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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1983)
-opinion IPOK& LiKa OPeC IS FaU-iMG e»P3RT! No,rnaT& PaP! MaNY u.%. Bu&iKeS§e& DePeND on a HIGH OiL PRiCS. Mo, THaT’S G«op! irlL LoweR PRiceS anp fiFfeeP ReooveRY Two of a kind: Dole and Udall by Arnold Sawislak United Press International WASHINGTON — People who hang around politicians don’t do it for laughs. As a class, politicians rank with Marine sergeants and assistant principals in the sense of humor department. But there are exceptions, and politi cian watchers treasure those few who can lighten the somber landscape of govern ment. One such is Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, who may possess the sharpest wit, not to say tongue, in the Sp’ijate. Dole has two prime prerequisites of successful humor: timing and brevity. Thus, when his wife, Elizabeth, was appointed secretary of transportation, Dole was ready with a comment, the full text of which follows: “Excellent appoint ment.” But there is another member of Con gress whose wit is equal to Dole’s and whose store of political anecdotes approaches that of the late Alben Barkley. Rep. Morris Udall of Arizona, the gangling ex-basketball player and dyed- in-the-wool liberal who has served 22 years in the House, was at his best last week when he announced he would not seek the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination. Udall was talking to a room full of his friends and associates, many of whom had worked with him in a 1976 campaign that, despite the final victory of Jimmy Carter, several times came within an eyelash of success. Those people, and Udall himself, had considerable reason to be bitter about 1976. But as he talked about the snake- bitten campaign of “old second place Mo,” Udall had the audience roaring with laughter. “We arrived in Sacramento, and there was no crowd to greet us, not even an advance man,” he recalled of a trip to the California capital. “We had landed at the wrong airport, and Sacramento doesn’t have that many airports. Then, when we got to the hotel, they gave me the ‘Gerald R. Ford suite’... the room he stayed in when Squeaky Fromme tried to shoot him. “I called for an appointment with Gov. (Jerry) Brown and they said, ‘ 1 1:30.’That was p.m., not a.m. After I talked to the governor for a while, he asked to be ex cused, but he had another visitor waiting. At midnight. “It was Governor Carter. I said to my self, ‘Udall, you may be a longshot, but that is one fellow who is going to be out of it quickly.’” Udall said things haven’t changed that much. When his decision not to run somehow was reported before his speech, Udall said he thought “I was up to my kiester in leakers.” Then he disco vered that he had let slip the news himself — “Typical of a Udall campaign.” But his arrows weren’t all pointed to ward himself. He said the Reagan administration had “done for the environment what Bonnie and Clyde did for banks and Claus von Bulow had done for the Diabetes Foundation,” and summoned up a classic story about another famous political humorist to illustrate his own assessment of the president’s associates. “Will Rogers was visiting the White House and Calvin Coolidge asked him, ‘What are the latest jokes?’ Rogers re plied, ‘Why, Mr. President, you’ve appointed them all to the Cabinet.’” Mo Udall won’t be running for presi dent next year, which will make that en terprise a duller affair all around. But he still will be in Washington, and that alone is something the rest of the country can thank Arizona for. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member ot Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference Editor Diana Sultenf uss Managing Editor Gary Barker Associate Editor Denise Richter City Editor Hope E. 1’aasch Assistant City Editor Beverly Hamilton Sports Editor John Wagner Entertainment Editor Colette Hutchings Assistant Entertainment Editor . . . . Diane Yount News Editors Daran Bishop, Brian Boyer, Jennifer Carr, Elaine Engstrom, Johna Jo Maurer, Jan Werner, Rebeca Zimmer maim Staff W'riters Melissa Adair, Maureen Carmody, Frank Christlieb, Connie Edelmon, Patrice Koranek, John Lopez, Robert McGlohon, Ann Ramsbottom, Kim Schmidt, Patti Schwierzke, Kellev Smith, Angel Stokes, Tracey Taylor, Joe Tindel Copyeditors . . . . Shelley Hoekstra, Jan Swaner, Cdiris Thayer Cartoonist Scott McCullar (h aphic Artists Pam Starasinic Sergio Galvez Photographers David Fisher. Jorge Casari. Ronald W. Emerson, Rob Johnston, Irene Mees, William Schulz Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty mem bers, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography clas ses within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. Letters Policy Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed and show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713) 845- 2611. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and exami nation periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semes ter, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Adver tising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the 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. Weinberger’s defense cuts by Maxwell Glen and Cody Shearer Much has been said recently about that stubborn defense secretary, Caspar W. Weinberger. Some of it has been un printable, and almost all unsympathetic. Even one of the Pentagon’s increas ingly important beneFiciaries, the U.S. electronics industry, has delivered a stinging attack on a Weinberger effort to control cost overruns. But the industry’s offensive does more to highlight the sec retary’s limitations than his excesses. The story actually predates Weinber ger and Ronald Reagan’s $1.6 trillion military buildup. It begins with a 1976 request by Sen. William Proxmire (D- Wis.) that the Pentagon’s contract audi tors investigate the Washington opera tions of the Boeing Co. and nine other major defense contractors. Outraged at the unabashed hustling by defense contractors and their lob byists, Proxmire wanted to determine the extent to which contractors included lob bying expenses in weapon price tags. “The Iron Triangle,” a widely-read study of