump at it. In which re
gard, I’ve got good news.
The other day, on another mis
sion, I paid a visit to The Future Is
Yesterday Foundation, a privately
endowed “think tank” and research
center. As we were passing throug
the main laboratory, Sam Harken-
back, the executive director, showed
me some of the projects that were
coming into fruition.
One strange-looking contraption
consisted of a complicated arrange
ment of adjustible straps, elasticized
panels and twin receptacles aug
mented with some sort of ballasting
material.
“This is our patented television
bosom stabilizer, ’ Harkenback said
proudly. “Working under a grant
from the industry, we have suc
ceeded in creating a device that can
eliminate up to 93.7 percent of the
jiggling on tv.”
“However does it work?” I asked
wonderingly.
“We don’t have a name for it yet,
but it is based on the so-called ‘arch
principle’ used in bridge construc
tion. ”
He picked up an encyclopedia and
read the following treatise on
bridges:
“If the arch is too long the outward
thrust will push the sides out and the
top will cave in. If the arch is too light
at the top, or too heavy at the sides,
the sideward thrust of the arch will
push the top up and the sides will
cave in.
“Those were the types of problems
we had to overcome with our anti
jiggle device,” Harkenback said.
Again reading from the
encyclopedia: “The force that tends
to crush the ends of a brace in toward
the center is called compression.
The force that tends to pull apart or
stretch a brace is called tension.”
I said, “I have observed a great
deal of thrust, compression and ten
sion on television shows. I’m sure
the networks will be glad to get those
jiggle critics off their necks.”
Harkenback nodded happily.
“Yes, and if our bosom stabilizer also
advances the cause of civil rights, it
will have served a double purpose.”
Slouch
by Jim Earle
“I’M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING BACK IN THE SWING OF
THINGS AFTE T> St—* - ONC T,T ? lt? AK COULD YOU DIRECT ME
iO THE ACADEiVli^ r»oaj_.1>HNA.r
yall fee], Bello
and vied in imagining her reaction.
To assure that the firing received
maximum publicity, others in the White
House were calling reporters to suggest
that they come by the building for what
they were assured would be a really rip-
snorting story. In terms of sheer flackery,
it was the hardest White House sell since
the recognition of China.
Now, anyone who had dealt with Abzug
—- including her allies in the women s
movement — knows that she employs her
personality as an abrasive weapon to
achieve her objectives, and they know
how aggravating she can be.
But those who invited the world to
share their joy in evening the score with
Abzug were the same people who begged
for dignity and sympathy and understand
ing for all concerned when Carter had to
separate himself from Lance and Peter
Bourne.
Lance and Bourne were loyalists, of
course, as well as being male. But their
loyalty did not keep them from damaging
the reputation of the Carter administraiton
more deeply and indelibly than did any of
Costanza’s and Abzug s acts of “disloy
alty. The public humiliation of the two
women, when contrasted with the kid-
gloves treatment of the two men, is bound
to leave a bad taste in many mouths.
(c) 1979. The Washington Post Coni-
pany
MSC grass tradition
should be preserved
By J. WAYNE MORRISON
Here it is, another letter to the editor
concerning the Memorial Student Center
grass.
I am co-author of the student senate bill
in which the University administration is
asked to officially recognize the LONG
STANDING STUDENT TRADITION —
of considering the MSC grass to be a
memorial to all Aggies who have given their
lives in defense of our country. In the bill
we ask the administration to do this by
officially dedicating the grass as a memorial
and by publishing this fact in all university
publications dealing with student life.
I sincerely believe that this tradition was
begun and has basically endured among the
student body ever since the MSC was dedi
cated in 1954. I have personally talked with
a number of former students ranging back
to the class of 1954 and they have all stated
either that they distinctly recall the recog
nition of this tradition to be prevalent
among the student body during their at
tendance here or that they have always per
sonally believed in the tradition.
Yet, because of the rapid growth in
enrollment, the grass not being officially
dedicated, and the tradition not being in
cluded in any university publications (be
cause the administration does not recog
nize it) there are some students who are
Letters to the Editor
unaware of its existence.
The reason conflicts occur is because un
informed people (mainly students) walk
across the grass and are rudely informed by
others of the tradition. In writing the se
nate bill, J.C. Colton, student body vice-
president for academic affairs, and I have
attempted not only to gain University rec
ognition for this deserving tradition but
Header s Forum
also to help end these unfortunate conflicts
by asking the administration to erect on the
lawn at least one appropriately worded sign
explaining the tradition (similar in theory to
the signs placed within the MSC entrances
asking all men to remove their hats upon
entering the building) and to plant a small
hedge around the perimeter of the grounds
to discouraged people from continuously
walking across them.
The intention of our bill is not to legislate
this tradition but to give it the recogniton it
so readily deserves.
