Nation's Pulse / Dick Lugar, Jim Thompson, and Republican Futures

...His answers are disturbing...

...As Paul Weaver has remarked, modern reportage has adopted a kind of "game" vocabulary in describing elecPeter J. Rustboven is a practicing attorney in Indianapolis...

...What is more, we've got the F-14 Tomcat, capable of knocking any Soviet aircraft out of the sky at a range of one hundred miles...

...After losing a close race to Democratic Senator Birch Bayh in 1974, this November Lugar swamped three-term incumbent R. Vance Hartke--a man who in his eighteen years in the Senate became rather an embarassment to the Hoosier state, among others things by being twice voted by Capitol Hill aides as the Senator "with the least integriw...

...Perhaps the most significant contribution of Professor Graglia's book is to point out the dangers of an errant Supreme Court...

...In recent years, as Alexander Bickel and other scholars have observed, the Supreme Court has increasingly relied more on subsequent events to vindicate its decisions than on the methods of reason...

...but I believe that if my party would truly distinguish itself from its opposition, and offer that oft-touted ideal of a "genuine alternative," it would be wise to opt for standard bearers of Lugar's caliber and qualifications...

...Additionally, his almost blatant use of his prosecutorial exploits hints at a po:entially disturbing expediency...

...Two of these--James Thompson, newly elected Governor of Illinois, and Richard Lugar, Senator-elect from Indiana--hail from my own section of the country, and I believe they present an interesting contrast in terms of the types of candidates the GOP may someday choose to place on a national ticket...

...We still have the industrial and technological might which thirty-five years ago equipped and supplied the nation to fight a war simultaneously on two and one-half continents...

...require racial discrimination to compel integration while claiming to eliminate all discrimination, and--at least in the Court's own mind--has obviated any need to reconcile such a requirement with the constitutional principle enounced in B,'own...

...Marine Corps, works with the United States Industrial Coundl in Nashville...

...The figures have become more frightening since the book appeared...

...The inclusion of KGB border guards and MVD formations, Erickson continues, 30 The Alternative: An American Spectator January 1977...

...Lawrence B. Fitzmorris of the Fourth: "When and if the test comes, these kids will go, go, go, and do, do, do...

...Professor John Erickson, Director of Soviet Studies of the United States Strategic Institute, quoted extensively by Middleton, made another estimate in early 1976: "The 'base military manpower' strength of the Soviet armed forces is taken to be 3,424,000--which however, is simply an intake and establishment figure...

...With that rare and curious thrust at objectivity one sometimes finds in the Times, he writes as devil's advocate, posing the "what if" questions: Will the Russians launch a conventional tactical assault aimed at the English Channel and the North Sea ports, or, exploiting their newly fearsome submarine and surface naval strength, slowly choke Edward J. Walsh, who served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S...

...When the Court so blatantly enacts its own personal ideological preferences, it does more than usurp the legislative role: it supplants the rule of law and reason with the perverse quirks of unelected and unaccountable officials...

...Says Lt...

...Our soldiers, sailors, and airmen, two wars ahead of the Soviets, command technical and logistical assets superior to the best Russian tanks and missiles...

...Additionally, Lugar's efforts earned the appreciation of President Nixon and the title of "Nixon's Favorite Mayor," an appellation which is occasionally applied to The Alternative: An American Spectator January 1977 29 him today in a particularly silly attempt at guilt-by-association...

...But I believe these two Midwestern Republicans, whose chances for higher office are at least reasonable, nicely illustrate the kinds of choices facing the COP as it endeavors to recover a certain parity vis-a-vis the opposition...

...Politics is an exceptionally fortuitous business, and there are numerous other individuals whose aspirations reach to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue...

...Drew Middleton / Scribners / $8.95 EdwardJ...

...Indeed--although they are somewhat different kinds of political speakers--Lugar's skill in making the critical connection between discrete issue and general philosophy was matched in this election year only by that of Ronald Reagan...

...Carter's successful approach in the primaries...

...Carter has hardly had time to savor his triumph over President Ford, and already our pundits and commentators have started surveying the results of senatorial and gubernatorial races in an effort to cull the names of those who may someday stand in Carter's shoes...

...Middleton counted, in '74-'75, a total Soviet strength of 2,050,000...

...Despite the Supreme Court's claims to the contrary, Graglia's analysis Of its opinions indisputably establishes that each succeeding decision made it clearer that the "school racial separation being 'remedied' could not be attributed to unconstitutional segregation, and that, in fact, it was simply school racial separation or imbalance itself, however caused, that had become unconstitutional...

...But none of this is enough...

...Daley further assisted Thompson's most recent success by handpicking as the Democratic candidate for Governor the jowly, overweight Michael Howlett, a man who eloquence is itself Daleyesque and whose very persona exudes the concept of"old pol...

