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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1980)
Viewpoint Lo The Battalion Texas A&M University Friday October 3, 1980 Slouch By Jim Earle rounJD BALL ‘Did he say this is Physical Education? This is not Physics 201? Javits on his way out By STEVE GERSTEL United Press International WASHINGTON — The Senate’s ranks of liberal Republicans, always sparse, are getting slimmer and slimmer. The most recent of this increasingly rare breed of politician to move toward the exit is Sen. Jacob Javits of New York — old, ailing and almost out after nearly a quarter of a century. brightest minds in the Senate, nurses a slim hope that he can win reelection as the Liberal Party candidate. But few give this desperate venture any chance. Without the support of the Republican Party, Javits will have organizational and money problems probably impossible to over come. Javits’ loss to Alfonse D’Amato, a conserva tive municipal functionary with no identity quotient, follows a pattern that has now become a fixture on the American political scene. Conservative Republicans ignore party labels. They care not a whit if the candidate is a Republican or a Democrat. If he is not a true believer, out he goes. They did it to New Jersey’s Clifford Case in a primary two years ago and bloodied Mas sachusetts’ Edward Brooke enough so he lost in the general election. Nor do they rue getting in return two of the most liberal Democrats in the Senate — Mas sachusetts’ Paul Tsongas and New Jersey s Bill Bradley. And they did not mind forfeiting Case’s great seniority and rank and the distinction of having the only black senator, an eloquent spokesman for social concerns. After all, the Republican Party was twice purified. Yet Javits, a four-term senator and the rank ing Republican on the Foreign Relations Com mittee, was the biggest catch so far. He was a national figure, an eloquent spokesman for Re publican liberalism. Although Republican conservatives un doubtedly rejoice in Javits’ defeat and D’Ama- to’s victory, they probably cannot claim all the credit. tor who would be 82 when the termeJ has happened to healthier incumbenl| age. It is somewhat ironic that Javits i help out the conservatives — despite) long quarrel with them — in the final political career. Although Javits is given no chanceti certainly is going to get votes. And tin can come only at the expense of Rep. 1 Holtzman, the very liberal Demoeratij date for the Senate. The precedent is there: James Bu Conservative Party candidate, wom| seat when incumbent Republican( Goodell and Democrat Richard I carved up the liberal-moderate votej York in 1976. Javits is 76 and really starting to show it. He disclosed a progressive nerve ailment that ham pers him physically but not mentally. It’s quite possible that New York voters — who like him immensely — just felt enough concern about the prospects of an infirm sena- The day after his primary defeat,] asked if he won, running as the Lii> candidate, whether he would rejoin thej licans in the Senate. Javits said ofc would. It seems that Javits cares more forth) lican Party than the Republican Partyii him. Despite what the GOP conservafij to him. Pennsylvania appears to be swing state again By SCOTT MACLEOD United Press International HARRISBURG, Pa.— Preaching the gospel of jobs, Republican Ronald Reagan has chiseled into President Carter’s support among blue col lar Democrats in a strong bid to capture indust rial Pennsylvania, party and labor officials say. But the GOP is concerned that many liberal Republicans, especially those on Philadelphia’s fashionable Main Line, may desert to indepen dent John Anderson and give the race to the Democrats. The latest polls indicate the race is dead even, although registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by 700,000. “Pennsylvania is a classic swing state,” said Republican Gov. Dick Thornburgh. If there was a bellwhether in 1976, it was Pennsylvania, a state of 11 million people, where the results perfectly reflected the two point margin of Carter’s victory nationwide. Daniel Horgan, Carter’s campaign manager in Pennsylvania, said he’s running a street-wise operation to secure the state’s 27 electoral votes, the third largest total among the 50 states. “We should be able to win a squeaker, be cause we’ve got a good get-out-the-vote opera tion,” said Horgan. “We ll have sound trucks on the streets on election day and Carter greeters at the polls, little old-fashioned things. If Mrs. Jones is in the hospital, we’re getting her an absentee bal lot,” said Horgan. Horgan and Reagan’s Pennsylvania campaign chairman, Richard Fox, agree Reagan has cut into Carter’s support in northeast coal and tex tile region of the state anchored by Scranton, a largely ethnic Catholic city. Polls have shown Reagan as far as 15 percentage points ahead there. “We can’t win without Democratic votes, and we believe Reagan has strong appeal in the ethnic communities that are fundamentally Democratic,” said Fox, who noted Reagan is campaigning vigorously in the state with visits so far to Philadelphia’s Cardinal Krol and city shipyard workers. James Mahoney, vice president of the Penn sylvania AFL-CIO, said the federation’s politic al committee is holding a series of meetings around the state with AFL-CIO leaders to stress the need for a Carter victory. Mahoney noted that most blue-collar sec tions of the state, such as Philadelphia and Pitt sburgh’s steel valleys, have remained more solidly behind Carter than the Northeast. “When you go to the Northeast, because of the difficulty people have had with the coal and needle industries, it’s jobs. It’s the issue that always has people down in the mouth, ” he said. Mahoney said if Pennsylvania, with its large electoral vote, is decisive in the presidential race nationwide, then it may well be Scranton that throws the race to Carter or Reagan within the Keystone State. The hitch for Reagan in a close race is the attitude of independent-minded liberal Repub licans in the Philadelphia suburbs who have never shown enthusiasm for Reagan and voted for his opponent in the state primary April 22. “Reagan is a product of the conservative movement, and he’s not a product