SOURCES IN WASHINGTON say the Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.), Ronald Rleagan's national campaign chairman, has
risen from nowhere to become the principal contender in the search for the GOP's vice-presidential candidate.
GOP sets '80platform;
picks ticket favorites
WASHINGTON (AP)-Sen. Paul possibility, the choice will come down The platform calls for sharp in-
Laxalt of Nevada, Ronald Reagan's to himself of Sen. Richard Lugar of In- crease in U.S. defense spending, a
national campaign chairman and a diana. tougher posture toward the Soviet
longtime alter ego in both private and REAGAN REPORTEDLY has yet to Union, a 10 per cent tax cut for
public life, is among the finalists-and make a final decision, and will not do so Americans, and anti-abortion amen-
some say the favorite-for the No. 2 until he arrives in Detroit early next dment to the Constitution. It withholds
spot on the GOP presidential ticket. week for the GOP National Convention. the party's support for an Equal Rights
Laxalt spurned vice-presidential In related news, the Republican Plat- Amendment for women for the first
overtures within the Reagan camp until form Committee virtually completed time in 40 years.
just two weekends ago and, in fact, work last night on a 1980 platform that
promoted George Bush and former it hopes will help pave the way for THE COMMITTEE completed its
President Gerald Ford for the job. But Reagan to win the presidency in work one day ahead of schedule, and
he believes now that while Bush is still a November. Sen. John Tower, chairman of the plat-
form committee, said, "I think it reflec-
.As.iis the unity of the party and the
singlemindedness of our purpose."
All that remainead to be completed
was an introductory statement and
Tower said this would be done this
morning.
The platform clearly reflects the
policies and positions of Reagan, and
his lieutenants were active in per-
sauding the delegates to accept them
6E6 £.LIAERTA Nwith a minimum of controversy and,
debate.
' T * *- The platform has special provisions
Tonight: T I E appealing to blacks and Hispanics, and
expresses compassion for poor and un-
privileged Americans.

Dems to
fight over
economic,
loyalty
positions
WASHINGTON (AP)-Floor fights
at the Democratic National Convention
next month will focus on economic plat-
form planks and a rule requiring
President Carter's delegates to vote for
him onthe first ballot.
The loyalty rule, pushed by Carter
supporters to prevent fence-jumping by
his delegates, was the major point of
dispute at the Democratic Rules Com-
mittee meetings here this week.
THE DEMOCRATIC Rules Commit-
tee voted earlier this week to require
convention delegates to vote on the first
ballot for the candidate they were
pledged to support. The 1976 convention
had no such requirement, but an at-
tempt by Kennedy forces to keep the old
rule. in effect was defeated 87%-65.
"I believe that the rules that applied
in 1976 that nominated Jimmy Carter
were good enough for Jimmy Car-
ter ..," Sen. Edward Kennedy said.
"I don't see why they ought to be
altered or changed in 1980."
The issue is critical to Kennedy, since
Carter has more than enough delegates
needed for the nomination. If all the
delegates were bound on the first ballot
the president would get more than 1,900
votes, with 1,666 needed for the
nomination.,,
KENNEDY ASSERTED his deter-
mination to push for a rules fight after
an address to the National Conference
of State Legislatures in which he
assailed "furious and foolish passions"
to balance the federal budget.
Kennedy forces were beaten badly in
fights over most rule challenges, but at
the close of the two-day session the Car-
ter camp began to make conciliatory
gestures.
When the Kennedy delegates said
they would like extra time at the con-
vention for debate on five issues
defeated by Carter supporters in the
rules committee meetings, the Carter
group virtually promised they would
get it.
In addition to the loyalty rule, a
major topic of debate expected from
the Kennedy camp will be Kennedy's
omnibus economic package, which
calls for wage and price controls, anti-
recession measures, assistance to
American business to help it compete in
foreign markets, and stronger enfor-
cenent of anti-trust laws.

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TONIGHT At
7:309:30 PRETTY BABY
Director Louis Malle has taken a taboo subject-child prostitution and
created an exquisitely mesmerizing film of humanity and beauty. E. J.
Bellocq was a photographer obsessed with the prostitutes in New Orleans'
red light district. The young girl Violet bewitches him with her naive coquet-
tishness schooled in the house of her mother's profession. BROOKE SHIELDS,
KEITH CARRADINE, SUSAN SARANDON.
SATURDAY: OUTRAGEOUS
CNEMA GUILD *ATOLDA&D AUD
CIN M G U L (THE ,FILM DtSTriCrT).

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