...With disturbing frequency, the Court has abandoned its traditional role and has become the initiator of massive social and political changes, often giving no reasons for its decisions, or reasons that ignore or miscite precedent, evade key questions, and ignore or distort facts and fundamental realities...

...Watching the troops of the Fourth Mechanized Division trudge cheerfully through freezing nights on week-long field exercises at Fort Carson, Colorado, and listening to the cocky claims of the elite Rangers in the heat of Georgia, the optimism about the American ability to whip the Russians is facile and uncritical...

...Well taken as Weaver's point is, I confess that I find the sport of discovering potential candidates as interesting as the next man...

...Carter's recent success may strike some as an argument for selecting Thompson-like candidates as the GOP begins its latest efforts toward a national resurgence...

...Thompson represents a kind of pleasing public persona, distinctly non-philosophical in approach, and largely inoffensive despite--or possibly because of--an apparent unwillingness to express his views on any topic more controversial than whether he is for or against corruption...

...Though he wrote the book in 1975, his comparison of NATO and Soviet force levels and capabilities will remain timely until all the punctilious details of troop strength, weapons readiness, and budget appropriations are lost in the flames and debris of Europe...

...Of the two, Thompson has received by far the more media coverage...

...Court-ordered busing has accelerated the deterioration of the cities as middle-class whites flee to the suburbs to escape busing, leaving behind smaller and smaller numbers of white children to be reshuffled...

...In Can America Win the Next War...

...Walsh The bugles of NATO blare forlornly across Western Europe these days...

...Adding the command staff, training and the 'extended service' elements on an average basis, this would produce an overall figure of 4,109,000...

...Tennessee's Howard Baker and Texas convert John Connally seem to be in the forefront of talk about 1980, although the largely liberal press still cherishes residual (if mostly wistful) hopes for individuals like Senator Charles Percy of Illinois...

...In Germany, on the free side of Berlin, the American Seventh Army, the British Army of the Rhine, and the crack German tank teams drill with heartening enthusiasm, anticipating the Soviet blitzkrieg...

...In contrast to Thompson's somewhat superficial and self-conscious "crusaderism," almost every public utterance of Lugar's displays a degree of thoughtfulness and reflection all too rare among our men in public life...

...the United States by guerrilla war at sea...

...In political terms, Thompson admirably exploited this opportunity by carrying out a series of highly publicized investigations and prosecutions of Windy City corruption, an effort which won him headlines and plaudits from all quarters...

...Even the most skeptical reader must agree with Professor Graglia's conclusion that even if "compulsory school racial integration could somehow be defended, the performance of the Court in imposing it could not...

...rather, Thompson adopted some moderately trendy positions on issues such as abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment, while generally running a kind of "personal trust" campaign vaguely reminiscent of Mr...

...THE NATION'S PULSE by Peter J. Rusthoven Dick Lugar, Of late, it seems that our quadrennial Presidential elections are barely over before speculation begins on likely contenders for the nation's highest office four years hence...

...Yet he is seriously talked of for the Presidency, and to date I have heard no national commentary which voices doubts about his suitability for that office...

...Behind the barbed wire and concrete which partition the world between freedom and slavery, wait the slaves, millions of them, carefully grouped in mechanized divisions, tank columns, tactical air squadrons, and antiaircraft crews...

...In short, Thompson --who may, and hopefully will, prove an able Governor--has done little that suggests Presidential caliber, beyond displaying the dubious qualification of a certain bland "attractiveness...

...Some prominent conservatives, citing such things as Lugar's refusal as Mayor to spurn relatively strings-free federal revenue sharing funds, have determined that Lugar does not really pass muster as a "true conservative," and have even argued that conservatives had nothing to choose between the junketeering, organized-labor-dominated, corrupt, and thoroughly liberal Hartke and his GOP opponent...

...Thirteen aircraft carriers are able to deliver a nuclear punch to every ocean, sea, and harbor in the world...

...Easily victorious, the 6'6" Thompson finds himself, at the age of 40, touted as a Presidential possibility for 1980...

...His success to date thus puts the lie, at least in part, to those who dismiss that approach as political naivet~, r Perhaps not surprisingly, Lugar, whose substantive beliefs are clearly and carefully expressed, seems to face more difficulties in moving toward a national career than does Thompson, whose views on issues of national import remain a mystery...

...Jim Thompson, and Republican Futures tions: For example, a given statement or position is more often presented on the evening news as "X, in an effort to appeal to group Y, today pledged support for program Z," rather than "X indicated today his belief that sound public policy called for adoption of program Z." In this context, picking contenders for the Oval Office becomes something akin to guessing first-round draft choices, or speculating on who will be chosen Most Valuable Player --a fact which, among other unfortunate consequences, tends to trivialize the serious business of choosing a Chief Executive...

...A Rhodes Scholar, Lugar served two terms as Mayor of Indianapolis, during which he led a successful effort for metropolitan area government (via city-county consolidation), and five times lowered local property tax rates...

