Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual
opinions of the author. This must be noted in all reprints.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 2, 1972 News Phone: 764-0552
Anderson's andes
FAME MANIPULATES people---just ask muckraker Jack
Anderson, who makes it his business to know every-
thing about anyone who is anybody.
But fame has left its mark on Anderson as well.
As Anderson's fame and notoriety grow, so grow the
boldness of his assertions and the irresponsibility of his
actions.
His attacks on Sen. Eagleton were entirely baseless,
his only aim being to make headlines while the time was
ripe. And his apology to Eagleton yesterday was ludicrous.
The damage was irreversible.
Anderson violated the most elementary of all journal-
istic rules-check out rumors before you state them as
facts. In the case of Eagleton, a few phone calls to
Missouri law enforcement agencies could have provided
Anderson with the truth.
Anderson's credibility has been steadily dropping as
his stories become more and more outrageous. Like last
Monday he reported that Nixon was sure to dump Agnew
on the '72 ticket. But before Anderson's column reached
subscribing newspapers, Nixon announced he was re-
taining Agnew. Anderson rather unabashedly dispatched
a new column to the newspapers stating that his sources,
informed him that Nixon had never considered any other
running mate.
READERS MAY VERY well question just who Anderson's
sources are. Fortunately, Anderson last week pro-
vided some insight into his activities, by naming one of
his sources for a story about Yippie plans for the Re-
publican convention. The source was Anderson's son
Kevin. Kevin's credentials? Jack says he has long hair.
-ALAN LENHOFF
Save dlial peach..
AN INTRIGUING advertisement was spotted in a Sun-
day magazine supplement recently:
"The moment you peel most fruit, it's vulnerable.
Discoloration begins. Flavors slip away. That's why
peeled fruits need the protection of Fruit-Fresh. To
lock out browning and lock in flavor."
NOW, WE KNOW we can lock our bicycles and lock our
house, but who could have forseen this newest ad-
vancement for the peach? Perhaps, if the Fruit-Fresh
idea catches on, we can provide our own preservatives
for all the food we buy.
WHO WANTED to trust General Foods' BHT anyway?
Jam .
hAN01W ILL TAKE T HIEU
WASHINGTON -- One of t h e
stumbling blocks to a peace set-
tlement in Vietnam may be re-
moved soon.
We have learned that Hanoi is
secretly alerting its cadres that
it may be necessary to accept
Presidet Thieu as leader of the
Saigon reginme dturing a cease-
fire.
In the past, the North Vietnam-
ese hase stubbornly refused even
ta consider a trace tinless T h i e a
quits. But now increasing pres-
sure from the Chinese and the Rus-
sians is causing Hanoi to re-eval-
uate its position on Thieu.
It now appears that Hanoi will
allow Thieu to remain as Presi-
dent of South Vietnam during a
cease-fire - at least until a. com-
promise coalition government can
be formed.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Com-
mand in Vietnam has informed the
Pentagon that it has now hit all
but the off-limit targets in North
Vietnam. Undisturbed, the Penta-
gon has ordered the air war to
continue. Hit them all again, the
Pentagon has told our pilots.
American air attacks have tak-
en a terrible toll, wiping out as
many as 50 per cent of some North
Vietnamese divisions. But U.S.
intelligence reports warn that
Hanoi has replaced almost all the
combat troops killed during t he
recent offensive.
-McKay's Lessons-
A few weeks ago, we report-
ed that President Nixon had at-
tempted to save the taxpayers
some money by ordering his lieu-
tenants not to fly first-class. The
order, however, has been blatant-
ly ignored. Every cabinet officer
we have checked on - and most of
their assistants - always use the
comfortable, up-front seats.
But on Capitol Hill there is at
least one public servant who al-
ways flies tourist. He is Congress-
man K. Gunn McKay, a moderate
Democrat from Utah.
McKay came to Washington
without enough cash to buy a
house, so he is renting. Once, his
secretary was helping him with
his income tax and she asked if
he had any outside inevstments.
He produced a slip showing he had
earned $25 interest on a credit un-
ion savings account.
A few weeks ago, McKay invited
me to lunch. We dined in his office
on sandwiches and trimmings that
had been prepared by his wife
and staff.
Congressmen are permitted by
e war: Are they fighting over Thieu
law to go home 12 times a year at
public expense. Most of them fly
first-class. But not Gunn McKay.
He sits in the back of the plane
and saves the taxpayer $1,824 a
year.
The President's aides should
take a lesson from Gunn McKay.
-Pressure Tactics-
Small minority businesses which
get government contracts are be-
ing pressured to support Presi-
dent Nixon for re-election. The
heat is coming, appropriately, from
a fuel oil dealer acting with ap-
parent encouragement from t h e
President himself.
Charles Wallace, who heads the
firm of Wallace and Wallace in
New York, has sent hundreds of
letters to other companies which
have either gotten contracts with
the help of the Small Business
Administration or are trying to
get them.
Wallace encloses a letter Presi-
dent Nixon sent him thanking him
for his suggestions. Also enclosed
is a questionnaire demanding to
know if the company will work for
President Nixon's re-election.
