The Battalion
Viewpoint
September 3,1981
Slouch By Jim Earle
“I’ve got it! I change my Chemistry lab to Tuesday, drop
History, change my Math course, and get out of the corps, I
can have Friday afternoons free!’'
Californians have
all the political fun
By DAVID S. BRODER
LOS ANGELES — Lucky California
gets all the breaks. It has the President of
the United States and Ed Meese. It has the
Dodgers and Fernando Valenzuela. It has
more Medflies and more congressmen than
any other state. As if that were not enough,
it has shaping up what may well be the two
most intriguing political races of 1982 in its
Srenate and gubernatorial contests.
The Senate seat belongs to everyone’s
favority semanticist, Sen. S. I. Hayakawa
(R). He is acting like a candidate for re-
election at age 75. But he lags in all the
polls. So there is a widespread suspicion
that one day soon, the Republican
moneybags will either prevail on their
friend. President Reagan, to arrange a nice
appointment for Hayakawa or, if necessary,
pressure him out of the race.
For the aspirant on the other side is
two-term Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown,
Jr. (D) who has been a pain for the business
men to put up with in Sacramento and
would not add to their gaiety if he joined
Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) in an all-
Democratic Senate delegation.
Brown is suffering a post-Medfly de
pression in the polls, but he is still well out
in front of two possible challengers for the
nomination, former Assembly Speaker Leo
McCarthy of San Francisco and the young
mayor of Fresno, Dan Whitehurst.
Maureen Reagan, the President’s
daughter, is also sort of in the Senate race,
but her candidacy has drawn little enthu
siasm, especially in the White House.
Matching Goldwater, Wilson or McClos-
key against Brown would be a terrific con
test. But however appealing, the Senate
race is almost certain to be overshadowed
by the gubernatorial battle.
The Republican nomination contest pits
Lt. Gov. Mike Curb against Attorney Gen
eral George Deukmajian. Curb was a high
ly successful Hollywood musician and re
cord producer who has performed the
essentially redundant office of lieutenant
governor with a naivete that few of his pre
decessors ever achieved. He is to the
lieutenant governorship what Alexander P.
Throttlebottom was to the vice presidency.
Hayakawa’s evident weakness has drawn
three younger Republican challengers, any
one of whom, the current polls say, could
defeat the Medfly-bitten Brown. From
right to left (the proper order for Republi
cans) they are Rep. Barry M. Goldwater,
Jr., of Los Angeles, San Diego Mayor Pete
Wilson, and Rep. Paul N. (Pete) McClos-
key, Jr., of Portola Valley.
For months, it looked as if the Republi
cans would reward both Curb and the Peter
Principle by making him their gubernato
rial nominee. But, of late, his margin over
Deukmajian, a former assemblyman and
skilled politicain, has been diminishing.
Last week, Curb went shopping for a new
campaign manager, a signal he knows he is
in a real race.
Goldwater has been the favorite in the
race. The notion of creating a father-son
team of Senators Goldwater has obvious
appeal to a conservative Republican electo
rate, but young Goldwater has not over
come the skepticism of some of the money
men who worry whether he is nimble
enough to handle the artful dodger, Brown.
But the almost-certain Democratic
nominee, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Brad
ley, is far enough ahead of either Curb or
Deukmajian in the early polls to be consi
dered the favorite to succeed Brown. Brad
ley has never run a statewide race and Cali
fornia has never elected a black to higher
officer than lieutenant governor.
Goldwater’s possible vulnerability lured
Wilson last week from the governor’s race
(which he tried unsuccessfully in 1978) to
the Senate contest. He has been a highly
capable, creative mayor in San Diego. But
he suffers from his moderateness, and from
a peculiar conceit on the part of other Cali
fornians that civilization stops just south of
Disneyland and that anyone who claims to
But the one-time Los Angeles cop has a
presence and force of character that have
made him unbeatable in this city. The sym
bolism minorities and liberals find in his
candidacy is matched by the assurance con
servatives feel in the way he has handled
the relatively few powers he enjoys under
Los Angeles’ weak-mayor system.
The notion that Reagan’s home state
could become the first since Reconstruction
with a black governor is mind-boggling. But
California, of course, is used to having ev
erything.
Warped
Reagan holding his ground
N
By HELEN THOMAS
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan is
standing firm on his decision to fire 11,400
air traffic controllers for going on strike in
defiance of federal law. He refuses to have
any further dealings with them or their
union.
“As far as President Reagan is con
cerned, the strike is over and we re rebuild
ing the (air traffic control) system,” said
James Baker, the White House’s chief of
staff.
Baker said Reagan is satisfied he made
the right decision in discharging the con
trollers and rejects complaints that he was
out to bust their union, the Professional Air
Traffic Controllers Organization.
At a recent fund-raising reception in
Orange County, Calif., Reagan — respond
ing to the union-busting charge — 1 noted
that he had been a six-term president of the
Screen Actor Guild.
Simultaneously in Washington, the fed
eral government was proceeding with
efforts to decertify PATCO on the grounds
that it ordered the unlawful strike, on Aug.
3 after contract talks broke down.
From time to time, there has been spe
culation negotiations between PATCO and
the government might be reopened. But
each time the White House has been quick
to deflate such talk, saying there is no way it
would resume negotiations.
