opinion
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“Jogging is not what it’s cracked up to be. I tried it once
last year and look at me. 99
Time for Reagan’s
political redemption
by Norman D. Sandler
United Press International
WASHINGTON — With the 97th
Congress in its last throes and pivotal off-
year elections some six weeks away, Presi
dent Reagan has found the time is ripe
for political posturing.
Reagan, who campaigned firmly dedi
cated to conservative ideals, has found
the traditional post-Labor Day campaign
season to be an opportune time to re
deem himself with the Republican right.
On the road and in the daily dose of
information released by the White
House, Reagan has been placing in
creased emphasis on social issues the far
right insists he ignored through the first
19 months of his presidency.
Beginning with a speech in Connecti
cut last month to the Knights of Col
umbus and continuing through meetings
this week, Reagan has hammered away at
abortion, tuition tax credits and prayer in
schools.
And he has done so with little apparent
political risk.
With Congress so near adjournment,
Reagan has sought to shore up his stand
ing with the political right through a sud
den show of support for legislation that
has little, if any, chance of passage this
year.
In Kansas and Utah last week, Reagan
was cheered as he called for swift action
on two proposed constitutional amend
ments — one requiring a balanced feder
al budget, the other permitting voluntary
prayer in schools — that are all but dead
for the year.
Reagan also has made a late but well-
publicized push on behalf of anti
abortion legislation offered in the Senate
as a rider to legislation needed to raise
the ceiling on the federal debt.
Speaking to a group of editors of reli
gious publications Tuesday, Reagan said
he would “fight as long and hard as I can”
for an abortion ban.
No one disputes the intensity of
Reagan’s personal feelings. What is in
teresting is his timing.
One senator privately called Reagan’s
efforts “grandstanding” in view of the
low prospects that any such language —
if approved by the Senate — would even
be considered by the House.
Another, Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore.,
warns Reagan’s rapprochement with his
longtime supporters on the right may
backfire for the GOP.
Packwood said Reagan is in no danger
of losing conservative backing and
should spend his time building a
broaderbased coalition, rather than en
suring he is in good stead with “single-
minded zealots.”
“It’s a loser for the party,” Packwood
said of Reagan’s emphasis on abortion.
“When that strong a position comes
down, in telephone calls and letters, I
think it hurts the party.”
“I think this drives away more people
than it brings in,” he added.
With the economy a shaky political
issue, Reagan’s sudden emphasis on
“family values” may be an effort not so
much to push legislation through Con
gress as to lay the groundwork for a
popular approach on the campaign trail.
In recent out-of-town appearances, his
invocation of abortion and school prayer
have sparked louder applause and more
cheers than his recitation of statistics that
ostensibly serve as a defense of his econo
mic policies.
And with Democrats poised to use the
economy as their main weapon against
Reagan and Republicans in general this
fall, social issues have proven to be an
effective way for a president with high
personal popularity to play to the heart
of his audiences.
Political posturing is anything but uni-
ue in Washington, especially as election
ay nears.
Some Republicans have accused
House Democrats of just that in offering
a $1 billion jobs bill that Reagan, surpris
ingly, declined to publicly oppose just
days after suffering defeat last week on
his veto of a $14.2 billion spending bill.
Rep. John Rhodes, R-Ariz, said, “I
wonder if this isn’t supposed to have
more effect on the polls than on unem
ployment.”
