Monday, Febmar
dotjday, February 19, 2001
Opinion
THE BATTALION
he Caccti
defeated Wcsi
1 Quest 83-81
mate Meredii!
ih 76 points,
•li Meghan Noti
ised with the
ted this seaso
Stick to noting
Arnold Schwarzenegger should not try hand at political career
I to the triptoGj
•ceiled. Con\e:M% mold Schwarzenegger has
lantil is homeifrfl spent much of his acting ca-
"oud to takelBl reer trying
lid. “I'mrea o ippear believ-
t.” ible in roles he has
' next actio: 10business play-
en they hos ng. Many people
mships at N poked on while he
itumbled as the
ouch, yet sensi-
ivi police officer,
nsideratii n Kindergarten
Iso placed I fob, and when he spoke unintelligi-
utterfly wil|ly in Twins. Apparently tired of
of 54.68 ant icting, the Austrian is flirting with
id-place 8 he idea of running for California
I'Bernor.
wish toplatilBchwarzenegger became a U.S:
ot to be haf:|ti/en in 1983 and received his
sidering 1 first taste of politics when former
/ with pneuroBsident George Bush appointed
Hi to head the President’s Council
I that the pni an Physical Fitness in 1990. When
feet on Ho' isHed in a recent interview with
l|Hk magazine if he had ever con-
said thattl hdered running for California gov-
;oodenougl irnor, Schwarzenegger replied,
AA champi ‘01' yeah, I think about it many
II probably hues. The possibility is there be-
is year. aailse I feel it inside.
nan Alex «'• feel there are a lot of people
in her first Ending still and not doing enough,
>he finished there’s a vacuum.”
fOO-yard ft! Schwarzenegger is apparently so
J NCAAco »er|ous that he has a Website dedi-
12.92. Baldre| at p t0 his cause — Schwarzeneg-
n the 200-yi ?er2002.com.
w immino ai chwarzenegger is the latest in an
ips will be Hming number of entertainers try-
f. on Marcl n g 10 dabble in the political sphere.
Afone point last year, Warren Beatty
an| Cybill Shepherd were both con-
ally good g sidering running for president,
rtunate west -The fact remains, however, that
actors are qualified to do just that
Aggies will—’-act. They should not be afforded
nts. He also tny political power or influence
nds and diseased on their popularity and
lerson alsorwealth. Entertainers have no busi-
with 22poiriess telling others how to stand on
s to the co|ojitical issues — they are simply
t host' the 3ut of their league. This country
3oys at 8:30[W
does not need another Jesse Ventu
ra. It needs people skilled in poli
tics, not bodybuilding or acting.
“My advice to Arnold, as a
friend, is ‘Continue with your
movie career, Arnold, don’t get in
volved in it. It won’t be worth it to
you,’ ” said Ventura of
Schwarzenegger.
It will not be worth it for anyone
else, either. Schwarzenegger is,
however, connected to the most
recognizable Democratic political
family, the Kennedys, through his
marriage to Maria Shriver. Arnold
would be running as a Republican,
but he insists that Shriver “will be
100 percent behind me.”
What did Schwarzenegger say
when asked to respond to reports
that he used drugs? “I inhaled, ex
haled, everything.”
This is a great example to set for
the kids of California — they will
all want to shoot steroids so they
can get big, like their potential gov
ernor. But it gets better.
Schwarzenegger said that the
Republican Party should “love the
foreigner ... as much as the gay per
son, [or] a lesbian person.” How
sensitive of you to include foreign
ers, gays and lesbians,
Schwarzenegger, but the heavy ac
cent will not win many votes. Sen
sitivity to others should not be a
concession on Schwarzenegger’s
part but something expected of
most politicians.
Having a few movies to one’s
credit is not a license to run for pub
lic office. Entertainers should limit
themselves to entertaining people
on the big screen, not as elected of
ficials. If Schwarzenegger really
wants to make a difference, he
should focus his attention on a
problem that has been plaguing the
country for decades — his acting.
George Deutsch is a sophomore
journalism major.
Mail
Call
— Careful research on
courses can help
p" jUjschedule process
■ /n response to Thomas Campbell’s
Bb. 16 column.