defense procurement practices. After an imperfect attempt in 1981, Weinber ger ruled last October against the inclu sion of lobbying costs in contracts even when requested by Congress. Enter the American Electronics Asso ciation (AEA), which claims to represent about 2,000 companies. It’s warned that the Weinberger rule will only discourage smaller companies from the military market, leaving Congress at the mercy of big contractors (and the Pentagon) for data and opinions on a wide range of products and issues. “(Though) we concede that private- sector lobbying is untidy and sometimes exasperating, we believe it is the essence of what this country is all about,” wrote association president E.E. Ferrey in a Jan. 18 letter to Weinberger. “The small amount of money you may save by dis allowing these costs is far outweighed by the nation’s overriding interest in a free flow of information.” Pentagon sujqjliers Yet the industry’s worries maybei stated. Befitting their size, small) panics spend relatively limited aim on lobbying. Congressional comij aides report that the presence of sm company lobbyists on Capitol Hillisi mal; arms procurement expertj* S. Gansler c haracterizes the expeij mostly ads in trade magazines SR 1 ndeed, when asked howtheWdi tf ger rule would hurt small electrt firms. Ask Computer President Sai L. Kurtzig, who publicly endorse! association’s complaint, didn’t km The industry’s tactics, however^ be less important than what this a squabble suggests about Weinber stomach for cost-cutting. Afterall, President Ferrey admits that oi “small amount of money” is ats Effective enforcement, moreover, not mean an end to the multki dollar wars for congressional favor supposedly sparked Weinbergeni in the first |>lace. As expected, the auditors verified the worst of Proxmire’s fears and recom mended that the executive branch dis allow the use of taxpayers’ money for lobbying expenses. Negotiations ensued but had reached no working rule by the onset of the Reagan era. In the spring of 1981, however, Cor don Adams of the respected Council on Economic Priorities in New York revived the controversy with the publication of The industry’s concern seems legiti mate. Big companies will lobby no matter who picks up the tab; smaller firms likely won’t. Rather than undercut their com mercial competitiveness with govern ment-related costs, many small com panies might be inclined to give up gov ernment lobbying and sales altogether. No one would want Congress to re ceive its information from a narrow field of sources. Nor would the nation benefit from a smaller, less diversified base of The electronics industry has helped to confirm what has infuii liberals and conservatives alike:! Cap Weinberger apjdies his knifei fense expenditures, he workswiihi dull blade. But had Weinberger shown thti cost-cutting penchant for tanksaul siles that he has for drinks and uy wouldn’t need to tell this microo story. Letters: Poetry on the effects of Editor: I originally intended this letter for the Corps, but I think now I’ll leave it open to all interested persons. The poem you see below started out as just four lines that came to me one night. I twist inside, yeah, they call us the rhythym aces. Big Event We fight all day, we fight all night Life is death and death is life It’s not what I’d choose to do I have to do it because they tell me to. Editor: M( At first I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go with these first lines, but after a while I thought I would like to express some of my ideas on war. Not that I’ve ever experienced war, as the poem’s superficiality in that dimension probably readily shows, but most mem bers of the Corps probably haven’t either. Those terrible sounds of battle still ring in my ears echo the days and rekindle my fears. Orchestration by Remmington, choreography by the brass. No chance for any heroes in the whole satanic cast. And that brings me to what I’ve been wondering about for some time, basically why are the people in the Corps in the Corps? I mean beyond the relatively tri vial economic and my father — my grandfather — my etc. — were-in-the- Corps-so-I-am reasons and into more I hope that someday we’ll be able to leave this place Hang up our guns and rejoin the other race. How hard it will be to forget about all the lives left behind But no doubt the power to rationalize it all away lies within the common mind. philosphical ones. I mean are the mem bers of the Corps prepared to die in ser vice, kill on the word of their superiors, and then live with themselves after wards? Anyway, like I said, the poem ex presses some of my feelings on the sub ject and I would like to see how others react to it. T. Bannon Dunn Hall Lost calculator Editor: Rhythm Aces I play my machine gun like I do my drums but, alas, only deadly rhythms come. How I fear their frightened faces On Feb. 12,1 left my TI 58C calculator in the student lounge area of the library. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to me. If any honest Ag found it, please call anytime, 693-7195. Howdy, Ags! I’d like to talt 1 minute of your time to talkaboui l thing great: THE BIG EVENT I volunteer project gives you thecln j enrich the lives of others, while^ P yourself in the {process. Now as far as I’m concerned, willingness to serve those whoare® is a great example of what beingai loll c is all about. If you agree, and hope that you do, I wanttoch; to take advantage of this opporttf put your good intentions to work even begin to think that others care of it, and that it won’t mailt 1 don’t participate. Whether or n® join in will make a difference,no how many others contribute The cost? Just four hoursof)0' on Sunday. The benefits to yo 11 enormous: Aside from seeingik you’ve done for someone else,) perience a great feeling fromwil Ziglar, one of America’s greatest 1, tors, put it best, I think, whenhe 531 short, you will stand tallinyouro' l( which is the bonus you getbec^ took what you had and unselfish!) for someone else’s good.” You don’t have to be a menrhtf student organization to partied 11 ’em a call at the Student Go'f 1 ; Office at 845-3051 for infori# how you can get involved. Gig f Charlie Henn ’83 Charlie Stir 1 ' c Roi