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Joumalista Conference
Editor Diana Sultenfuss
Managing Editor Phyllis Henderson
Associate Editor Denise Richter
City Editor Bernie Fette
Assistant City Editor Gary Barker
Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb
Entertainment Editor Nancy Floeck
Assistant Entertainment Editor Colette
Hutchings
News Editors Rachel Bostwick, Cathy
Capps, Daniel Puckett, Jan Werner,
Todd Woodard
StaffWriters Jennifer Carr, Susan
Dittman, Beverly Hamilton,
John Lopez, Robert McGlohon
Hope E. Paasch, Bill Robinson,
Dana Smelser, Joe Tindel, John
Wagner, Rebeca Zimmermann
Copy editor Elaine Engstrom
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Pam Starasinic
Photographers . . . David Fisher, Octavio Garcia,
Jane Hollingsworth, Janet Joyce,
John Ryan, Colin Valentine
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Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor,
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Battalion/Page 2
September 17,198;
Where is tennis elbow now?
ta
by Dick West
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Recent advance
ments in medical science have made pos
sible the identification of many ailments
heretofore unknown to man.
According to a compilation I saw the
other day, new infirmities to which the
flesh is heir include:
—“Cuber’s thumb,” a swelling caused
by the manipulation of cheap imitations
of Rubik’s Cube;
— “Arcade arthritis,” a tendon inflam
mation brought on by protracted periods
of playing video games; and
— “Mechanical-bull syndrome,” a
medley of fractures, sprains and disloca
tions that may result from riding power-
driven simulated livestock in night spots.
“Each new craze brings new ailments,”
one emergency room healer was quoted
as saying. But I figure the phenomenon
is as much sociological as physiological.
Faddish afflictions have always been
with us. It’sjust that in the past ridicule by
their peers would have pressured victims
of “Frisbee finger” or “dog walker’s
elbow” into suffering in silence.
Now, of course, we are living in an age
when people let everything hang out, in
cluding attacks of “sports-car palsy” and
“jeans folliculitis.”
Is there no longer such a thing as
mortification?
Although the article I was reading
didn’t mention this, I can tell you that
fads aren’t the only contributors to
esoteric misery.
Another big inventory of cultish com
plaints could be classified as occupational
hazards.
We all are aware of “candidate’s con
tusion,” the bruished mitts that beset
politicians after an excessive amount of
handshaking on the campaign trail.
But how often do you hear of “stake
out slump,” “lyceum ear” and “leaker’s
addiction?”
The latter are afflictions peculiar to
the journalistic profession.
be
|epartm
Ande
“Stake-out backline” is a backline
idiopathy experienced by many rc|
ters who spend long hours outside
mittee rooms waiting for closed raeei
to break up.
“Lyceum ear,” in layman’s terms,)
badly bent tympanic membrane ai
by exposure to Senate debates.
“Leaker’s addiction” is a predicai
similar to drug abuse except that the
becomes hooked on inside dope.
Economic cycles and environmsj
factors also are major pain-inflicterJ
In times of recession, suchasnoJ
outbreak of “linestanding arches
footache that comes from queueJ
for unemployment benefits and sutfirinkler
cheese distributions, may reach |pkd.
epidemic proportions. ■Thefi
But take heart. Most such maladiesB^ s P eci
highly transitory. , ^
'T hese days, I understand, “deJK 1 ^ 8 !
strator s larynx, a throat rasp cau £| ds al
shouting slogans during protest c i u t
ches, has about run its course. Itva e And
long ago that the condition wasrampin the sp
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Letters: Reply from softball exes
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Iniversit
Editor:
This letter is in reference to the article
on the front page of the Sports Section,
Sept. 13. The article I am referring to is
the tournament victory of the awesome
Texas A&M Women’s Softball Team,
written by Frank L. Christlieb (sports
editor).
He gives in detail, play by play, the
team’s accomplishments. But there is one
small paragraph that probably went un
noticed to any reader interested in the
plays and scores. But the paragraph
caught the eye of this ex-Aggie softball
player.
The paragraph reads as follows: “Uti
lizing every player available Brock made
the loss of last year’s five seniors - Shan
non Murray, Maria Resendez, Karen
Guerrero, Melody Pritchard, and Mary
Lou Youngblood seem unimportant. So
talented etc...”