■ in his article, Thomas Campbell
pointed out that it was the student’s
lob to learn and the professor’s job
to assign grades based on the
amount that a student learned. The
flaw in this plan is that not everyone
lehrns in the same manner or re
sponds well to the same testing
practices.
■ Every student learns in a different
way. Some learn more effectively by
piading while others learn better by
w „, visual aids, such as overheads or ex-
ijjyjn£\ ■noles. For some students, atten
dance is a problem because of work,
organizations or just the fact that 8
'a.im. is too early. Other students feel
more comfortable with true/false
and multiple-choice tests, still others
believe they demonstrate what they
T, UKAW* ,i y
have learned better through essay
tests and projects.
Pickaprof was designed to allow
students to pre-qualify their profes
sors before they ever enter the class
room. If students plan to take History
105, they can go to the Pickaprof site
and look at the student evaluations.
By reading what fellow students
have written, they can find the profes
sor who gives essay tests and likes
students who come to office hours to
ask questions, takes attendance for
a grade and tests from material dis
cussed in lecture.
Another student can find a profes
sor who gives multiple-choice tests,
does hot take attendance, lectures in
class, but tests solely from the book
and reserve readings in the library.
The more information that stu
dents have before going into registra
tion, the more educated a decision
they will make. The result will be bet
ter performance in classes, and a
higher GPR.
James Abell
Class of '99
Not Too Late
Clinton can y and should, be impeached
M arc Rich was indict
ed in 1983 for $48
million in tax fraud
and then charged with buy
ing more than $200 million
in oil from Iran in 1979 in
violation of a U.S. trade em
bargo. The latter transaction
was made while U.S.
hostages were being held in Tehran.
Nearly 18 years later, after fleeing the U.S.
to avoid trial for his offenses, Rich was granted
an 1 Ith-hour pardon from President Clinton.
Despite the fact the Rich had no merit in his
petition for pardon — a fugitive at large, de
nouncing his U.S. citizenship and living in
Switzerland — Rich was still granted immuni
ty by Clinton for the “merits” of the case.
It has been widely reported that Rich’s ex-
wife, Denise Rich, who orchestrated the effort
for her former husband’s pardon, has been a
major contributor to the causes — and pockets
— of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Since 1993,
Denise Rich has contributed more than $1.3
million to the Clintons, including $450,000 to
Clinton’s presidential libfary, and $10,000 to
his legal defense fund.
Congress should carefully examine Rich’s
pardon, because of the suspicious circum
stances surrounding it. According to Aden
Spector, R-Pa., in a “FoxNews Sunday” inter
view on Feb. 11, Clinton could technically still
be impeached. Because this offense was com
mitted while Clinton was in office, he could be
impeached. If convicted, Clinton could lose
his pension, allowances for offices, appropria
tions for his presidential library and the use of
Secret Service bodyguards.
It is no accident that a million dollar con
tributor’s — and petitioner’s — ex-husband
received a last-hour pardon overlooking his
anti-American actions for more than two
decades. Rich milked the American govern
ment of $48 million and has lived in luxury for
the past 18 years in in Switzerland, only to be
pardoned by the American government be
cause of his “merits.”
The “merits” Clinton cited in this case,
though not specifically stated, are frightening
ly clear. Rich’s virtue is that he is like Clinton.
He is a greedy, unethical criminal. Therefore,
they should both be held by the same standard:
Clinton should be indicted and impeached for
selling his powers as president.
The American public should be outraged by
Clinton’s actions in granting petition to this
criminal. Moreover, the American public
should be livid over the apparent quid pro quo
reasons Clinton signed Rich’s freedom.
One would be hard-pressed to find another
administration as scandal-ridden as Clinton’s.
Through most of his two terms, he enjoyed
considerable job approval ratings and support
from Democrats in Congress. Clinton’s
spokespeople and supporters continually in
sisted that allegations against him for Filegate,
Whitewater, Paula Jones, illegal campaign
contributions, perjury and illegal fund-raising
activities were apparitions of wrongdoing and
a set up by Clinton’s right-wing enemies.
