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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1979)
Slouch by Jim Earle “Tivo guys are advertising for dates in the want ads. I wonder if they have lovely personalities?” Opinion Agency resembles mothers-in-law Suppose a family is going along smoothly; then an enterprising mother-in-law sees a way to improve it. Prob lems are sure to develop. We may have a federal monther-in-law on our hands. In a recent speech President Carter said he is forming a new “Office for Families” to be run out of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. As the president put it, “Many families have been strained to the breaking point by social and economic forces beyond their control.” Most will agree with that. But is more bureaucracy the answer? Will the addition of hundreds of new jobs, research papers and charts at HEW do anything to improve things? We doubt it. Frankly, Jimmy Carter could do more to help the family by reducing government and taxes than a hundred new Offices for Families could do. Much of the economic pressure on the average house hold comes from a bigger and bigger bite of the weekly paycheck being taken to support the government. Yes, the president has addressed an important problem. But as usual he comes up with the old Washington answer: spend more money, create a new department. For all his talks with “average Americans” he still hasn’t gotten the message: The people want less government in their lives, not more. Worcester, Mass., Telegram the small society by Brickman y&O TH^ ^LP ■ 0 COST'S - Washington Star Syndicate, Inc. /0-29 The Battalion usps LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words 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. 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 hrough Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per frill year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Liz Newlin Managing Editor Andy Williams Asst. Managing Editor Dillard Stone News Editors Karen Comelison and Michelle Burr owes Sports Editor Sean Petty City Editor Roy Bragg Campus Editor Keith Taylor Focus Editors Beth Calhoun and Doug Graham StafiF Writers Meril Edwards, Nancy Andersen, Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver, Mark Patterson, Carolyn Blosser, Kurt Allen, Debbie Nelson Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschper Jr. Photographers Lynn Blanco, Sam Stroder, Ken Herrera Cartoonist Doug Graham 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, self- supporting enterprise operated by students as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Viewpoint C2 The Battalion Texas A&M University Monday October 29, 1979 Window Kennedy’s ‘headless horse’ campaign- gets him into embarrassing situation By ARNOLD SAWISLAK United Press International WASHINGTON — Back when it was still a mystery whether Sen. Edward Ken nedy was going to run for president, the speaker of the House said he didn’t think so because he saw no sign of a Kennedy campaign organization. Tip O’Neill has seen a lot of Kennedy political operations and he obviously found it hard to believe that Teddy was going to make the leap without the kind of careful planning ancf tight organization that has characterized the family’s campaigns for 30 years. O’Neill quickly changed his mind after talking to the senator. But the point the speaker made back then was well taken, and nobody knows it better now than Kennedy. The draft Kennedy “organization” O’Neill saw in September consisted of a diverse collection of liberal ideologues, Camelot romantics, courthouse hustlers and professional politicians. But there was no head on this horse and O’Neill knew that kind of critter was going to back into some situations that could do nothing but embarrass Kennedy. Which is what it did in Florida. While the independent draft Kennedy organiza tion in the state included some savvy polit ical operatives the senator would be happy to have on his team anywhere, it had some others who appeared to be all thunder and no rain. This group decided to try to catch Pres ident Carter on the blind side by capturing the county delegates to the Florida Demo cratic convention, where a non-binding straw ballot on presidential preference was scheduled. The Florida straw vote gambit was not original: Carter did it first in 1975 to begin the process of demonstrating George Wal lace’s vulnerability. But clever as the idea may have been, the execution was terri ble. To start, the pro-Kennedy people blew the element of surprise, not only trumpet ing their plans to organize the county cau cuses, but claiming they were going to win most of the delegates. That warned the Carter camp in Wash ington and it laid on a campaign of major league proportions. It also set the stakes for the contest, so that even if Kennedy won a respectable share of the delegates he would have foiled to meet the originally proclaimed goal. Secondly, the pro-Kennedy people got into a situation in which they had to de nounce the very process they were trying to exploit. When they “discovered” that there was going to be only one polling place in each county and that transporta tion of voters was going to be vi| began accusing the state party\ of “rigging” the vote. About then it was coincident^ ered that the Carter campaignUj hired most of the air-conditionedjj buses in the Miami area, school buses for the Kennedy p Kennedy obviously couldsmelij cooking in Florida. Early on, 1 real first test would come inli January, not Florida in Octofej wasn’t badly hurt when Florida served up a flop, whiclm ped by one of his backers claim 4 senator had achieved “a fantasticn Nor was it particularly sup Kennedy let it be known a lewd the Florida fiasco that hewasgoiis up his own "exploratory com the kind of outfit Tip O’Neill