2 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 14, 1996
NATION/WORLD
Dirty telephone politics used in race
NATIONAL t .EP.
Wages show smallest increase since '82
NN
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - Frantic to head
off a surging Patrick Buchanan in the
1992 New Hampshire Republican pri-
mary contest, President Bush's politi-
cal team seized on a remark by Buchanan
questioning the fitness of women to
have careers. Over the next days, hun-
dreds of New Hampshire women were
read the quote by Bush phone-bank
operators and asked if it would make
them more or less likely to vote for
Buchanan. For most, it was a definite
negative.
In the parlance of politics, the Bush
poll was a "push poll," a small survey of
potential voters in which a candidate
uses public-opinion surveys to test pos-
sible vulnerabilities and then pushes
the ones that score well.
As the 1996 primary season's first
complaints of dirty politics resonate
through Iowa, politicians, pollsters and
telemarketers generally agreed: The
Dole campaign operation in which a
few hundred Iowa voters were read
descriptions of the views of Malcolm
"Steve" Forbes Jr. on issues such as
abortion and gays in the military is a
standard push-poll device and fits
readily into the arsenal ofmost political
campaigns in this country.
"It is all over practically every cam-
paign in the country and has been for a
long time," said Robert Teeter, a Re-
publican strategist not affiliated with
any of the primary campaigns this year.
"It is just another way of communicat-
ing. What's the difference between call-
ing someone up and saying Forbes is
pro-abortion or putting it in paid adver-
tising?"
But Teeter and political officials said
some campaigns, beginning in the mid-
1980's, have moved beyond push-poll-
ing to the next step, suppression phone
banks.
Rather than turning out voters, as
legitimate phone banks do, the goal of
vote-suppression operations is just the
opposite. The phone banks often make
thousands of calls to selected demo-
graphic groups in the last 48 to 72 hours
of a campaign, either do not identify
WASHINGTON - The wages and benefits paid to American workers rose.
just 2.9 percent last year, the smallest increase on record and fresh fuel for the
unhappiness of a middle class convinced it is falling behind.
The biggest factor was restraint in health care and other benefits, though they
were rising more quickly as the year ended.
The Labor Department said yesterday the increase in its Employment Ce
Index was down from 3 percent in 1994 and the smallest since the government
began recording annual changes in 1982.
The gain barely kept worker compensation ahead of inflation. The Consumer Price
Index rose 2.5 percent last year.
Overall job growth has been slow, and many companies have been downsizing,
giving workers little leverage to seek increased wages and benefits.
The cost of benefits, such as health care and pensions, grew 2.8 percent, the
smallest gain since the series began in 1982.
Benefit costs had risen 3.4 percent in 1994.
AP PHOTO
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) speaks yesterday in N.H.
themselves or misidentify their affilia-
tion, and then distort or lie about the
record of a candidate they are seeking
to defeat.
"It is one of the last-unvrevealed dirty
secrets of American politics," said a
Republican consultant describing the
vote-suppression operations.
Mich. community's reaction mixed on Iowa
By Stephanie Jo Klein
Daily Staff Reporter
With keen eyes on their calendars
and television newscasts, local legisla-
tors and University students are unde-
cided about what the results from the
Louisiana and Iowa caucuses will do to
set the tone for the rest of the presiden-
tial primaries. With the New Hamp-
shire primary one week away, the race
appears to be up in the air.
Although President Clinton has no
opposition in the Democratic race, the
large number of Republican competitors
is leading to a constantly changing race,
parallel to the 1988 "seven dwarves"pack
of Democratic contenders.
Conservative television commenta-
tor Pat Buchanan won last week's Loui-
siana caucus, but he took a close second
to Sen. Bob Dole(R-Kan.) in Monday's
Iowa caucus, the traditional "official"
start of the primaries.
The seven otherRepublican candidates,
including Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, pub-
lishing giant Malcolm "Steve" Forbes Jr.
and radio talk show host Alan Keyes are
struggling to stay in the race.
State Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-
Salem Twp.) said Clinton would out-
shine any of the Republicans in the
November election. "Any of the three
leading candidates coming is immi-
nently defeat-able," she said.
The intra-party
arguments about
platform issues, A 0
such as a national
flat tax, Smith three lea
said, will only n
weaken the Re-d
publican showing " a,
nationally. "They is$immins
are working to d ef
make it a non-is-
sue," she said, - Sen. Alma'
LSAjunior An-
gela Jerkatis,
president of the
University's College Republicans, said
"with everybody lining up behind Dole,
it's definitely shaping up who the Repub-
lican nominee will be."
Engineering first-year student Jim
Riske disagreed.
"Iowa is a glorified straw poll," said
Riske, who is also the state campaign
manager for Keyes' nomination bid.
Although he only got 7 percent of the
Iowa votes, Riske said Keyes would stay
in the race for a while. He was surprised
at the relatively good showing, given
Keyes']lack ofpub-
f the
iding
N
es coming
mntly
Wheeler Smith
(D-Salem Twp.)
licity.
"Iowa was the
first state in which
Keyes was even
able to run radio
ads," Riske said.
Riske said he'd
be surprised if
Gramm stayed in
the race much
longer and pre-
dicted Buchanan's
bid would soon
came within three points of Dole."
Acknowledged by many as the most
formidable adversary for Clinton, Dole
is nevertheless facing criticism for his
narrow win over Buchanan.
In the 1988 Iowa primary, Dole had a
37-percent showing against then-Vice
President George Bush. Monday, Dole
only received 26 percent of the vote.
"Last night he barely squeaked by,"
said Chuck Yob, Gramm's Michigan
campaign manager.
Yob echoed Riske's sentiments. "I
don't see Iowa and New Hampshire as
calling the race," he said.
"The news media wants to be able to
call a winner," Yob said. "I think it will be
an open race after New Hampshire."
The March 19 primary in Michigan
and several other midwest states will
help decide the race, Yob asserted.
"Nine hundred seventy delegates
(will already be awarded) going into
Michigan," he said. On the 19th, 272
delegates will be up for grabs.
Campaign finance may determine who
stays in the race, with contributions de-
pendent on good poll showings.
"When you're running against
Forbes, you're always having money
trouble," Yob joked.
"I called up Mrs. Gramm yesterday
and chewed her out for not leaving her
son $4 million."
self-destruct.
"When they fold," he said, "(the con-
servative voters) will naturally go to-
ward Keyes."
Smith said she did not see a wide
endorsement for Buchanan, even with his
strong showings. "I don't think it will
carry over into Michigan," she added.
Patricia Skrobe, chair ofthe Washtenaw
County Democratic Party, said she was
not entirely shocked by the results.
"I predicted that Pat Buchanan would
place a lot higher than people thought he
would," she said. "1 was surprised that he
Counterfeit $100 bills
found internationally
WASHINGTON - Late last year, in
a little-noticed criminal trial of a high-
ranking Secret Service official, the
agency made a startling admission:
Some foreign governments are printing
superb counterfeit U.S. $100 bills.
While there have been rumors and
some news reports that Iran, and per-
haps Syria, may be printing phony
greenbacks, the disclosure was signifi-
cant because it came from the Secret
Service itself. The agency and its parent
Treasury Department have kept a tight
lid on what they know - or don't know
- about high-quality counterfeits ap-
parently rolling from government
presses abroad.
Officially, the Secret Service does
not acknowledge that "supernotes"
even exist. "Our position is that some
notes are more deceptive than others,
and to date there is no undetectable
counterfeit," said Secret Service
spokesperson Eric Harnischfeger.
In private, however, agents talk of
the supernotes almost with reverence.
Officials say they have no clear idea
of how much of the $260 billion in U.S.
currency overseas is made up of
supernotes, although the Secret Service
Suspects deemed too
old or sick to stand
trial for Nazi crimes
FRANKFURT, Germany - The
last Nazi war crimes trial in Germany
has probably already taken place be-
cause remaining suspects may be too
old or sick to face trial, a top German
prosecutor said yesterday.