Well, I would just like to say a few
words: Four out of the five seniors are
still at this University finishing their de
grees. We carried the pride of Texas
A&M for four years playing softball and
we climbed that hill until we peaked and
exploded that pride in our victory at the
AIAW Nationals Finals in May. We liter
ally went through Blood, Sweat, and
Tears wearing the Aggie uniform, and
we are still 110 percent behind the Aggie
Softball Team.
But we are not as the old saying goes
“put out to pasture". When I read the
statement: “The loss of the five seniors
seems unimportant,” it was like a stab in
the heart. And everybody know that the
hearts of Aggies are big and strong, but
they are also fragile and gentle. So I just
wanted to let everybody know that
seniors are still alive and kicking in
Aggieland.
Also, I would like to congratulate The
Battalion on their increased coverage of
the softball team in the last four years.
which I believe has displeased people
other than myself.
I am concerned with the poor quality
product and services that I have received
from the Dehner Boot Company. I have
come to find that I am not the only cadet
who doesn’t like the boots he got from
Dehner, and feels stuck with them. I have
worn mine for eight days of the last three
weeks due to the blisters that I got from
the first day of wear, through two pair of
socks and layers of moleskin. One boot
fits differently than the other; the barrels
are made of thinner leather than the ank
les, which causes my own ankles to seem
permanently bruised after only hours of
wear.
This letter, however, is not to voice my
own dissatisfaction, but to voice others as
well. Some people have boots that fit
worse than mine. I know one zip that is
using a pair of boots on loan from an old
Ag because he has yet to receive his own,
ordered when he was a sophomore.
So, I am asking every other zip who
got his boots via Dehner who is dis
pleased to call me, for I am writing a
nasty letter to the company to air all of
our complaints. Even if you don’t want a
new pair, call me and let me hear your
story.
Contact me on Tuesday and Thurs
day, 11-4, and Friday, 8-12, at 260-3402.
1 want to get the letter off by Friday, Sept.
24.
anyone could possibly go within then
two weeks and give blood (credit ii
Dwight Dittmar at Hermann
Houston) your help would be
appreciated.
Lisa Garrard
rsectior
ll [uversit
"is to ch
ally res
lential
mmerc
The e
lestion
Witnessed sought
biK=
Editor:
This last Wednesday, Sept. 15,tt*
was a car-motorcycle accident at
way 30 and the East Bypass by Posi(® v
Mall. Due to the automobile driver’s!#
conflicting with mine, I would
appreciate help from any witnesses
could clear up the situation withanad
rate account of the accident. If you
the accident, please call me at 693-$
All I need is a notarized statement
what you saw, and I will reimburse 1
for your time if necessary.
Larry Gt
306 Redmond, 21
TOT
HI
N(
J0I
S?
Wallet found
Editor:
Infc
Ch
Danny Carter Hindes ’83
Aggie needs blood
Editor:
Karen “Chief” Guerrero
New boots hurt
Editor:
This letter is being written in response
to my dissatisfaction with a company
On Saturday, Sept. 11, Dwight Ditt
mar - a fellow Aggie - had a very serious
water skiing accident. Fortunately, he
was rescued from the water just as he was
beginning to become unconscious. He
was then flown to Houston where he had
surgery and is reportedly recovering at a
steady pace.
However, during this process he suf
fered massive blood loss and badly needs
help in the form of blood donations. If
This is my first semester at TAJl
and I must say that until this P 1
weekend, I doubted the sincerity of 1
concept of the “Good Ag“. I stand cl-
tened. Saturday evening, while on
way to the store, I dropped my wallf 1
noticed it missing when I reached
store and immediately back-tracked,
it was nowhere to be found. I had
doubt that the “thief’ who picked d
would take the money out and throw
rest away.
Well, obviously I knew nothing of
integrity of an Aggie. Whoever found 1
wallet turned it in and I had it bad
Sunday morning with everything'0
Never again will I scoff at the “Good^i
I know he is here and I would lih
sincerely thank him, whoever he mad
w
w
Karen F. CaH
Haas 8
PI
uc
115 C