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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1980)
iT#J I IR V ^VvA|T, LEMKE THIMK" MO, I'M AFRAID OUR MOTTO ''' ismt "All the news *vou all Thikik' that's fit to print.’*/ (BATTA L l ONI EDITOR Opinion Battalion aims for fair coverage A reporter for the Battalion ran into an unusual problem the other day. She had been assigned to cover a meeting of an influential campus organization. After the meeting, the president of the organization told the reporter she did not need to write a story on the meeting because, she said, what that organiza tion did was not newsworthy. The reporter wrote the story anyway and it ran in the Battalion. It was an open meeting and there were no legal problems in running the story, despite the president’s re quest. We did not run the story to spite the organization’s presi dent. We ran it because the organization is influential in the daily life of every on-campus student. The decisions made at the meeting will ultimately have some effect on dorm residents. That is news. The Battalion cannot cover every meeting of every organi zation on the campus. But we cover all meetings of some organizations because of their importance to a large number of students. Most leaders of these organizations realize it is necessary for the Battalion to cover and report what takes place at their meetings. We hope the incident involving this organization’s presi dent was isolated. The Battalion covers stories that, in our opinion, are important. We never cover a story with the intent of “get ting” somebody. The Battalion would prefer a semester of harmony rather than antagonism with on- and off-campus organizations. It is the duty of the Battalion to bring the news to its readers — whether we can do it with the cooperation of these organizations or not. the small society by Brickman The Battalion USPS 045 360 LETTERS POLICY lA'ttir* to the editor .should not exceed 300 words and are subject to beitifi cut to that length or less if longer The editorial staff reserves the ri^ht to edit such letters and dot's not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the uritcr and list a telephone number for verification. Address cttrresptmdence to Ijetttrs to the Editor. The Battalion. Hoorn 216, Reed McDonald Buildinn. College Station. Texas 77643. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from ieptember through May except during exam and holiday >eriods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday hmugh Thursday. Mail subscriptions are SI6.75 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. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Roy Bragg Associate Editor ... : Keith Taylor News Editor Rusty Cawley Asst. News Editor Karen Cornelison Copy Editor Dillard Stone Sports Editor Tony Gallueci Focus Editor Rhonda Watters Senior City Reporter Louie Arthur Senior Campus Reporter Diane Blake General Assignment Reporters Richard Oliver and Andy Williams Staff Writers 1 . Nancy Andersen, Tricia Brunhart, Mike Burrichter, Angelique Copeland, Laura Cortez, Meril Edwards, Carol Hancock, Kathleen McElroy, Debbie Nelson, Steve Sisney Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco Photographers Lee Roy Leschper Viewpoint 3C2 The Battalion Texas A&M University Wednesday January 30, 1980 Bush is Republican version of Carter based on Iowa results h By DAVID S. BRODER It was close to 2 o’clock in the morning after the Iowa caucuses when two some what sheepish visitors knocked on the hotel-room door of President Carter’s cam paign chairman. “Oh, my God,” said an obviously ex hausted Robert S. Strauss, peering sleepy- eyed around the corner of the door that shielded his body from view. “If it was anybody but you two, I’d throw you out. Wait a minute while I pull some pants on.” A moment later, Strauss admitted the pair — and a reporter who had wandered past the room -— and greetings were ex changed all around. It was a scene that would have puzzled the Russians and others who assume that politics is simply organized personal anta gonism. For these were not Carter Demo crats coming calling on the campaign chair man, but diehard Republicans. One of them was Mary Louise Smith, the Iowan who had served as Republican na tional chairman for much of the time Strauss was running the Democratic Na tional Committee. The other was Dick Herman, the influential Nebraska Republi can who has been a power in the national GOP for more than a decade. “We just couldn’t leave without congra tulating you,” said Smith. “Well, I’m glad you did,” said Strauss, gallantry overcom ing fatigue, ” “because your guy did a hellu va job here, too.” Smith and Herman are backers of George Bush, whose Iowa victory over fa vored Ronald Reagan rewrote the odds on the Republican nomination fight. For quite a few minutes, Strauss praised his fellow-Texan Bush. It was not just po liteness. Back in 1975, when some Demo cratic senators were arguing that Bush was “too partisan” to serve as President Ford’s director of central intelligence because of his earlier assignment as Republican na tional chairman, StrauSs publicly praised Bush’s qualifications and rejected the argu ment that a partisan post disqualified Bush for a