The letter extols the SBA's as-
sistance to minority businesses as
"the most dynamic program that
has ever been instituted for minor-
ities." Then comes the pitch. "I
cannot tell you," writes Wallace,
"how important it is 'hat we
go out into the field and try to get
the President re-elected."
-Washington Whirl-
High Road for Agnew? - Pres-
ident Nixon's new campaign man-
ager, Clark MacGregor, has been
meeting privately with Nixon and
Agnew urging the two to wage
a dignified campaign this y e a r .
MacGregor specifically hopes to
persuade Agnew not to take the
same low road he took in the 1970
congressional campaign. MacGre-
gor warns that a rough name-call-
ing campaign could drive conser-
vative Democrats, sympathetic to
the President, into the McGovern
camp.
ITT and Taxes - Remember
how embarrassed George McGov-
ern looked earlier this summer
when he incorrectly claimed that
ITT had paid no federal taxes in
three years? McGovern sheepish-
ly retracted his statement when
he learned that several ITT sub-
sidiaries did pay their taxes. We
can now report that McGovern
was not so off as ITT had claim-
ed. ITT's effective tax rate to
1971, we have learned, was less
than five per cent of its income
of $410 millions.
Classic Government Fence Sit-
ting - The U.S. Department of
Transportation continues to hedge
on Ralph Nader's favorite sub-
ject: the safety of the Corvair. The
Department issued a report two
weeks ago claiming the Corvair
was as safe as many similar cars.
Last week, the Department w as
hastily preparing a letter to warn
owners of the Corvair's potential
dangers.
1972, United Feature Syndicate
-MAYNARD- D
e en g teepten s record
T~rlf~t.( d i i
I ucay s '-I . . .
News: Meryl Gordon, Carla Rapoport, Marilyn Riley
Editorial Page: Alan Lenhoff
Photo Technician: Denny Gainer
By ALAN IIELMKAMP'
WOULD like to take strong is-
sue with the editorial entitled
"Stempien's record speaks for it-
self" written by Alan Lenhoff in
the July 27 issue of The Daily.
The editorial in question noted
"highlights" of Rep. Marvin
Stempien's legislative record and
ended with the conclusion t h at
"we have no use for Marvin Stem-
pien in either Lansing or Wash-
ington." The editorial was a clear
example of distorted, one-sided ex-
pression on the part of Lenhoff.
Lenhoff clearly had an axe to
grind in his column and his re-
marks should be viewed in t h at
context.
Initially, it is true that Stemtpien
opposes cross-district busing, as
does 80 per cent of his legislative
district. Is representative demo-
cracy a desirable objective for
Lenhoff, or should a public offic-
ial follow a course of action con-
trary to the view of the majority
of his constituents?
It is also true that Stempien op-
poses abortion. He opposes the
cruel ending of life for the unborn
fetus, and he opposes the denial
of due process of law to that
fetus. Once again, the majority of
people in the district, as well as
'many students, support Stemp-
ien's position.
IT IS NOT true that Rep. Stem-
pien has been an opponent of the
Civil Rights Commission. A letter
from the Commission on August
27, 1971 commends Stempien "For
your successful efforts on our be-
half during the recent budget de-
bates in the House."
Stempien has been an outspok-
en supporter of minorities during
his legislative career. His record
in the field of Equal Rights has
earned him the overwhelming sup-
port of the Michigan Black Cau-
cus, as well as numerous Black
leaders in the Ypsilanti and Ann
Arbor communities.
Lenhoff's "account of Stemp-
ien's record" is conspicuous in its
absence of the many fine pieces
of legislation that Rep. Stempien
has championed. Real highlights of
his record would indicate the fol-
lowing:
-Stempien was the chief spon-
sor of the Equal Rights Amend-
ment in 1972.
-Stempien was nominated as
"Conservationist of the Year" in
1971 for his sponsorship of t h e
tough anti-billboard law, Environ-
mental Protection Act of 1970 and
the Truth-In-Pollution Act of 1970.
-Stempien was the chief spon-
sor of H.B. 4646, the Unfair Trade
Practices Act.
IN HIS CAPACITY as c u r r e 1t
House Majority Leader, Stempien
has earned the respect of not only
his colleagues, but of the average
citizen as well. This respect has
gained Stempien the endorsemont
of every major labor union, as well
as groups such as the Michigan
Court Clerks Association and the
Michigan Trial Lawyers Associa-
tion.
Alan Lenhoff grossly misleads his
readers with his editorial. Criticism
is desirable, as long as it allows
for positive aspects of a person
to be detailed as well. Lenhoff
assumes that he speaks for stm-
dents, but the concept of t h a t
which constitutes the "public in-
terest" is certainly defined in a
wider perspective than those s-
sues put forth by the "liberal re-
formists." Lenhoff should t a k e
care not to form his opinions in
the "vacuum" of the Ann 1.'bor
student community. Rather he
should consider the entire distract,
with widely divergent views. This
would amount to more respvnsibie
journalism than that which 1,e has
already undertaken.
Alan Helmkatp is a Uni-
versity student and an assist-
ant to Rep. Marvin Stempien.
Somewhere, from out of the darkness .. .