opinion
Slouch By Jim Earle
“I think we had better sweep the floor. ”
Falklands may be
the easy problem
by Arnold Sawislak
United Press International
WASHINGTON — It has taken the
politicians in Washington longer to ar
rive at an agreement on the federal
budget than for the British Navy to steam
the 8,000 miles from England to the Falk
land Islands.
And, notwithstanding the shooting
that already has transpired, it may be
easier for the United Kingdom and
Argentina to settle their dispute than for
President Reagan and Speaker dip
O’Neill to come together on a spending
and taxing plan for the United States that
satisfies both.
It also is likely that if Reagan and
O’Neill do find the basis for an agree
ment, there will be plenty of howling ab
out it — including charges of betrayal —
in Washington and elsewhere.
Why? Because, for the first time in
many years, Washington is witnessing a
relatively even contest between diamet
rically opposed notions of what the Un
ited States government is supposed to be
doing.
It is not oversimplification to say that
Reagan believes that the government
should be out of most of the social prog
rams and regulatory activities it began
after World War II and that O’Neill be
lieves that most of them — at least in
concept — are essential to the well being
of the nation.
Reagan’s view prevailed last year be
cause the defenders of activist govern
ment were demoralized by the 1980 elec
tion and because the administration sur
prised them by using the budget to cut
social programs instead of trying to re
peal them outright. O’Neill and his allies
were routed.
But Reagan also got the huge tax cut
he asked and, with the recession, that
appears likely to produce $100 billion-
plus federal deficits for several years to
come.
The prospect of a huge deficit in an
administration committed to a balanced
budget gave Reagan’s supporters a bad
case of nerves and his opponents a place
to stand and fight. They are demanding
that the big defense spending increases
Reagan seeks be cut back and either a
delay in f urther tax cuts or some kind of
temporary tax increase.
The administration, faced with revolt
in Congress, apparently is willing to
make some cuts in its defense spending
plans, but the president wants more re
ductions, such as an end or a f reeze on
cost-of-living increases in social prog
rams. O’Neill may give some in that area,
but he apparently draws the line at any
change in the inflation protection built
into the Social Security program.
In the usual White House-Capitol Hill
conflict, there is room for manuevering,
some middle ground where each can give
and take. It is said that the two sides in
Congress could have reached an accom
modation long ago, but this deal requires
the assent of the President, who is not
used to this kind of dickering.
Both Reagan and O’Neill are resolute
men. The President feels too much com
promise will destroy his economic recov
ery program; the speaker feels that more
retreat on social programs will devastate
the poor and near poor. It could take
longer for them to cut a deal than for the
British and Argentines to come to terms
on the control of that rocky paradise for
sheep in the South Atlantic.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Richter
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Assistant City Editor Gary Barker
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Assistant Focus Editor Colette Hutchings
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Tindel, John Wagner, Laura Williams,
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Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers
David Fisher, Jane Hollingsworth
Peter Rocha, John Ryan, Colin Valentine
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Battalion™
May 4, MS
I
Political psychology changes
by David S. Broder
WASHINGTON — A year ago on
April 28, President Ronald Reagan
scored an oratorical triumph that pre
saged a great political victory. In his first
public appearance since the attempt on
his life, Reagan came before a joint ses
sion of Congress to make a dramatic and
effective plea for his budget and tax
program.
Swept forward by waves of applause
from both sides of the aisle, Reagan
asked the rhetorical question: “Isn’t ii
time we tried something new?” Within
three months, Congress — responding to
the public pressures he generated — had
enacted “something new,” deeji budget
cut and even deeper tax reductions.
That occasion is worth recalling now, a
year later, as a reminder of the psycholo
gy of a bygone era. How different was it?
Here are three answers from the news
papers of that week.
Then, Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon,
the chairman of the Republican Senato
rial Campaign Committee, was predict
ing great gains for the COP in the 1982
election because polls Showed millions of
disaffected Democrats being drawn by
Reagan’s leadership into the COP. Last
month, the same Packwood infuriated
the White House by saying that Reagan’s
positions on equal rights for women and
civil rights for minorities were damaging
the party severely. “We are losing them in
droves,” he said, of working women.
“You cannot write them off and the
blacks off and the Hispanics off and Jews
off, and assume you’re going to build a
party on the white Anglo-Saxon males
over 40.”
Then, it was front-page news that a
group of “Boll-Weevil" Southern Demo
cratic Congressmen were ready to bolt
party lines and give Reagan effective con
trol of the House on economic issues.
“The Democratic Party (in the House) is
not representing our interests,” Reji.
John B. Breaux (D-La.) was quoted April
26 as saying. “Fiscal philosophy is the di
viding line. If I voted against the Reagan
budget ... [people would would say
Breaux is trying to stop Reagan’s effort to
bring back fiscal sanity.”
Last week, the same John Breaux told
the same Washinton Post reporter, Mar
got Hornblower: “The climate this year is
different. Our group would vote down
the President’s budget. The deficit is too
high. The cuts are too high in areas which
have already been cut. Defense spending
is too high.”
The mood of Congress that week of
1981 was captured in a story T.R. Reid
wrote for The Post: “Liberal fire met con
servative ice in a House hearing room
yesterday, and the result — for so great is
President Reagan’s strength on Capitol
Hill right now — was predictable: Budget
director David Stockman skated easily
through the heated attacks of liberal cri
tics. With cool, almost icy, assurance,
Stockman set forth before the House
Education and Labor Committee the
administration’s proposals for cutting
back various education, job-training and
school lunch programs.”