sensitive governmental assignment told some reporters a bit earlier. “It has really intrigued me. . . But I don’t think his success will extend quite as far as the White House.” Until now, the semi-official White House line has been that Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr. would be Carter’s toughest and worthiest opponent for the general elec tion. Privately, some Carter men have con ceded that if former President Ford were nominated, he could be the strongest rival of all, because he and he alone could vir tually eliminate the incumbency and ex perience arguments for reelecting the President. work at their side on behall of the Cl Bush is Carter — with an extra Jt sion. He is the dogged campaigner*! Iphi air are: its and But as the hotel room conversation de veloped, Carter’s chairman also probed po litely for clues as to where the Bush cam paign might be going and by what route. That was not the only indication in the Hotel Savery that early morning that Car ter’s men were beginning to take the mea sure of this possible opponent. ‘T’ve been watching old Bush from the beginning,” White House press secretary Jody Powell But now they are starting to take Bush more seriously — and for good reason. Car ter’s people know and admire political organization, and Bush’s campaign in Iowa was a textbook example of skillful organiz ing. Bush modeled his Iowa campaign on the one Carter ran here in 1976, starting early and making his own presence the key to the recruitment of volunteers. But he had one advantage Carter lacked — the early support of such GOP insiders as Smith and Herman. They and their counterparts in Republican organizations in other states are devoted to Bush, for his personal qualities as well as for his years of also an insider, with a wealth of p allies from his service in Congress, lit peakinf ecutive branch and the party diairt ' n ai Ti ship. This combination makes him- Powell and Strauss recognize—anim would in all probability unite cans behind his candidacy. Bush ad his victory over Reagan in Iowa uttering one word of criticism of the) sumed front-runner. While the tinici yet come when Bush will have to dm line with Reagan in a more personal he is obviously better off ifhecanwii nomination without antagonizing Reagan faithful. As a public speaker, he is as elfecfc 3c '' atlo: Carter. As a television personality,lei 1 1" 1 ' s least as attractive. He tells his that he is far better trained forthep 1 idency by his congressional seniceaiij sa three major executive branch Carter was when he came too Carter, he does not lack self-confideii Adding it all up, the exchange of con merits in Strauss’ hotel room couldbt preliminary to a rather interesting fig (c) 1980, The Washington Post Coi a ByB hemic: plan amajoi State p iulphm nts is a gas: cause enouy the pla leek is ural co mcil for nmg m s car man p Letters ftTexas Ijor has xas For collegi John F am whe native Friend f d trans 1 from ti He wa ning a: ider El: dent. The flu ore is pi Wen, h is Tor I have the lay it dot exas 1 'case The m cgular en aid Friei Thougl a Freed riend s le froi Desp strain Mnage Pies of 'Texas ] II major “Texas 'vas kn In the Blackballing welcome Editor: In reference to the letter written by Mary Ann Robinsion on January 23,1 agree with her 100%. Just who does John Win chester think he is, making fun of such an important group as the greeks, who make up three percent of the student body? Be- Volunteers are better loi ng W] a Per chi !s s an £ Correction Tuesday’s Battalion incorrectly identi fied Steve Sikora, the student killed Mon day afternoon in a car accident on Texas Avenue, as a freshman. Sikora was a sopho more. The Battalion regrets the error. fore you know it, people will start making fun of the Corps or even ALL Aggies. Just think what it would be like if people made fun of Aggies! I hope the author of that comic will be wiser in the future, especially now.that he might be “blackballed.” And when the greeks get around to “blackball ing,” here are a few names of people who would be honored to be on their blacklist. Ian Crawford ’80 (This letter was accompanied by 36 other signatures) Editor: I wish to go on record as one Aggie who believes that both draft registration and reinstitution of the draft are wrong and un necessary. The draft is simply a form of involuntary servitude, not in keeping with the ideals fo a free people. The concept of enslaving some of our citizens in order to keep the United States free is self-contradictory at best. A professional military force, well trained and highly motivated, is all the Un- 1 'Unial o ited States needs for it’s defense. In 1 ! 1 )a P as t event of an actual attack on the States, volunteers would most certail meet the manpower needs ofourmiiitJj This refutes the idea that registration a standby conscription law is necessary! the defense of our nation. If sufficient manpower is current!)| problem, higher wages for the mf would be a much more cost effectives moral solution to this problem thancoj scription. I for one believe our nations® fense should rely upon highly motiVit professionals rather than upon poorly mo*) vated conscripts. Robert Zatiri Thotz By Doug 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.