A Jewish leader disputed that con-
tention, however, saying many German
authorities did not want any more trials
and had dragged their feet in pursuing
investigations.
Four elderly Germans have been
charged with Nazi war crimes but have
not been brought to trial in local courts,
said Alfred Streim, the chief prosecutor
who heads the Ludwigsburg-based
Documentation Center on Nazi crimes.
He said the charges were filed "some
time ago" but the dates for trial have not
been set.
"Presumably the suspects are too old
and (prosecutors) are waiting to see if
their health condition improves or not,"
Streim said in a telephone interview.
He would not identify the four, but
says that only a fraction of I percen*
all currency is counterfeit. Neverthe-
less, a top Russian banker estimated
last year that supernotes made up as
much as 20 percent of the $20 billion in
U.S. currency there. A loss of confi-
dence in U.S. currency could affect its
value and disrupt foreign commerce.
N 1 help
New gels may hlp
women avoidHIV
BETHESDA, Md. -A cousin ofthe
healthy bacteria found in yogurt helps
women fight off vaginal infections natu-
rally - and now doctors are trying to
harness these bugs to protect against
the AIDS virus.
They are trying to create a gel or
cream that a woman could insert into
her vagina before sexual intercourse
to kill HIV in case her partner ha '
AIDS researchers said yesterday the
need for these "vaginal microbicides'"
is huge because AIDS is skyrocketing
among heterosexual women world-
wide.
"We are really trying to get the word
out on microbicides," said Sharon
Hillier of the University of Pittsburgh,'
who in about a month will begin testing
a candidate made with the bacteria on
900 teen-agers.
MO
said they all are around 80 years old
The charges include such crimes as
mistreatment of concentration camp
inmates resulting in deaths.
World's oldest,
woman cuts rap CD
ARLES, France - Jeanne Calment
isn't one of those pop stars who loses
her muse with age - her first album is
scheduled to be released on her 121st
birthday.
Calment, who lives in a nursing
home named after her in this southern
French town, does not sing onft
album, called "Time's Mistress."Pr
ducers of the CD recorded her speak-
ing and mixed her voice with rap and
techno rhythms, but would not re-
lease further details on the album yes-
terday.
It is to be released on her birthday,
Feb. 22.
According to the Guinness Book of
Records, at 120, Calment is the oldest
person in the world able to authenticate
her age with birth records. .
- From Daily wire services
.:.Your ° :£ a
a
NOW HIRING: WAIT STAFF
Make up to $8-$16.OO whips
BONUS : $50.00 after 60 days!
We Make Your Time Wor'tht
Its Weight in GOLD!
3776 S. State St., Ann Arbor
,
micnigan 11511lJOI NV[4*- M~uI ) is puorsneo monoayVI1405tnrougn 5I II I 140curingIIthe Iran01 014winter termUsIIoy
students at the University of Michigan. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are
$85. Winter term (January through April) is $95, year-long (September through April) is $165. On-campus
subscriptions for fall term are $35, Subscriptions must be prepaid.
The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and the Associated Collegiate Press.
ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327.
PHONE NUMBERS (All area code 313): News 76-DAILY; Arts 763-0379; Sports 747-3336; Opinion 764-055
Circulation 764-0558; Classified advertising 764-0557; Display advertising 764-0554; Billing 764-0550.
E-mail letters to the editor to daily.letters@umich.edu. World Wide Web: http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/.
S9 mme Hosing
in. New YorH Cir
-.A.
-J Vn §A -'wr n,...:. Wn 0** 1. .i-. e I - .: .c 1
w
m
EDITORIAL STAFF Ronnie Glasshem'. Editor In Chief I
a
161011vnaMi. %-V9Jrr n1.012111c vw aaa uc g GNlavr u vu a 1
m
ATTENTION STUDENTS:
A rep will be at the following dorm
cafeterias selling student tickets!!!
