Washington Watch

Sex And Politics

Offensive media; arming Israel;
documenting grief

JAMES D. BESSER

Washington Correspondent

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ex and violence were shoved
into the forefront of the pres-
idential campaign by this
week's Federal Trade
Commission report on the marketing
of violent movies, music CDs and
video games to children.
Across the spectrum, Jewish groups
expressed concern about the report's
conclusions but differences over
exactly how the government should
respond.
But those differences may be small-
er than usual because of one factor:
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, the
Connecticut Democrat whom Al
Gore tapped as his running mate.
Lieberman, an early and energetic
advocate of stronger measures for
combating offensive material aimed
at children, has made the issue more
respectable for Jews who once tilted
more toward First Amendment con-
siderations, Jewish leaders say.
"Lieberman has made the issue
kosher for many Jews, and lessened
concerns that this is a First
Amendment attack by the Christian
Coalition crowd," said an official for
a Jewish group that has not taken a
position on the media violence issue.
"Now that he has a national plat-
form, the impact of his activism on
the issue will be multiplied."
The FTC report alleged that
despite voluntary ratings systems,
companies routinely and aggressively
market inappropriate movies, video
games and music CDs to children.
The study focused only on violence,
but politicians were quick to bring
sex into the picture by pointing out
that many of the same products
pitched at kids also involve sexually
explicit or suggestive material.
Gore, abandoning his party's tradi-
tional reticence on issues that skirt
basic First Amendment concerns,
gave the entertainment industry an
ultimatum: change its ways in six
months or face possible new regulato-
ry action.
Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the
Republican candidate, accused the
Democrats of inconsistency on the
issue and blasted Gore for reaping big

harvests of Hollywood cash even as
he criticizes Hollywood during cam-
paign appearances. But Democrats
quickly pointed out that Tipper
Gore, their presidential candidate's
wife, and Lieberman were among the
earliest critics of the industry.
Lieberman, along with Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.), is currently spon-
soring legislation with tougher label-
ing requirements and provisions
instructing the FTC to sanction
entertainment companies that do not
comply.
This week, Lieberman was sched-
uled to make an unusual detour from
the campaign trail to testify on behalf
of the legislation at a Senate hearing.
Also scheduled: Lynne Cheney, wife
of his Republican rival, Richard B.
Cheney, who was added to the roster
at the last minute.
Within hours of its release, the
Orthodox Union praised the FTC
report. Nathan Diament, head of the
group's Institute for Public Affairs,
said that even he was surprised at the
evidence that the companies deliber-
ately targeted young children.
"I'm hoping the entertainment
industry will be shamed by this
report into changing its ways — but I
have my doubts," he said.
The OU actively supports the
McCain-Lieberman bill, he said,
including its threat of additional
action if the media moguls do not
comply.
The Anti-Defamation League said
self-policing by the industry is still
the best solution, but conceded that
voluntary efforts have produced dis-
appointing results.
"There are real issues here that
need to be addressed, and so far, they
haven't been addressed adequately by
the industry," said Jess Hordes, ADLs
Washington director. "But there's also
a danger that we could lose the sense
of balance we need when dealing
with First Amendment issues when
you have this kind of hysteria."

Arming Israel

By now, it's starting to sound like a
broken record: Israeli officials report
"good progress" in talks aimed at
WASHINGTON WATCH on page 18