It has'become clear through Clinton’s ac
tions during his administration that he can be
bought, and in turn will buy favors for himself
(as evidenced by his $700,000 settlement with
Paula Jones).
Clinton requested preferred nation trading
status with China after allegedly accepting il
legal campaign contributions from Chinese
corporations, despite China’s reluctance to
comply with.United Nations humanitarian
concerns.
He allegedly held White House coffees in
exchange for sizable donations to the Democ
ratic Party from attendees. Now Clinton finds
himself locked in controversy behind his par
don of a wanted fugitive after the man’s ex-
wife contributed more than $1 million to Clin
ton’s causes.
It is Congress’ duty to closely examine this
apparent favor for Denise Rich. Though the
president's power to pardon is constitutionally
absolute, impeachment in this case would pro
vide the proper checks and balances in the sys
tem to ensure that other presidents do not
abuse this privilege.
Chris Carter is a senior
speech communication major.
Page 11 }
Military
should get
pay raises
A fter the
Clinton
years of
decreased spend
ing and downsiz
ing the military,
President Bush
is fulfilling his
campaign
promise of pushing for military
pay raises. In Bush’s weekly radio
address, he said, “They deserve ...
long-overdue improvements in
their pay, housing and standard of
living.” ;
In the last eight years, military , «
pay has increased only 9 percent, 1 \
and Bush’s proposed raise will add
another 4.6 percent.
Since the Persian Gulf War, the !
military has decreased from almost
900,000 soldiers to less than
500,000 active soldiers. Some of
this loss is because of the discharge •
of unneccesary soldiers, but the mil-,
itary fails to gain new recruits be- [
cause of low pay.
In addition to the $ l .4 billion
to go to pay increases, $3.9 billion
will increase health care benefits .
and $400 million will improve
housing. Hopefully, the added -
benefits will help build the morale
of this once-proud army and to en
tice America’s youth to join the
military. Bush’s plans for the mili
tary include counteracting the re
cent downsize, and the only way
the military will be able to in- !>
crease the number of recruits will
be if the pay can compete with
civilian jobs.
These pay hikes are long over
due and much needed for the mili
tary, whose morale is considered
to be at an all-time low, according
to The Washington Post. More
raises will be needed, but Bush has
made a good start by proposing
these raises.
During the last few years, U.S. «
servicemen and -women have been
deployed to the Persian Gulf area,
Africa, Croatia, Pakistan, India and
Haiti, among other places. The mil
itary has decreased in size, but the
area it patrols has increased.
The $400 million allotted to up
grading military housing is still
not enough. More than two-thirds
of the military’s 300,000 housing
units were graded inadequate, de
spite the minimalist approach to
rating these homes. One estimate
stated that the total cost of rebuild
ing all the homes would be around .
$20 billion. While rebuilding is
not needed in all cases, it may be
needed in many.
A new recruit makes a little less;
than $ l ,000 a month right out of
boot camp. With Bush’s proposed
pay increase, these signees will get
a much-needed pay increase of
equivalent to a month’s salary
every year. This should lift a great
burden on servicemen and
women, but it is still not enough.
Soldiers on the lower pay scale ,
need to be given a more substan
tial raise. Their raise is a large per
cent, but it still keeps many mar
ried soldiers salaries at or below
poverty level.
The mid-level pay scale is also
being greatly improved in order to
keep skilled labor to in the mili
tary. Bush has also proposed an es
timated $l billion in incentives for
soldiers to stay in the military.
These extra incentives will help
keep these soldiers, who are often
considered the most skilled in the
military. Losing these soldiers
would be a great detriment to the
military, because it takes years of
training to replace each one.
In all, this pay increase may
prove to be much too small. Addi
tional housing allowances are
needed to bring the substandard
living conditions up to code. Pay
increases will be essential if Bush
decides that there is a clear and
present need to rebuild the mili
tary. America’s youth will not
want to sign their youth away for
less than $1,000 a month. These
pay increases show Bush’s support
for the military, but this support
needs to grow.
m
L 4
,■4 ! >
THOMAS
CAMPBELL
Thomas Campbell is a junior
speech communication major.