NEWS Amy Klein, Managing Editor
EDITORS: Tim O'Connell, Megan Schimpf, Michelle Lee Thompson, Josh White.
STAFF: Patience Atkin, Cathy Boguslaski, Anita Chik, Jodi Cohen, Lisa Dines, Sam T. Dudek, Jeff Eldridge, Lenny Feller. Kate
Glickman, Jennifer Harvey, Stephanie Jo Klein, Jeff Lawson, Marisa Ma, Laurie Mayk. Heather Miller, Soumya Mohan, James M.
Nash, Laura Nelson. Anupama Reddy. Alice Robinson, Matthew Smart, Carissa Van Heest. Christopher Wan, Katie Wang, Will
Weissert.
CALENDAR: Josh White.
EDITORIAL Adrienne Janney, Zachary M. Raimi, Editors
STAFF: Erena Baybik, Kate Epstein, Niraj R. Ganatra, Ephraim R. Gerstein, Keren Kay Hahn, Katie Hutchins, Chris Kaye, Jeff
Keating, Joel F. Knutson, Jim Lasser, Ann Markey, Erin Marsh, Brent McIntosh, Trisha Miller, Steven Musto, Paul Serilla,
Jordan Stancil, Ron Steiger, Jean Twenge, Andrew Taylor, Matt Wimsatt.
SPORTS Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Managing Editor
EDITORS: John Leroi. Brent McIntosh, Barry Sollenberger.
STAFF: Donald Adamek, Paul Barger, Nancy Berger, Susan Dann, Avi Ebenstein. Darren Everson, Alan Goldenbach, James
Goldstein, Jennifer Houdilik, Chaim Hyman, Andy Knudsen, Marc Lightdaie, Will McCahill, Chris Murphy, Jim Rose, Michael
Rosenberg, Danielle Rumore, Richard Shin, Mark Snyder, Dan Stillman, Doug Stevens, Ryan White.
ARTS Joshua Rich, Alexandra Twin, Editors
WEEKEND, ETC. EDITORS: Jennifer Buckley, Kari Jones
SUB-EDITORS: Dean Bakopoulos (Books). Melissa Rose Bernaroc (Theater). Brian A. Gnatt (Music), Jennifer Petlinski (Film),
Ted Watts (Fine Arts).
STAFF: Eugene Bowen, Neal C. Carruth. Christopher Corbett. Jeffrey Dinsmpre, Tim Furlong. Lise Harwin, Emily Lambert, James
Miller, Kristin Long. Elizabeth Lucas. Heather Phares, Michael Rosenberg, Dave Snyder. Elan Stavros, Prashant Tamaskar,
Michael Z ilberman.
PHOTO Mark Friedman, Jonathan Lurie, Editors
STAFF: Josh Biggs. Jennifer Bradley-Swift. Tonya Broad, Diane Cook, Nopporn Kichanantha, Margaret Myers, Stephanie Grac
Lim, Elizabeth Lippman, Kristen Schaefer, Sara Stillman, Walker VanDyke, Joe Westrate, Warren Z inn.
COPY DESK James M. Nash, Editor
STAFF: Jodi Cohen, Lili Kalish, Elizabeth Lucas, Heather Miller, Elan Stavros.
ONLINE Scott Wilcox, Editor
STAFF: Dennis Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Greenstein, Travis Patrick, Victoria Salipande, Matthew Smart. Joe Westrate.
BUSINESS STAFF J.L. o
DISPLAY SALES Dan Ryan, Manager
ASSOCIATE MANAGER: Erin Green.
STAFF: Shavannia Anderson-Williams. Chris Barry. Mary Coles. Alexis Costinew. Bryan Freeman. Stephanie Hu, Keith Litwin.
Mosher-Jordan
West Quad
Bursley Hall
Monday, Feb. 12th
Tuesday, Feb. 13th
Wednesday, Feb. 14th
4PM-7PM
4PM-8PM
4PM-7:30PM
Cheer on your WOLVERINES
as they battle STATE for first
place in the CCHA!!!
- ooo oal