RIPON TWO VIEWS ON CONGR,ESS JUNE 15, 1977 VOL. XIII No. 12 50 cents POLITICS: KaDsas DEMOCRATS TARGET GOVERNOR BENNETT Kansas broke the w.atergate trend in is confident about Bennett's reelection 1974 when it reelected Sen. Bob Dole, chances in 1978. recaptured the governorship with Robert Bennett and maintained its control of Although Bennett has a strong record the state legislature. on the substance of his tenure as gover­ nor, he is damaged by his public image. with Sen. Dole on the national tick­ His "arrogance" and contentiousness in et in 1976, however, the Kansas GOP dealing with the legislature is com­ again reversed the national trend. U.S. pounded oy his Jefferson County origins. Rep. Garner Shriver was virtually the Coming from metropolitan Kansas City only Republican House incumbent to be has fostered an "Eastern aristocrat" ousted from office. And while in oth­ image which grates on more rural voters er states, the GOP seemed to stabilize in central and western Kansas. its earlier losses, the Kansas GOP lost 12 seats in the lowe~ house and five Bennett will probably again face 'the in the upper house. state's attorney general in his reelec­ tion race. In 1974, Bennett beat Vern In the aftermath of the election Miller, a law and order showman who has losses, Gov. Bennett said,"Sometimes returned to his previous job as Sedge­ you need a little jolt to wake you up. wick County district attorney. He was We've had the jolt and we're wide awake." giving a speech in his current crusade Dole suggested the party needed to against po~nography earlier this year shift its image from "a party of poli­ when two. streakers raced across the tical 'againsters,' a party that cares stage. Miller tackled one of them. for the rich and not the poor, the bus­ inessman and not the consumer, the in­ The current attorney general, Curt dustrialist and not the envrionmental­ Schneider, is less flamboyant than Mil­ ist, those who can help themselves and ler but has an equally strong drive to not those who need the help." generate publicity. Although he appears to be the frontrunner for the Democratic Ironically, both men who led the nomination, Schneider's public negativ­ state GOP ticket in 1974 were partly ism does not present a marked contrast blamed by some Kansas Republicans for with Bennett's image. Potentially the party's difficulties. Both are stronger Democratic candidates like for­ seen as potentially vulnerable---both mer U.S.Rep. Bill Roy or Topeka business­ at the polls and to criticism that man Robert Brock appear unlikely to en­ they have been too negative in their ter the contest. A primary fight between public comments. While Dole has shifted a representative of the Roy-Brock wing his rhetoric, Bennett has engaged in a of the party and the Schneider-former running fight with the Kansas legisla­ Gov. Robert Docking-former Democratic ture, now partly controlled by Demo­ Chairman Norbert Dreiling wing would crats. boost Bennett's election chances. Bennett's disagreements---particular­ In contrast to Bennett, Sen. James ly on' construction of a new state prison Pearson(R) seems to have scared away the and an increase in the' state income tax potential opposition. Docking and Roy exemption---have been with fellow Repub­ are considered more likely opponents licans as well as Democrats, however. to Dole in 1980 while rumors of a pos­ State GOP Chairman Jack Ransom seems to sible GOP primary have evaporated. The be one of the few Kansas Republicans who progressive Republican seems stronger than ·ever •• or. Threatened with a cutoff of guber­ natorial patronage, the Liberals in­ RIPOI: Update stead swung to Carey's designated choice, Secretary of State Mario Cuomo. I LOUISIANA r A complicated scen- Carey's handling of Cuomo's entry into ario is shaping up-for the race to re­ the contest has become a mixed bless­ place U.S.Rep. Richard A. Tonry(D), ing for Cuomo---and -Carey. Despite whose October 2, 1976 primary victory Carey's backing, Cuomo is considered was riddled with fraud. A state dis­ to rank behind Mayor Abraham Beame and trict judge found the election to be former U.S.Rep. Bella Abzug in the may­ "fraudulent." Tonry has been indicted oral contest. In order to solidify the in connection with his election and backing of the Liberals---who don't now has resigned from Congress. While want to appear on the November ballot Tonry is seeking reelection, however, with a "dead" candidate---Carey indi­ his Democratic primary opponent, New cated he would support Cuomo through Orleans City Councilman James Moreau, November even if he lost the primary. has switched from the Democratic to This raised a storm and Carey backed the Republican Party. Moreau's sur­ off---even hedging on whether Cuomo prise