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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1979)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Tuesday July 24, 1979 Carter snubs Republicans By STEVE GERSTEL United Press Internationa] WASHINGTON — Day after day, the helicopters lifted from the White House lawn, heading for the mountain and Presi dent Carter’s lair. The passengers — some 140 over a 12-day span — came from every major segment of American society, summoned to Camp David by Carter to advise him in a time of crisis caused by energy shortages and a weakening economy. But reservations were difficult to obtain for Republicans. And GOP leaders in the Senate and House waited in vain for an invitation to the mountain. More than two and a half years after be coming president, Carter still has not learned a rudimentary lesson of Washing ton politics. It is proper form, even good sport, for a president to publicly and privately lambast Congress. All presidents do it. And it is also considered more than ac ceptable for members of Congress to snipe at a president. It has always been that way. But what Carter still has not learned is that it is impossible for a president to ig nore Congress and then expect the Senate and House to join him in enacting major programs — such as energy. Nor is it the height of wisdom for Carter to snub the Republican leaders in the Se nate arjd House. Carter may enjoy a large Democratic majority in Congress. But he surely knows by now that the members of his party can be highly unpredictable. He needs all the help he can get from congressional Re publicans. Senate GOP Leader Howard Baker and House GOP Leader John Rhodes were plainly miffed at being left out of the Camp David deliberations. Part of the slightly-concealed disgust probably can be attributed to missing out on an ego trip to the mountain, but most of it stems from Carter’s refusal to let the GOP in on the ground floor of major legis lation. “I haven’t the foggiest idea what they have in mind,” Baker was forced to con cede to reporters as the helicopters shut tled back and forth. “We ll just have to wait and see.” Baker said that on June 7, he and Rhodes told Carter they would be happy to work out a bipartisan energy program with him. “We have heard nothing,” Baker said. “I take it the president is not interested in have the Republican leadership take part in energy legislation formulation.” Perhaps because of the isolation, Rhodes has been cool to Carter’s energy program. Baker, who has frequently shown signs of a willingness to work witb the adminis tration, appears much more flexible than Rhodes. He said there are many parts of Carter’s program he can support and none he would reject “out of hand.” But during a one-hour meeting with Carter at the White House two days after the energy program was unveiled, Baker may have achieved what he has sought for two and a half years — some kind of work ing relationship between the Wite House and congressional Republican leaders. Baker asked for and won Carter’s con sent for “regular meetings between the president and the GOP leaders. He be lieves they will be held every three or four weeks — but stressed that they would be regular. “This is something I asked for and I was appeased he accepted,” Baker said. How fruitful this new form of communi cation will be remains to be seen. It has to be better than stony silence of the past. Slouch by Jim Earle “DON’T BOTHER GETTING UP, I’M JUST LOOKING FOR MY PET SNAKE THAT GOT LOOSE. HE’S PROBABLY AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE/ 4 Firemen bring own living styles to CS the small society by Brickman Mrs. Carter next in shake-up? By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Last week it was the Carter cabinet being rent asunder. This week it was the White House staff s time to sweat. In the midst of it all, word reached me that Rosalynn Carter was resigning as first lady. Although the White House has not yet confirmed the report, sources close to the situation suggest an announcement may be forthcoming at any time. The president was said to feel that Mrs. Carter had done about as well as anyone could in a job that must rank as one of the most demanding in the world. Nevertheless, there was talk of friction between her and presidential aides, who were understood to regard her as too inde pendent at times to be a good team player. The main bone of contention appeared to be the crucial question of access to the pres ident. Mrs. Carter was represented as hav ing demanded that she be able to contact the president directly, without going through staff intermediaries. Hamilton Jordon, the big catfish among presidential assistants, was reported in furiated by Mrs. Carter’s ultimatum. Judg ing from prior experience, that is a good sign her tenure as first lady is nearing an end. Mrs. Carter has enjoyed strong support on Capitol Hill. Among the con gressional leadersip, she has been one of tfie most popular first ladies since Dolly Madison. As expected, rumors of her resignation provoked hostile reaction from a number of senators and House members. But fortu nately for the president, the appointment of a new first lady will not be subject to Senate confirmation. Complicating the situation somewhat was the likelihood that Mrs. Carter would continue to live with the president after relinquishing her duties as first lady. My sources assured me her resignation in no way altered her status as the presi dent’s wife. It was described to me as a part of the governmental