Letter from Washington

Mr. Nixon’s support, as measured by the Harris Poll, has risen five points, back to 31 per cent. This poll was taken before the avalanche of news about Mr. Nixon’s tax bill. But it is not at all clear that the tax news will be an unmixed curse for Mr. Nixon. The sheer size of the tax bill may eclipse all the details about how Mr. Nixon came to owe so much, and may generate a kind of sympathy for Mr. Nixon among other taxpayers who are feeling the April pinch. One thing is certain: Congressman Wilbur Mills (D., Ark.) badly misjudged when he guessed that the information about Mr. Nixon’s taxes would generate a nearly irresistible pressure for Mr. Nixon’s resignation.

The most unreported issue confronting Congress is the abortion issue. There is a general misapprehension that the abortion issue was “settled,” as regards public policy, by last year’s Supreme Court decision liberalizing abortion laws. But that is far from the case, as the overworked congressional staffers can tell you as they try to keep up with the abortion-related mail. Such mail is flooding in almost as fast as Watergate-and impeachment-related mail, and much faster than mail on any other issue. For example, Senator Birch Bayh (D., Ind.) receives 60 to 80 letters a day on the subject. The focus of the letters is a proposed constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Court ruling.

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Mr. Nixon’s support, as measured by the Harris Poll, has risen five points, back to 31 per cent. This poll was taken before the avalanche of news about Mr. Nixon’s tax bill. But it is not at all clear that the tax news will be an unmixed curse for Mr. Nixon. The sheer size of the tax bill may eclipse all the details about how Mr. Nixon came to owe so much, and may generate a kind of sympathy for Mr. Nixon among other taxpayers who are feeling the April pinch. One thing is certain: Congressman Wilbur Mills (D., Ark.) badly misjudged when he guessed that the information about Mr. Nixon’s taxes would generate a nearly irresistible pressure for Mr. Nixon’s resignation.

The most unreported issue confronting Congress is the abortion issue. There is a general misapprehension that the abortion issue was “settled,” as regards public policy, by last year’s Supreme Court decision liberalizing abortion laws. But that is far from the case, as the overworked congressional staffers can tell you as they try to keep up with the abortion-related mail. Such mail is flooding in almost as fast as Watergate-and impeachment-related mail, and much faster than mail on any other issue. For example, Senator Birch Bayh (D., Ind.) receives 60 to 80 letters a day on the subject. The focus of the letters is a proposed constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Court ruling.