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by Jeff MacNeiiy
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders declared
Wednesday their party is “alive and well” and looking
to the future, as the opposition party responded to
President Reagan’s State of the Union message in a 30-
minute television show.
The Democratic Party “knows how to change,” party
officeholders emphasized in the program, broadcast
nationally by two of the three commercial television
networks. The third, ABC, opted for a regularly sched
uled soap opera.
The snow focused on elected officials talking about
deficits, Social Security, taxes and defense spending
with 58 ordinary Americans in four discussion groups
across the nation.
“Our objective is not to disagree with our president
and his party, although our differences are many,” said
Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, the narrator of the show
produced by the Democratic campaign committees.
“Like all Americans, we must celebrate any success that
builds a better future. We believe that Democrats
should work with Republicans to insure that kind of fu
ture.
“But tonight is the first opportunity for our Demo
cratic Party to speak to America since the defeat of
1984,” Clinton added, going on to say that “resound
ing” defeat by Reagan last November left an impression
on the party.
“We are listening and we do care,” said Senate Mi
nority Leader Robert Byrd, R-W.Va.
“This is a party that knows it has to change, a party
that wants to reach out to all Americans, Democrats,
Republicans and independents,” said Clinton. NBC
and CBS agreed to broadcast the response right after
Reagan’s speech to the joint session of Congress on Ca
pitol Hill, out ABC broadcast an episode of its prime
time soap opera “Dynasty.” ABC will air the response
Friday night at 10:30 p.m.
As has been the case in the past few years, the Demo
cratic “response” was taped before Reagan’s speech and
responded to it only in general terms.
“We have had a very acceptable rate of economic
growth in the past year,” House Majority Leader Jim
Wright, D-Texas, said in the show. But he went on to
talk about a record number of bankruptcies, farm fail
ures and bank collapses.
The show claimed the latest tax reform idea — tax
simplification — came from the Democrats three years
ago in the Bradley-Gephardt bill. Rep. Richard Ge
phardt, D-Mo., one of authors, appeared on the show
to say the party is responding to people’s frustrations
with the nation’s tax code.
Raymond Strother, the media consultant who pro
duced the $100,000 show, said the participants in the
discussion groups were overwhelming the type of vot
ers who defected from nominee Walter Mondale in No
vember and who are identifying more and more with
the GOP.
“That show is focused on that group of defectors,
those people we tend to be losing. It’s directed to them,
it’s going to appeal to them,” Strother said.
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Associated Press
| WASHINGTON — The military
pension system, which provides a
tninimum of half pay for hundreds
of thousands of service personnel
who retire as early as their late 30s,
has been the target before of re
formers inside and outside the Pen
tagon, but has resisted attempts to
change it.
Budget Director David Stockman
is the latest critic, castigating the sys
tem as “a scandal... an outrage.”
He told Congress on Tuesday “in
stitutional forces in the military are
more concerned about protecting
their retirement benefits than they
are about protecting the security of
the American people.”
1 The counterattack on Capitol Hill
was quick, but even some of Stock
man’s strongest opponents conceded
the pension system needs reform. .
“1 do think we need to take a look
at the pension system,” said Sen.
Sam Nunn, D-Ga., at a Senate
Armed Services Committee hearing.
Nunn, one of the most widely re
spected defense experts in Congress,
tnen blasted Stockman’s comments.
A military person is eligible to
draw half his base pay after 20 years
in the service, rising to a maximum
of three-quarters of base pay after 30
years service. There is no pension
for less than 20 years.
But he can also draw the pension
in addition to any salary he earns in
a new career.
According to the Pentagon, a lieu
tenant colonel who retires after 20
years would be paid a pension of
$1,706.70 a month and a sergeant
first class would get $702 monthly.
The Pentagon currently is spend
ing $16 billion for pensions, a figure
that will rise to $17.8 billion next
year and an estimated $44 billion by
the year 2000. Currently, the total
accounts for 5.7 percent of the de
fense budget.
Since 1970, as the cost of pensions
has risen steeply, there have been at
least nine studies of the pension sys
tem, including five sponsored by the
Pentagon.
The Grace Commission, a panel
of businessmen appointed by Presi
dent Reagan, said a military pension
“costs more than six times as much
as the better private-sector plans”
and recommended that benefits not
be paid until a retiree was 62.
The latest Pentagon study said 20-
year retirees should be limited to 35
percent of base pay instead of 50
percent.
U.S. considers alternatives
to Australian missile support
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Rea
gan administration, conferring
with Australian Prime Minister
Robert Hawke, said Wednesday it
is “looking at the availability of al
ternatives” in the wake of Austra
lia’s reported plans to withdraw
support facilities for MX nuclear
missile tests.
An administration official,
briefing reporters only on the
condition that he not be other
wise identified, said Hawke dis
cussed the MX issue with U.S. of
ficials briefly Tuesday night at a
dinner given by Vice President
George Bush. It was expected to
come up again Wednesday and
Thursday in meetings with Secre
tary of State George P. Shultz and
President Reagan.
“We ourselves have been aware
of the controversy in Australia
and have been looking at the
availability of alternatives,” the
official said. Pressed for more de
tails, he said, “We are in the mid
dle of discussions and are not
going to comment.”
The official made clear, how
ever, the administration does not
consider the Australian action as
serious a matter as New Zealand’s
decision to close its ports to nu-
clear-equipped U.S. snips.
“There is no comparison be
tween the issues,” the official said.
“In the case of New Zealand, we
are talking about something that
is really at the very core of our
military interaction as allies. You
have to distinguish between that
and a broad range of other coop
eration.
Sen. William S. Cohen, R-
Maine, a member of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, in
troduced a resolution calling
upon the United States to form a
bilateral pact with Australia, ex
cluding New Zealand, if the New
Zealand government persists in
its policy. Cohen also called for a
“tougher stance” on New Zealand
agricultural imports.
The administration official de
clined to say what position the ad
ministration would take on the
resolution, but told reporters,
“We are not in the business of
sanctioning. If New Zealand does
not want to be an ally, that does
not mean it has become an
enemy.”
Marines _
We’re looking for a few good men.
Class of '85
Sr. Bash April 26
Sr. Banquet April 27
ir. Ring Dance April 27
Rev. Richard Manus
the new minister
at the
University
Lutheran
Chapel
Installment Ceremony
Reception
315 N. College Main
(down the street from Loupots)
FEBRUARY 10, 1985
3:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
two
ro#
will b e
Sizzlin
STEAK HOUSE
is featuring two Aggie
favorites each Thursday night
from 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
*
3.09 $ 6.99
Chicken Fried Sl:eak
• Cream Gravy
• Your Choice of Potato
•Texas Toast
Reg. $ 3.79
17 oz. Choice Broiled
Sirloin
Sauteed Mushrooms
Your Choice of Potato
Texas Toas^
Reg. *7.99
ESTERN SXZZX.XN°p™. Sunday-Thursday
STEAK HOUSE F^'/yandsf^day
1701 South Texas Ave. n p.m.
Next to Rodeway Inn-Bryan 779-2822
HEY AGGIES!
Student Aggie Club is going to Lubbock to
Beat the HELL out of Texas Tech!
WeTe going Saturday February 23, and returning on February
24. The trip includes:
• Hotel room (the hotel has a sauna, hot tub, and
indoor pool)!!
• Tickets to the game!
• Beer and munchies!
• Bus ride to and from Lubbock!
• Only $35 for members $47 for non-members, which
includes $12 membership!
Sign up to at The Aggie Club, between G. Rollie and Deware Field House.
Sign ups close Feb. 16 so HURRY!