reorganization issue. In his campaign to streamline the federal machinery and make it more efficient, the president purportedly became convinced that the first ladyship should be treated as a separate entity. By ROY BRAGG It’s almost like locusts attacking the fields, or like a stadium full of fish after a yell leader. Every year, the calm of summer in Aggieland is interrupted by the appearance of the official-looking vehicles on both ends of Highway 6. The clouds darken and the ground shakes with the distant screams of “HOT DAMN! College Station, here we come!” “The firemen are coming! The firemen are coming! scream the civil defense officers. Mothers pidl their children out of their yards and into the houses and lock the doors. Parents of teenage girls chain them to the television set in the living room so they can keep an eye on them. Yes, it’s that time of the year. Once again this summer, 2,500 firemen from all over the state, nation and world have descended on Aggieland to wreak havoc on the poor summer school students and citizens of this tiny metroplex. The reason for this siege of Aggieland is the annual firemens’ training convention and the continuing training sessions offered for the firemen by the school. In their respective hometowns, these men and women risk their lives for 50 weeks a year putting out fires of various degrees (degrees ... get it?) and receive nothing other than an occasional medal in addition to their paltry salaries. However, what they do in the remaining two weeks is a crime against humanity. They fight fires year round and come to Bryan to let off steam. Of course, while the firemen are here, it will be impossible to buy barbecue anywhere in town. Hundreds of men who look like a cross between Ernest Borgnine and Conway Twitty and who dress like country and western test patterns will commandeer entire clubs and hold the bartenders for ransom and play “Take This Job and Shove It” continously on the jukebox. Waitresses, or “heifers” as they are called by some of the men in red suspenders, will have to put up with most of the “song-and-dance” routines dished out by the firemen. On the positive side, civic and business leaders welcome the fire men with open wallets, because they spend a lot of money in this community. Unfortunately, a lot of it is at liquor stores and hotel bars. The arrival of the firemen also aids law enforcement agencies in the area. Not one B-CS resident dares drive over the speed limit because every other car on the road has a light on top. But soon, in a couple of weeks or so, our visitors will depart for home. We will lose a few hundred loud, but well-meaning firemen, and they will be replaced by 20,000 Aggies. Come to think of it, I kind of miss the firemen already. Letters to the Editor Semi-intellectualism lives Editor: I don’t believe that it is in the higher interests of the people to print editorials that derive depravity of the human race (or a part thereof) from its response to modern day “art.” One such endeavor was “Talkies fare badly at A&M” (Battalion, July 10). Apparently the spirit of semi- intellectualism burns hotly in the breasts of some men today. When the hunter stalks the unblemished forest symbolically pursuing more than game in “Bambi” aren’t we, as men, boorish to watch as art critics? And when Flower takes off into the flower field with his mate, shall we assume a dignified pose and whisper unobtrusively to our equally dignified and unappreciative fellow viewer that the aesthetic dimension in this scene is particularly unfathomable especially con sidering tbe sparsity of cinematic excel lence, so nearly non-existent in the decade of this film’s production. When was the last time anyone whooped at one of Hamlet’s subtle thrusts at Ophelia? Perhaps if the thrust is not subtle and artistic, it deserves nothing more from its audience. You know, there would be a point to the argument if someone could catch a couple of CTs in the bushes snickering over a few of Steinbeck’s scenes from “Grapes of Wrath, ” but I doubt well get documenta tion of that. Of course there is something to somber analysis of the pre-feature films at the Grove, but I for one have hardly enough training to attempt criticism or even artistic appreciation of works of such scope. I was truly pleased to see the insight that (would you believe it) even CTs had into the intellectual and — “non-cretin” as it may be — aesthetic aberration from which the article suffered. John Keats says in “Endymion“: A thing of beauty is a joy forever; Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness. How could detraction take place in its presence? How could its lover be distracted? —John Paul Fullerton, ’83 Top of the News STATE 1 Amoco says safety horn saved lives Amoco Oil Co. officials credit an automatic warning horn with saving several lives in a weekend refinery explosion in Texas City that injured 14 workers. “The safety device did exactly what it was de signed to do and probably saved some lives,” Amoco spokesman fat Donovan said of the horn triggered by a chemical leak “a minute or less” before two explosions Saturday. Two of the injured workers remained hospitalized in good condition. The exact cause of the blast was still being investigated. Officials said there were 17 persons work ing in the Alkylation Unit No. 2 when the horn sounded. Most of those injured were sprinting from the unit when the explosions oc curred. tl R hi tl NATION In space, no one can hear you think jeer a p'pats - blaces. One Presid thenm appear rends ibusine Mos United [}ie we tbusine The New Age Foundation says aliens from space have been afraid to land at its special airport so it will build a signal tower to help allay their fears. The foundation built the landing strip 13 months ago on its 14-acre headquarters near the Mt. Rainier National Park.