move upsets the political bal­ was his "choice." Pushed into a corner ance. Moreau may pull the rabid right at a press conference on whether he wing vote into the GOP primary and would back the Democratic primary vic­ thus upset Bob Livingston, the ration­ tor, Carey said:"Yes, because I'm not al conservative who pearly upset Tonry ---I expect---yes, because I'm not go­ last November. Should Livingston sur­ ing to indulge in a premise and a hy­ vive the primary, he would stand a pothesis based upon a predicate. I ex­ good chance to win the seat. He is, pect the winner to be that person who after all, half the age of the 63-year­ comes forward, speaks to the issues, old Moreau. The frontrunner in the has courage, determination, ability, race is now State Rep. Ronald A. Fau­ and right now among those who are an­ cheux, who may piCk up the Democrat1c nounced or unannounced or potential machine vote deserted by Moreau. Mr. Cuomo is that person. Wrote the I CALIFORNIA r GOP National Commit- New York Daily News' Sam Roberts: "All teeman Mike Curb, a prominent Reagan the obfuscating quips, contradictions backer, has set his 1978 sights on the and double talk are characteristic of Republican nomination for lieutenant Carey's style---invoking democracy and governor. Curb, 32, is president of Democrats when they are convenient." Warner/Curb records and was cochairman Should Cuomo lose the primary and Ab­ of citizens for Reagan in~ealinornia zug win a runoff with Beame, Carey would last year before helping organize the be in a further mess. Given Abzug's rep­ Ford campaign. Progressive State Assem­ utation as an intolerable employer, New blyman Dixon Arnett is one of several York City would probably not have to Republicans interested in the nomina­ worry about firing employees if she was tion for lieutenant governor, but Curb's elected mayor. She'd probably alienate connections with Reagan's financial them in droves. In the long run, Car­ backers make him the frontrunner ••• ey's decision to intercede in New York and a potential candidate for governor City---which was begun strictly to avoid in 1982. Curb dropped out of college election of a Republican mayor---may be after selling "You Meet the Nicest Peo­ the GOP's biggest asset in the 1978 gu­ ple on a Honda" to an ad agency at age bernatorial campaign. Conceding Carey's 20. His musical clients range from strength, the Daily News' Sam Roberts the Osmond Brothers to Lou Rawls and wrote:"His attack on terrorism in Ire.,. sammy Davis, Jr. land has doubled the turnout at rallies by IRA sympathizers here. His weeks of I NEW YORK CITY I Gov. Hugh Carey's waffling over capital punishment infur­ decision to intercede in New York's iated liberals and his ultimate rejec­ mayoral race---or sort of intercede--­ tion of the death penalty cost his con­ may come to haunt him in 1978. Car­ servatives. He has been deserted by all ey's own lack of accomplishment in of­ but a few loyalists in labor. And he fice has been matched only by his lack has provoked fellow Democrats to the of working relations within his own point where some are seriously consid­ partYr which is financiallY bankrupt. ering pushing First Deputy Mayor John Carey originally intervened in the New Zuccotti, Westchester County Executive York City race to keep progressive Alfred DelBello or even Assembly Speak­ State Sen. ROy Goodman(R) from getting er Stanley Steingut to challenge him the Liberal Party endorsement for may- for reelection." THE CASE FOR LIMITED TERMS COMMENTARY: Congress b William A. Barnstead The new congressional finance rules 28, was introduced February 24 by Sena­ and stringent codes ,of ethics, whatever tors John·Danforth(R-Mo.), S.I.Hayakawa their faults may be, will hopefully (R-Cal.), Harrison Schmitt(R-N.M.), Mal­ have a long-range, beneficial impact colm Wallop(R-Wyo.), and Dennis DeCon­ on the nation. At the very least, they cini(D-Ariz.). These men have proposed represent a much needed step in the a constitutional amendment limiting sen­ right direction---an enlightened approach ators to two, six-year terms and repre­ to "clean;ing up Congress." However, as sentatives to six, two-year terms. well meaning as these measures are, they fail to reach the root of the problem: The House version, H.J.203, was pro­ availability of unlimited incumbency in posed by U.S.Rep. Richard Schulze(R-Pa.), Congress. whose legislation would both extend the present term of representatives from This single fact of political life two to three y~ars and limit the total spawns a host of negative conditions, number of consecutive terms a person which, when added up, create a stultify­ could serve in any House seat to five ing effect on Capitol Hill.
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