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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.