of the East ern Establishment. Well, the Main Line is the Eastern Establishment,” said Faith Ryan Whit tlesey, a political leader from suburban Haver- ford. It’s your turn In Pennsylvania, polls show Anderson taking away as many votes from Reagan as Carter in the GOP-rich Philadelphia suburbs. And annoying to both parties is the high number of undecided voters in the state — ranging from 20 percent upward depending on the poll. Letter writer lacks understanding Jane Fowler, Anderson’s campaign manager here, said the large undecided vote, combined with the fact neither Carter nor Reagan won the state’s primary, give the Illinois congressman a chance in Pennsylvania. However, Mayor William Green Jr. of Phi ladelphia, the state’s leading Kennedy suppor ter, is leading the dissidents into line behind the president. And Reagan has picked up the enthusastic support of the relatively liberal Thornburgh, a very popular political figure in the state, in hopes of keeping the liberal Republicans in the party. In another major election, Democrats have a good chance of recapturing a Democratic seat in the United States Senate. Former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty is leading the GOP’s Arlen Specter, ex-district attorney in Philad- lephia, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Richard Schweiker, R-Pa. Editor: This is in response to Russell C. Halvorsen’s letter, published in the Oct. 2 Battalion. For lack of a more subtle approach, Mr. Hal- vorsen, your letter clearly exhibits your deci sive lack of an understanding of Aggie tradi tions, and an even more warped perception of what it means to be an Aggie and go to Texas A&M. I found your letter an affront to Texas A&M, the Corps of Cadets and all Aggies, In case you are unaware, Mr. Halvorsen, two of the characteristics which separate the aver age Aggie from students at other schools are friendliness and patience. You demonstrate neither characteristic in your letter. The abra sive tone your letter assumes when you refer to one of the older traditions at A&M (that of wearing no hat in Kyle Field) is both unneces sary and unAggielike. Evidently somebody has heard of removing his hat at football games, Mr. Halvorsen. Peruse the pages of any old Aggie- land and you will find no photographs depicting Aggies with their hats on at Kyle Field games. Your lame attempt to excoriate the Corps by referring to C.T.s as persons out “to prove their special supremacy’ underscored your lack of understanding as to the Corps role at A&M. Our motto says we are “The guardians of tradi tion and the keepers of the spirit. ” In no way does this imply that we alone keep “the spirit, ” or that we alone are the “good Ags“. If you want substantiation, ask the men of Davis-Gary who shined Sully recently; ask the literally thousands of non-regs who pour out to help in the building of bonfire; go to another football game, Mr. Halvorsen, and count how many people aren’t in uniform! Your approach is short-sighted at best. The segment of your letter that is most in furiating, Mr. Halvorsen, is your asinine ques tion “How can you yell your heart out for a team that loses?” If you would be so benevolent as to research some A&M history, you will see that our Twelfth Man tradition finds its roots back in 1922, when an Aggie demonstrated the lengths to which he would go to support the Aggie team y ^-^z. Randy I the rem Aggie weeken Fo ini by coming down from the stands and suitini That lone Aggie’s readiness remains a sym| the wholesale devotion of the A&M stii body to the football team. Win or lose,! Halvorsen, that is our football team outti| and if you haven’t the pride to stay an twenty minutes and yell your heart out, your problem. If you don’t value Texasij enough to make the trite sacrifice of re® your hat, then why even bother to got t(^ games? You’re right in one respect, Mr. I vorsen, we re no longer a military school ’ dammit, Mr. Halvorsen, the people whof Texas A&M aren’t “ordinary people”—' 1 ® Aggies, and damned proud of it. Mr. * vorsen, you’d do well to remember that Buzz Steind Editor’s note: This letter was accompany 105 other names. Four national Thee N- J., * Ruvai son wer College Texas A spot on Erlan Colic; have a li can inch Texas Harvarc ty of Ne Tenness Pauli up to th and a h; “The Fisher s selected The I A&M t€ i: 693-4750 Warped By Scott McCullar X JUST WANT TO REMIND Everyone to have the "proper" SPIRIT around HERE* GOOD AG'S HAVE THE BEST ADVICE IN THE WORLD FOR "BAD AG'S* AND "a%'£R'S," A/VP THAT'S THAT HIGHWAY 6 RUNS... UH...{let's- see now, it goes THAT WAY, AND THAT WAY TOO SO...) ,. BOTH WAYS! 4* The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Questions or comments concerning any editorial m#;; Texas Press Association should be directed to the editor. Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Dillard Stone LETTERS POLICY Managing Editor Rhonda Watters Asst. Managing Editor Scott Haring Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in ImPM City Editor Becky Swanson and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial PU Sports Editor Richard Oliver reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, ZmO"! Asst Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each leWli Focus Editor Scot K Meyer must also be signed, show the address and phone number News Editors Lynn Blanco, lvr j( t T , ...... , . j J1 Gwen Ham, Todd Woodard Colu'nns and guest editorials are also we come, and^ l rrsi. •. i -r a m i i is . .11 subject to the same length constraints as letters. /tflaresi'H Staff Writers Jennifer Afflerbach, Kurt Allen, ^ ^ c 0 * dence to: Etf/tor> The Battaiimi jl| Nancy Andersen, Marcy Boyce Mike Burnchter, /W McDonald: Texas A6[M Universityi College Station, 1 Pat Davidson, Jon Heidtke, Uschi Michel-Howell, 77343 Debbie Nelson, Liz Newlin, Cathy Saathoff, 1 Rick Stolle The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M s fallaf j Cartoonist Scott McCullar spring semesters, except for holiday and examination period 1 Photo Editor Pat O Malley Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per scWI year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on if I EDITORIAL POLICY que st. 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