...Lugar's substantive views on particular issues are, from a conservative point of view, thoroughly sound...

...Middleton is the military correspondent for the New York Times and author of The Sky Suspended, an account of the love of freedom which won the Battle of Britain...

...BOOK REVIEW Can America Win the Next IVar...

...This last election has proved no exception: Mr...

...Perhaps even sillier is the criticism Lugar has had to endure from those conservatives who seem to view political effectiveness as some kind of badge of ideological "impurity...

...In addition to its logical shortcomings, Graglia faults the "remedy" rationale for failing to comport with what the Court was actually doing...

...In part, I suppose, the fascination with trying to spot future Presidential candidates reflects the increasing tendency of the media to view politics almost exclusively as some kind of competitive sporting endeavor...

...Lugar is, in short, a living example that there is yet room in American politics for an individual whose basic appeal is founded on a thoughtful and intelligent approach to important national concerns...

...According to the traditonal teaching of American government, the Court's role is to check the excesses of the legislative and executive branches with a dispassionate and reasoned "second look" rooted in the Constitution...

...Big Jim," as he is known, has climbed the political ladder in thoroughly traditional fashion as the "crusading D.A.," a role which once brought Thomas Dewey within a step of 28 The Alternative: An American Spectator January 1977 the White House...

...By forcing the abandonment of the neighborhood school, court-ordered busing has lessened community support for public schools and has limited parental participation in and supervision of their operations...

...His public statements, even allowing for the limits of campaign rhetoric, reveal an individual who appears to have taken all too seriously the "reformer" image which he has crafted...

...More importantly, there were few indications of any exceptional depth or intelligence...

...he raises questions about a possible new war and about whether the love of freedom will ' again triumph...

...And finally, increasing numbers of leading educators--many of whom are former supporters of busing--have concluded that school racial balance serves no educational purpose, but instead lessens a school's academic performance, increases racial tensions, and results in violence and disorder...

...Senator-elect Dick Lugar of Indiana has less often been the topic of White House speculation, but has built his career in a steadier and more substantial fashion...

...Some signs are encouraging...

...Graglia argues that this is true most of all of the Court's busing decisions, and that in no other area of constitutional law are events less likely to vindicate the Court's rulings...

...It is difficult to dispute Graglia's conclusion...

...Thompson had the good fortune to be the United States Attorney in the area of Illinois which encompasses Richard Daley's Chicago, at a time when the Mayor's power and public image were both on the decline...

...A suggestion of self-righteousness, and an accompanying tendency to view the world in the superficial light of "new politics" versus "old politics," emerged during Thompson's run for the Statehouse...

...This assertion is of course preposterous, bit it illustrates the difficulties Lugar--who is probably one of the few men in public life who has both read and understood Edmund Burke--will encounter in dealing with a certain segment of the Republican Right...

...Of course, it is quite possible--even likely--that neither James Thompson nor Richard Lugar will ever be part of a future Republican national ticket...

...The "scenarios," we learn, are endless, and, nearly without exception, to the advantage of the military monolith which is the Soviet Union...

...But Drew Middleton, watching them with admiration, turns and looks, in despair, across the Wall...

...While some of Thompson's accomplishments are noteworthy, there is much about the man that raises questions...

...And the greatest deterrent to the impassive chessplayers in the Kremlin may be that the American people, abused by myopic leadership and an overdose of dissent, have nonetheless historically closed ranks in the face of overt assaults on freedom...

...The American military has recovered, in large measure, from the internal cancer contracted in Vietnam...

...trained, dedicated, and equipped for one purpose: the expedient destruction of NATO forces, and the occupation of Western Europe...

...What is more significant and noteworthy, however, is an impressive ability to tie those substantive positions to underlying convictions about the values which rest at the core of America's constitutional moral order...

...With the defeat of President Ford, most current speculation has focused, naturally enough, on possible Republican hopefuls...

...The November 2nd balloting has heralded the arrival of some possibilities on the Republican national scene, however, and a few of these gentlemen have already garnered some serious attention...

...And the American brass, as Middleton describes it, basks in a dangerous complacency...

...For example, Lugar's forceful opposition while Mayor to the likes of John Lindsay, who perpetually claimed the cities were going to hell in a handbasket due to Washington neglect, engendered a certain enmity: his very success as a municipal executive was a source of discomfiture to those wont to use the federal government as a whipping boy for urban problems...

...Lugar, on the other hand, brings a more substantial approach to his responsibilities as a candidate and as a public official--and for that reason, has been the object of more criticism and publicly expressed reservations from both ends of the political spectrum...

...Racial and drug problems have diminished...

...Again and again, Middleton tells us, the troops in Europe, the nuclear-powered ships and silent submarines, the highly trained and motivated officer corps, the best, qualitatively, in the world, are not enough...