White House spokesman Larry Speakes
has been questioned by reporters about the
controllers situation in comparison with
other recent events.
One reporter asked Speakes how Reagan
could hail the Polish workers solidarity
movement, which has included strikes, and
at the same time fire the American traffic
controllers.
He was also asked how Reagan could
pardon two FBI officials convicted of felo
nies and yet offer no breaks for fired con
trollers.
Speakes declined comment on both
counts.
But Baker explained Reagan is “con
cerned that the message might be lost on
other unions” if he permitted the strikers to
return to their jobs.
He also said that if it had not been for the
strike, the government would not have
[Texans ma
;]< should 1
-ns, sugges
learned it had 6,000 more controllen
needed. When the walkout
were 17,400 controllers. ff'Oneviab
As a result of the strike, cone C eptions o
domestic air travel has been reditu ng other tx
about 25 percent. Control towersaiei [-withstand
ned by about 10,000 persons —incli e, said D
non-strikers, supervisory personod Jh e ornai '
military controllers. ms that ad
Baker said his own first-hand still j ^ wluL
cockpit interviews with pilots when I* ' in ^ ^ mi
— has found agreement amongthostj [
controls that the “skies are safe.
He also said pilots have shown®
pathy for the controllers.
As to whether Reagan will evei
somewhere down the road,
mind, Baker said before that happeis
more time would have to go by.
“He is extremely firm onthisand
he feels he has done the rigl
He said that White House pollsii
the sentiment of the American
some 75 percent in favor of Reagans
Other public polls show
Reagan, but not to that extent andfcM
indicate that the public would like" “
to start talking to the controllers
190 W*OW«nWWH6-
M.N0NS6««W*-
.OKAY BUDDY.
SUCK IN YOUR
GUT...
lection of
ial were ;
Campus 1
The purpo:
»rest in OC
dents and
be from San Deigo is probably a spaceman.
McCloskey is (dare one say it?) a progres
sive Republican — and a cocky ex-Marine
to boot. Not only was he conspicuously slow
to recognize the potential virtues of a
Reagan presidency, he was far too early in
his repudiation of that other California
President, Richard Nixon — campaigning
quixotically against his renomination in
1972 when that was distinctly unfashion
able.
Off-campu
irtment cor
: in a sparsi
to 25.
The only r
led by 20 n
'R at midte
Iruce Mart
ifire, OCA
its. He also
dents. Prei
ae out in a
thea said O
cember, as
oughout tin
’t have to
a the treas
ular accour
ikstore pro
’he officers
lay students f<
living conditio
he Texas A
Ition club is
Mixer today
It will be hel
at Hensel
[d on South
The mixer is
■It’s your turn
Amplified preachers draw criticise
Editor:
Having attended Texas A&M University
for two years now, I have come to know and
revile a particular group of junior evangel
ists who, in the past, have been content to
rail and rave their opinions on Christianity
to whosoever happened to be within shout
ing distance of the fountain in front of Rud
der Tower.
Now, unfortunately, these young people
have joined the rest of us in the twentieth
century by employing a public address sys
tem with which to beleaguer ears from as far
away as the Coke Building.
It is too much!
I detested their squeaky, pre-pubescent
voices before and I am coming to despise
them even more now that they’re ampli
fied. Yet, as much as I despise their voices,
I find their preaching, railing and regaling
even more lamentable.
What, I ask, makes them think I care to
hear about their personal denominational
beliefs? Why must I hasten past the foun
tain to escape their noise and noisome opin
ions?
Where? In what heathen country do they
imagine themselves that they must be pub
lic missionaries?
How come I can’t enjoy eating my mea
ger fare by the fountain anymore? Hmm?
Believe it or not, I too am a Christian.
Raised in a Christian home to respect the
opinions of others and to keep my own pri
marily to myself. On the subject of religion,
however, my disinterest in the opinions of
others is second only to my distress at hav
ing them thrust at me.
I realize that we live in a democracy
which guarantees the right of the individual
to speak his or her mind unmolested, but
isn’t it my right to not have to listen?
Since I must share this beautifblc-
with these people, and, since theys
their pious performances in
M.S.C. from 11a.m. until 1 p.m.,tit
means I have of exercising my ri|
4342 CAR'
listen are to either skip lunch or be-
off campus.
I don’t feel this is fair to meortot !
who may believe as I do that theprese*
these people and their P.A. isobtf*
and I call upon University officialsfe'
Is it unreasonable that the fc
evangelists be required to
their schedule or the location sucbfe
can all enjoy and exercise our r<
rights?
Editor’s note: Nicoli is a graduatete
assistant in the physics depar
ALLEN J.
selor at I
General C
lions to F
I a bu!
PERSC
REAL f
FAMIL'
WILLS
Corrections
In the story on recognition of Greeks
(Section F, Aug. 31 Battalion) John Cox and
Mark Sippel were incorrectly identified as
members of Chi Omega. Cox and Sippel are
members of Sigma Chi. The Battalion re
grets the error.
By Scott McCullar
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
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Managing Editor Marcy Boyce
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StafFWriters
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Photographers Brian Tate
Becky Swanson, Dave Einsel
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