v nize as a real campaign organiza ',pOiMWr&&L&\C¥e E^TUPiFREEZE! ^ Si landy F tants wh I against t exas Ai jwer-oi ob “boml Ion Nov. Bryan. N/' e Frifcncl cf yours? r- C Never seen him | hefbreinniyliGe.. I yvei )y n local opl \nderson h ipient of t he Texas A jf Medicine Re progran Andersoi ion commil onvocation ng class of ■ nearly I ihysicians ■hers. Analysis Assassination of South Korea’s Pari leaves U.S. ally in political vacuum i At the T ication, N Le|h nolog Benblith pat the Medicine y | the costl lography :ored the i age t Rosenbli By JOHN NEEDHAM United Press International SEOUL, South Korea — The slaying of Park Chunghee leaves South Korea, America’s principal ally on the Asian con tinent, with serious new problems. It must maintain unity against the communist threat from the north and deal with in creasing domestic discontent over Park’s 18-year legacy of repression. Park’s death left a vacuum in the coun try’s strongman presidential system of government, with no new leader ready to fill it right away. “There was no No. 2 in South Korea,” a Seoul journalist said after Park was shot to death by the chief of the powerful Korean Central Intelligence Agency. “There was only Park, No. 1 — no one in second or third place.” Analysists. say Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah, who under the constitution be comes acting President for a maximum of three months, would have to fight hard for the top job if he had ambitions. Park ruled South Korea for more than 18 years, first as a general who led an army coup and then — since 1963 — as presi dent. He was re-elected in 1972 and 1978 as the only candidate under the new con- , stitution he pushed through. He surrounded himself with top-notch economic planners and gave them the leeway to produce the “economic miracle” that produced astronomical growth in South Korea’s exports. Politically he fought off an occasional challenge — though none really posed se rious threat after the 1972 constitution took effect — and ruled with sweeping powers. As a general. Park had extensive con tacts in the military when he came to power. He kept the army’s leadership con tent over the years, making sure it was well-financed and well-equipped. He was further helped by the presence of U.S. troops in South Korea — 39,000 still remain — and by the U. S. “nuclear umbrella” set up as a deterrent to any at tack by communist North Korea. The military, in turn, supported Park. And when his loyal prime minister, Choi, was named acting president Saturday, the soldiers and airmen quickly closed ranks behind him. The greatest unifying force in South Korea has always been the communist threat from North Korea. The peninsula has been divided in two since t World War II, when the Japanft|| cupiers withdrew, letting Soviets occupy the northern part and U.S ? the South. Both North Korea and have often said they want reui but sporadic meetings have been Even Park’s opponents, incli Young-sam, whose expulsion from tional Assembly sparked widespres test and student-led riots, saytl* the U.S. troops to stay. As a result, it was hoped jockeying to replace Park wouldtalz behind a united front, with the tions exercising enough restrainttj North Korea the opportunity to cai political instability in the south, Letters Police know how to collect money, but not how to refund it — student Editor: My letter concerns our “efficient and trustworthy” campus police department. At the beginning of this school year I was given an “annual” parking sticker in stead of a two-semester one as I had re quested last year. Upon noticing it, I called it to the attention of a girl in the office who said I could exchange it after Sept. 17 and get a refund of $9, the differ ence in price. Upon returing to the police department I was told that I couldn’t receive a refund until May 1980. The tom sticker I was given was taken away and a new one was given to me. It too was an annual one. I don’t think they quite understood that all I wanted was my $9 back! Morris A. Maddox, assistant Univeristy Police Chief, seems to be the final judge of all this. It would seem that I should be able to get my money refunded. They were so eager to take my money $5 for my rear tire being over the white line in Lot 56. Mr. Maddox sure knows how to rake in the money, but he doen’t know when to give some up when it’s not his! Congratu lations to Mr. Maddox and the entire TAMU police force for demonstrating once again that no matter where you are, you still get the shaft! Yes — even in Ag- gieland. — Jimmy Orr, ’82 Library hint Editor: As an employee in the circulation de partment of S.C. Evans Library I realize that the library system still has some bugs to iron out, but I would like to comment on one particular problem that effects all who use the library. The problem is I.D. cards. There is a large number of students that have un punched I.D. cards, and all of our machines that punch the I.D. cards are broken; therefore, we must write these materials by hand instead of running them through the computer. This process is slow and tedious and sometimes irritates the patrons and the person behind the counter. However, this problem, for the most part, could be solved very easily by the users of the li brary themselves. All that is needed is an old TAMU I.D. card that has been punched and the current I. D. card to ver ify the user is a currently enrolled^ [ This way we can run the material)'^ r computer in seconds where itowiU ; ! taken 10 to 15 minutes to do by As a freshman I realize that fetid have old I.D. cards, but their dp 11 [ small next to those upperclassmen* have old I. D. cards, So on yournes^ the library, I and the entire ciit»« staff would greatly appreciate you W 1 your new and old I.D. cards; it J you and us a lot of time ; — James M. Hough l ( ■H Cl PRC THOTZ