Stockman’s statistics were challenged;
Rep. Peter A. Peyser (D-N.Y.) said:
“You’re in the wonderf ul work of make-
believe.” But Stockman coolly rejected
the charge, leading committee Chairman
Carl Perkins (D-Ky.), who had come to
Congress when Stockman was a two-
year-old, to say of the stubborn, preco
cious witness: “If he says he doesn’t be
lieve our assumptions, I don’t suppose
he’s going to change his mind.”
Stockman made only one coi
that day; he promised, as Reidw
extend his austerity decrees to
fense Department, which has
escaped unscathed ...”
“Their turn is coming next,"Stl
said. “There’s so much waste ini
fense budget it’s taken usalittleloi
figure it out.”
These days, Stockman is much!
ble, perhaps because the whole
knows — thanks to William Gi
Atlantic interviews — that those
“make-believe” figures. And it
that Stockman was blocked from
ing Def ense “waste” snd orderedi
to submit a Defense budget whiclt
17 percent increase on top ol last
25 percent boost.
A year after he lit the fire unde
gress to pass his budget and tax pa
President Reagan is saying it is to
to judge the results. He is sayinff
i i c/j* '11 I f 11 *-» » »■» *-»'» c i i tlvitLH
because of all the measures that!
as crying out f or urgent action— »y Stanto
rates, unemployment, real earninJi f° r
business bankruptcies — only one! ”
measurably worse today: the rate™ ’
tion. iMlgl]
Referring to the span of time hi
election to his address to 6 flYPll
Reagan said a year ago: “Six moil
long enough. 1 he American peopl|
want us to act, and not in half me»° ^ acu '
They demand, and they have eal a * um ^
full and comprehensive effort tocll^ ^ 11
„ ering s a
our econonnc mess. okstandi
1 he Packwoods and the BreauxsK lc [ 1 j n g.
recanted; the Peysers and PerkiiiKHoust
seen their judgment vindicated;|ard, w
Stockmans have retreated into pn|o Dr. I
silence. cnginee
But the President persists, and«'> a n ^
the “economic mess.” npmeerin
rxipient
: COLUMBOj OGPNCU-
...l CANT BELIE/E IT.
A. MAN R ACCUSED OF
SH0OTIN6 A PRFStDENi;
AND THE FEDERAL
COURTS TAKE RSJE7ER
TO BRING IT TO TRIAL.
wymmi-
Notes from a graduating senior
Editor:
— Always pay cash.
— The amount of liquor consumed
and hour of night are directly propor
tional to the range of your standards.
— Learn to dance.
— Avoid parking tickets. If you hap
pen to get one, j^ay it IMMEDIATELY!
— Prats and sororities apjdy vacuum
pressure.
— 90 percent of f reshmen (and some
sophomores and juniors) act like high
school brats.
— Establish a drinking lethal limit and
stay UNDER it. Co directly to jail — j^ay
$57.50 for public intoxication.
— Profs aren’t always right.
— Shy away from “meat locker” clubs
unless you enjoy being graded like a side
of beef.
— Some of my best friends are GTs.
— Daddy’s money and snobbery go
hand-in-hand (usually).
— Dating can be fun and inexpensive
if you use the University wisely, i.e., MSC
films, MSC basement, Town Hall, OPAS,
Theater Arts, etc.
— Where you sit at a football game
doesn’t matter — it’s being there that
counts.
— The shuttle bus is rarely on time and
later if the weather is nasty or cold.
— Sbisa dining is great for the jn'ice.
— Dorm functions are a great way to
meet girls/guys.
— If you go to a basketball game,
watch it. Don’t vocalize your narrow
minded opinion.
— Spirals are a waste of money. Buy a
folder with clasps and pockets, and work
from there — it’s cheaper.
— Xerox as little as possible when
doing research papers. It’s a bad habit to
get into and usually costs most of your
{socket money.
— Socialists, Communists, religious
fanatics, feminists and gays on campus
should be ignored until they invade your
tliej
privacy or take up your time. Then
only then ACT!
— Return reference books to
er shelf. You’re not the only one w
them.
— Concrete has a life span of abo
years ... stay the HELL off the grai
— Smile and say Howdy. He o
won’t bite.
— Always be an Aggie — here or
mM
Finis
Mark
2352
Chii
Coi
Where did all
the ‘good Ags’ go
i
Editor:
the small society
by Brickman
I am writing this letter in referei
the widespread problem of scholastk 1
honesty that has been plaguing 1<
A&M University. When I look at
week’s occurences (Mr. Haller’s altd
grades and gaining access to the Uni
Woo-^oy! Y<?U'(Z£ 0LP
raJ -Stf UTTUS. -
THAT LITTLE
)1981 King Features Syndicate, Inc. World rights reserved.
6-18
sity computer), I wonder what ever
pened to the Good Ags? I am noi
jilying that a majority of people at
university are involved in this kint
offensive {practice. However, the pe (
who are involved are making the live*
the rest of us miserable. To those
dents, I would like to say: “Aggiesdo
lie, cheat or steal, nor do they tolet
those who do. I refuse to tolerate"
and I sincerely hope my fellow Ags !
the same way. Let’s unite to present
spirit of Aggieland.
Saskia Ekelmans
Spence I
2609