1994 MODEL CLOSEOUT Washington Watch SUBSTANTIAL PRICE INCREASE COMING ACT Now AND SAVE ON REMAINING 1994 MODELS! SAVE ON GS, ES, LS AND COUPES Optimism Expressed On The Boycott JAMES D. BESSER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT A WE MUST MO VE OUR '94's '95's COMING IN! LEXUS OF LANSING The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection For a personal showing: Call 1-800-539-8748 OR 1-800-LEXUS-4-U Exit 104 off 1-96 • 5709 S. Pennsylvania, Lansing • 517/394-8000 (CALL COLLECT) COLORWORKS STUDIO OF INTERIOR DESIGN dministration officials are increasingly optimistic that the Arab boycott against Israel is all but dis- mantled — and that the rapid de- velopment of economic ties among Israel and its neighbors will quickly finish the job. At this week's economic sum- mit in Casablanca, Secretary of State Warren Christopher made the point that many of the Arab participants had, in effect, re- jected the boycott by attending the sessions. "It's been an extraordinary event," said Lester Pollack, chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Orga- nizations, who was attending the sessions. "There has been a tremendous amount of inter- change between participants who are looking for new business op- portunities. It has far exceeded my expectations." Another sign of the boycott's demise is the fact that the Amer- ican Jewish Congress dropped its Boycott Report after the recent decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council to drop the secondary and tertiary boycotts. "The decision was a recogni- tion that the secondary boycott isn't a problem anymore," said Will Maslow, an anti-boycott cru- sader who has edited Boycott Re- port since its inception 18 years ago. Also, he said, "the primary boycott is losing its meaning. There's a peace treaty with Jor- dan, an agreement with the PLO, and the beginnings of real rela- tions with Morocco and Tunisia. So the primary boycott is being undermined, as well." But Mr. Maslow, who still is going strong at 87, will not be on the unemployment line: He will edit a new AJCongress publica- tion on Islamic fundamentalism. "At my age, it's a little strange to be starting something new," he said. "But I'm up to it." Focus: Abner Mikva Clinton's Counsel A You've said we're in a class by ourselves & we thank you for the compliment! Complete interior design services from blueprint review & construction specifications, to furniture selection & custom fabrication; from windows & walls to the last scented soap... These are the services that set us apart. We're so glad you've noticed the difference. Barbi Krass • Linda Bruder • Jennifer Thomas allied member ASID allied member ASID Sharon Kory • Francine Sullivan allied member ASID 32500 Northwestern Highway • Farmington Hills • 851-7540 •• • • • • • ****** • • • • • • L • • • • .• , a.Ju Fall Winterizing Special Call for Details 122 RICK WALD 489-5862 (licensed and insured) • bner J. Mikva's solitary client marks him as one of the most important and visible attorneys in the na- tion. Last month, Mr. Mikva, who served four terms in Congress be- fore being named to the federal bench in 1979, became White House counsel. "If you'rea generalist, as I am, it's the juiciest jurisdiction you can imagine," Mr. Mikva said in a recent interview. "It's always changing. As a judge, I could plan weeks ahead on what I would do on a given day. Here, I make out a schedule the night before, and by 10 a.m. the next day, I might as well throw it away." Although Mr. Mikva works on some of the high-profile legal as- saults on the president, most of his job involves the day-to-day func- tioning of the White House, and the sticky constitutional questions that define relations between the exec- utive branch and Congress. He also advises on judicial ap- pointments and in the pardon process. In that latter role, he of- fered no new hope for supporters of convicted spy Jonathan Jay Pollard, whose case the president reviewed earlier this year. "I doubt," said Mr. Mikva, "that it would be reviewed again in the immediate future." His office on the second floor of the White House is "a 20-second walk" from the Oval Office and, on the average, he sees the pres- ident two or three times a week. Why did a judge with lifetime tenure go to the clamor of the White House? "I have a great admiration for my client," he said. "He's been a good president, and aspires to be even better. If he thinks I can help him, I want to do it." Mr. Mikva also was influenced by his fascination with how the three branches of government re- late to one another. "The genius of the separation of powers doctrine is that the three branches are ... very de- pendent on each other," he said. "To see that functioning close up is very exciting." Unlike some of his more ag- gressive predecessors in the coun- sel's office, Mr. Mikva often is described as a facilitator and a negotiator. "I shouldn't be an adversary," he said. 'The Justice Department has lawyers who bring cases and appeals. I think the counsel should ... try to keep problems from happening. The best record a White House counsel can have is not the battles he's won, but the battles he's prevented." ❑