‘They are afraid of us, Wayne Aho, a leader of the group, said during the weekend. “They know about the earth’s great stock of nuclear weapons. “With this signal tower, we can convince them of our friendly intentions. ” Aho said a pyramid-shaped metal device will be affixed to the top of the tower to transmit thought energy provided by members of the group. Foundation members, he said, will gather ina circle around the tower and clasp hands, forming a giant battery that will send friendly thoughts skyward. It was above Mt. Rainier in 1947 that an airline pilot reported the first modern flying saucer sighting. Aho said at least one benefit could accrue from contact with alien travelers. “When we learn the secret of their energy sources, gas station lines will end on Planet Earth, he said. “They’ve got to refuel, but did you ever see a flying saucer pull up at a filling station?’ U.: eqt Bn WA‘ States ith Ri ippear he Ar Dead man in car ticketed 3 times Police ticketed a blue van parked on a street in downtown Alexan dria, Va., three times for overtime parking before they noticed the driver was dead in his seat. Police explained that the man suffered from multiple sclerosis and was partially hidden by the special equipment used to lift him behind the steering wheel. Eventually an officer looked closely and found Joseph P. Greenhalgh, 37, of Alexan dria, inside. Police said he had died of a heart attack. Greenhalgh, a computer analyst, was confined to a wheelchair. Boom missing: do cranes migrate} MISSING: A 50-foot, $23,000 boom crane mounted on a truck. It was taken from a construction site in Claridon Township, Geauga County, Ohio, said Anthony Yf. Alesci, a partner in Chagrin Valley Builders. Alesci said Wednesday the truck was left unlocked. Con struction workers searched farms and woods in the area Tuesday after discovering the custom-built,* 1971 yellow Ford crane truck stolen from a work site. Fourth arrested in Dedrick case A fourth suspect was arrested Monday in the kidnapping of Joan Dedrick, a New Jersey banker’s wife who was freed unharmed Sun day after her husband paid a $300,1)00 ransom. FBI spokesman Michael McDonnell said Gaetano Allesandrello, 23, was arrested at 1 a.m. at his home in Paterson and held in the Bergen County jail in Hackensack for a scheduled noon arraignment in Newark with the other three suspects. McDonnell said the investigation is still con tinuing and he couldn’t comment on whether other suspects were being sought or whether the ransom money paid by William Dedrick has been recovered. tense ; Monda Ify ihe on ither,’ Service ire as s mequi Brov barge acksor Soviet tmeric “I be iquital Brov |J.S. N the gia le assi ipable “I w fS-18 |ie said Brov States : wlicy Minute Soviet States. “The troy ( |ilos,” : enato vlinute They c ase. Boots still working on Amoco well Well firefighters in Port Hudson, La., Monday were trying to re move a damaged wellhead from a raging natural gas well north of Baton Rouge in which two men have died. “Boots” Hansen of the Boots and Coots Inc. well firefighting company in Houston con structed a special heat shield Sunday to enable him to get under the fire and remove the wellhead. Once that operation is completed, he planned to attach a new well control valve that could cut off the flow of burning gas. The Amoco Production Co. well blew out and ignited July 9, injuring three men and killing one. One of the injured men, Edward LeBlanc, 29, of Port Barre, died Saturday from extensive burns over most of his body. WORLD Israeli official: U.N. needed in Sinai Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Yigael Yadin warned in Tel Aviv Monday that if the U.N. troop mandate in the Sinai is not renewed Tuesday, it might seriously affect implementation of the Egyptian- Israeli peace treaty. The Israeli cabinet Sunday rejected a U S. proposal to replace the U.N. Emergency Force troops in Sinaiwitha U.N. observer force when the UNEF mandate expires at midnight EDT Tuesday. Under the terms of the treaty, Israel was scheduled to return more of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt Wednesday. The pullout is to be made from 2,000 square miles of territory in south western Sinai and is to be the second withdrawal since the treaty was signed in March. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Adu LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 toords and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. McDonald Building, College Station, Texas TIM*! United Press International is entitled excluswe^l use for reproduction of all news dispatches credit^’J Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein re Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TXl] The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday through Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor .KarenBi| News Editor Debbie Pi Sports Editor '. Sean City Editor Roy Campus Editor Keith R Staff Writers Robin Thonil- Louie Arthur, Carolyn Blosser, 01 Boggan Photo Editor '.. .Clay Cw Photographer Lynn Bl 1 Cartoonist GregSpi 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-profit, 11 supporting enterprise operated by stui 1 as a university and community newsptp Editorial policy is determined by the II