Yes, Kim, Texas A&M students do see
some of their school’s time-honored cus
toms crumbling and I for one am going to
fight to hang on to this one.
J. Wayne Morrison is a senior and vice-
president for finance in student govern
ment.
the dead
Respect for
Editor:
To whom it may concern in Hart Hall:
For whatever reason you saw fit not to at
tend Silver Taps this past rainy Thursday
night, could you x^lease have enough cour
tesy to hold down the laughter the next
time we are unfortunate enough to have
the ceremony?
—P.K. Imbrie, ’79
Bill Fisher, ’79
Joe Udemi, ’79
Editor’s note: This letter was accom
panied by 97 other signatures.
Right, wrong ways
Editor:
I can no longer sit and suffer in silence.
After coming to a screeching halt for the
second time tonight, I must make a stand.
Who do these pedestrians around this
campus think they are — gods? Do they
honestly believe they can stop moving cars
with their minds?
I firmly believe in the supreme right-
of-way of the pedestrian, being one my
self. But the blind carelessness, the almost
nonchalant recklessness, the blatant disre
gard, the wanton inconsiderateness ... Am
I reaching some of you out there? ... is
beyond lawful justification.
The prevalent feeling among most
pedestrians is that the responsibility for
the safety of all pedestrians lies in the
hands of the motorists.
After careful consideration of all facets of
the pedestrian-motorist relationship, I
cannot help but feel that the pedestrian
must surely have as deep a personal inter
est in any incident that may occur as the
driver of a moving vehicle.
I do not ask for impossible measures. To
have to wait as groups of students pass by
at an intersection is merely frustrating
(and I have even been told it builds
character). But to have to slam on the
brakes to barely miss the mindless incon-
siderates who step out in front of moving
cars is unnerving.
All I ask is that people crossing any of
the streets on campus will show the pres
ence of mind to simply look carefully be
fore they step out. If pedestrians continue
to wield their right-of-way as a shield to
protect themselves from all harm, some
one is going to get hurt.
—Sue Emanuel, ’81
Wanted: more fans
Editor:
I am writing this letter on behalf of all
those who not only enjoy watching a good
game of basketball, but in particular enjoy
watching Aggies play the game.
There is on our campus a team know as
the Aggie Ladies and their brand of basket
ball is just as exciting to watch as their
counterparts (i.e. the men’s team).
It is however, discouraging for these 13
young women and their coach to play be
fore less than 200 fans. It is not only dis
couraging for the fans in attendance, but
the too few media who cover the games as
well.
Coach Bender and her Aggie Ladies
work long hours practicing each day for
upcoming games, and equally deserve the
support that other A&M teams have re
ceived from Aggies.
The A&M women have three home
games leff this season., (Jan. 31,—UH;
Feb. 12, —UT; Feb. 15,—UT at Ar
lington), and nothing would please them
more than to have 7,500 fans cheering them
on to victory.
—Jon Copeland, ’79
P.S. Gig’em Aggie Ladies.
Top of the NEwfcic
STATE
>/
i
Study: Helmets off, deaths up ustInT —
ions Coinn
Deaths and injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents have ir rings on its
creased dramatically in Texas since repeal of the rider helmet law,! next two }
statewide study by Texas A&M University safety engineers hascou- kIbut aln
eluded. One of every four motorcycle accident fatalities can be pre ate are aim
vented simply by requiring drivers and passengers to wear helmets, heir spend
says the report, which was issued jointly Friday by Texas A&M andthhe Senate
Texas Office of Traffic Safety in Austin. It also states an unhelmetedady has be
rider is 2.5 times more likely to die and 2.67 times more likelytaising the H
sustain a head injury that is incapacitating or fatal. oared bv tl
las the 1
New abortion fund to award ft utjspeaker
isBwill trin
A fund established to help poor women obtain legal abortionsw| from that
award its first grants today, more than two years after the fundilget heari
namesake died from an illegal abortion in McAllen. The death ofRosif'ss-the-boai
Jimenez, 27, in October 1977 gained national attention because itwas hi spendi
believed to be the first reported after the federal government cuto! a freeze <
Medicaid funds for abortions. Jimenez, who was living on welfare’ state emp
working part time, attending college and raising a 5-year-old daughte: lay ton’s pr
alone, went to a midwife for an illegal abortion when she couldnotr with Gov
afford the fee charged at a legal clinic, said fund chairman Fra: proposed *
Kissling. She died of an infection believed caused by the midwife sust nun iber of
of unsterilized equipment. On Monday the Rosie Jimenez Fundwiji.billion tax
award $1,000 to various Texas abortion clinics to provide free abortk u t Lt. Go
for indigent women. Hiressed <
get is air
iii', i idingplan,
Dallas police, firemen voted ramfh°^ Ardi -
layton rei
Dallas voters approved a 15 percent pay increase for police an(i|J ’ ^
firefighters Saturday by an almost 8,000-vote margin, election official:? 1 j USl , ^
said. More than three times the expected numlrer of voters tumedoux 1 s ‘ Kl ‘
for the referendum vote, with 33,893 voting for a city ordinance u PPiMffL .iV,,* ,
salaries 15 percent and 25,854 voting no. Voters also were askedtoF ; 1>U
express their sentiments on a second proposition in a “straw vote” on a I
City Council-sponsored 7.5 percent gross pay package for the city':L
3,500 public safety officers. The vote was 29,754 for and 19,468 again:: Q | ) U
Election officials Saturday night said the city ordinance now woul(if|-*-
become law.
NATION I™
ATICAN i
• • set his
Marvin to testify in ‘soap opera^
r r ki*) j Pope
Actor Lee Marvin, who said the whole case would be “like asoajK^ 1 "^^^
opera, takes the stand Tuesday to tell why he is saying “no” toh:?;
former live-in girlfriend who wants $1 million for the six years the^ j
lived together. Marvin, 54, has sat silently in court during a weekol? ^^ ()
testimony from Michele Triola Marvin, 46, who lived with
Academy Award winner from 1964 to 1970. In four days of testimonyiiEj ^ |^. j (
the Superior Court non-jury trial, Miss Marvin, who took the actonK c j* ea f ea
name just before they separated, has tearfully told of two abortions anc^ t j ic or
a miscarriage, an alleged engagement with a mink coat in lieu ofarinjC^] p r()t , r
and a hysterical breakup at a Malibu beach home. Marvin has limitec|y] lV so m
his out of courtroom comments. He said the case had not affected hiijB' aS k- e i
career but changed his lifestyle. “It forced me to wear suits,” he said hl] e nee 1
. More ice, snow for Midwest
et| hate, ai
ase the hu
» a speed
list regi
Mountains of snow that clogged the Midwest since the Blizzardoi| 0 the pre
79 struck a week ago glistened under a fresh layer of ice Saturday an( le) the po
forecasters predicted new snow for the nation’s blizzalrd-battere<lj a t e for an
breadbasket. Thunderstorms swept the South, spawning at least onf[ bas cla
tornado and raising the threat of flooding in some areas. An ice storings and a ■
slinking across th Midwest has been blamed for at least 10 deaths iijombings i
auto and plane crashes. The Blizzard of 79 claimed 98 lives. Anothedthough th
potent storm is brewing. And winter is not quite a month old. jiflcally ab
In sourc
Apartment manager shoots
:ented th
. , ^atin Am
tCmift ce at Pm
A 76-year-old San Francisco apartment superintendent, enraged at
his tenants for months, exploded over a parking dispute with barrages
of gunfire, killing one tenant and seriously wounding three others
before taking his own life Saturday. Thomas E. Hufnagel, sniping with
a shotgun and .38 caliber revolver from a second story window, pep
pered a residential street, keeping an army of police at bay. Police
negotiator Chris Hatcher said Hufnagel had threatened to kill every
body in his apartment six months ago, including three of the victims,
but no one paid much attention to the old man.
Duke heads home after operation
John Wayne, living up to his tough-guy screen image and “doing
beautifully,” is to go home in about a week to continue recuperating
from a second serious bout with cancer. Wayne underwent removal of
his stomach Jan. 12 after a malignant tumor was found during a gall
bladder operation. Doctors later said cancer was found in microscopic
amounts in the lymph nodes near his stomach, but that there was no
evidence it had spread. Dr. Carmack Holmes, a cancer specialist at
UCLA Medical Center and consultant to the surgical team that re
moved the 71-year-old actor’s stomach, said there was “no clinical
evidence” to indicate the cancer had spread.
WIT]
suo
JUST
WEATHER
for th
'PRO
Fair and mild changing to cloudy and warmer tonight with a
chance of drizzle. High today 60 and a low of 40 with a 20%
chance of rain today and a 30% Tuesday. Winds will be
southerly at 10-15 mph. Outlook for the rest of the week will
be cooler with a cold front moving in on Tuesday.
* p LUs
‘Don
The Battalion
'Mar
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to beinf' cut to that length or less if Unifier. The
editorial staff reserves the rifijit to edit such letters and does
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Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
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United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
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Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor ,B<
Managing Editor Lu
Assistant Managing Editor .Andy
Sports Editor Davi
City Editor Scott P<
Campus Editor S
News Editors . . Debbie
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Roger:
Patterson, Sean Petty
Blake, Dillard Stonf
Bragg, Lyle Lovett
Cartoonist DougG
Photo Editor Lee Roy Lesdi
Photographer Lyffl
Focus section editor Gan
N,
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
University administration or the Board of
Regents. The Battalion is a non-prn
supporting enterprise operated Inj^
as a university and coinnnniiUj mv
Editorial policy is determined hijdit