For the Record

Get ready. The folks who gave us Yuri (“The Liberal”) Andropov are doing the same for Mikhail Gorbachev. “If expectations prove correct,” said a New York Times dispatch from Moscow after Chernenko’s death, “[the Gorbachev] leadership will be more open, perhaps, less obsessively suspicious, less burdened with memories of Stalin’s terror and the war.” . . . Soviet analyst George Kennan, who never fails to see the bright side in Kremlin doings, thinks Gorbachev selection will “produce a much higher order of vigor, flexibility, and thoughtfulness in the leading position.” . . . Gorbachev already has a fan club in Britain, which he visited last December. After the visit, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher commented: “I like Mr. Gorbachev. We can do business together.” Neil Kinnock, leader of British Labour Party, has probably spent more time with Gorbachev than any other Western politician, and Kinnock has already aligned himself with Gorbachev’s negative view of U.S. “Star Wars” technology. . . . But one Briton is not a fan. Peter Reddaway, a senior lecturer in political science at London School of Economics, said: “Some very silly things were said about [Gorbachev’s] being a liberal . . . when he visited here, but you just don’t get into the Politburo being a liberal. . . .” In his first statement after being tapped to succeed Chernenko, Gorbachev showed a lot more Leninism than liberalism: “People abroad who hold the same views as we may rest assured: In the. struggle for peace and social progress the party of Lenin will, as always, closely cooperate with fraternal Communist, workers’, and revolutionary-democratic parties.”

So far second-term Reagan White House is much feistier than first. Reagan’s veto of farm bill, accompanied by his emphatic warnings about bloated budget, was one example. White House is also ready to go to the mat for MX, aid to Nicaraguan Contras, and Strategic Defense Initiative. Some attribute Reagan’s new zest for battle to his changed staff. Donald T. Regan, new White House chief of staff, is far cry from James Baker. Regan, said a White House aide, “basically reinforces” Reagan, while Baker and Richard Darman and Michael Deaver, the inner circle in first-term White House, tried to tone him down. Now Baker and Darman are gone (to Treasury) and Deaver will be going in April. After Deaver goes, Regan and Patrick Buchanan, new White House Director of Communications, will have even freer hands. . . . New White House mood is so contagious it has apparently gotten to George Shultz over at State, who has become a Sandinista-basher. . . . Jeane Kirkpatrick, tough talker of first Reagan Administration, leaves her UN post at end of March, but she has big news planned for April. That’s when she is expected to follow in Reagan’s footsteps: change her party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. Mrs. Kirkpatrick, a Maryland resident, may seek Senate seat now held by liberal Republican Charles Mathias. . . . The GOP may pick up a seat in next year’s Senate race in Louisiana now that Russell Long has announced his retirement. Representative Henson Moore, a Republican, is now favorite in that race. Kevin Phillips, citing Louisiana race, says GOP has solid chance in 1986 of picking up two or three Senate seats now held by Democrats. Biggest cloud on GOP horizon, says Phillips, is farm-state vote: “If farm deterioration continues, a half-dozen farm-state GOP senators up in 1986 could draw strong Democratic opposition.” . . . Richard Nixon is doing his part to cut deficit. Nixon has told Treasury Secretary Baker that he is “declining Secret Service protection from now on.” The cost to the government of protecting Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Lady Bird Johnson, widow of LBJ, comes to about $26 million a year. Nixon’s move will save government $3 million a year. . . . Robert Dolan has resigned as chairman of Young Americans for Freedom amid charges that he used YAF funds for improper purposes. Terrell Cannon, who was elected to succeed Dolan as chairman, has requested a “comprehensive report” on YAF’s finances. But Cannon is on record with a denial that Dolan misused funds; he attributes Dolan’s departure to philosophical differences. Two days before his resignation, Dolan appeared on stage with President Reagan at Conservative Political Action Conference. . . . The GOP’s chances in 1986 have already gotten a boost: conservative political strategist Clif White is recovering nicely from triplebypass heart surgery performed at the Mayo Clinic. . . . Fourth annual Good Housekeeping poll of most admired men and women tilts to the right. Top three women (in order): Nancy Reagan, Mother Teresa, Phyllis Schlafly (Jeane Kirkpatrick is fourth). Top three men: RR, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham. Jane Fonda, who used to turn up in these polls, is a no-show.

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Get ready. The folks who gave us Yuri (“The Liberal”) Andropov are doing the same for Mikhail Gorbachev. “If expectations prove correct,” said a New York Times dispatch from Moscow after Chernenko’s death, “[the Gorbachev] leadership will be more open, perhaps, less obsessively suspicious, less burdened with memories of Stalin’s terror and the war.” . . . Soviet analyst George Kennan, who never fails to see the bright side in Kremlin doings, thinks Gorbachev selection will “produce a much higher order of vigor, flexibility, and thoughtfulness in the leading position.” . . . Gorbachev already has a fan club in Britain, which he visited last December. After the visit, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher commented: “I like Mr. Gorbachev. We can do business together.” Neil Kinnock, leader of British Labour Party, has probably spent more time with Gorbachev than any other Western politician, and Kinnock has already aligned himself with Gorbachev’s negative view of U.S. “Star Wars” technology. . . . But one Briton is not a fan. Peter Reddaway, a senior lecturer in political science at London School of Economics, said: “Some very silly things were said about [Gorbachev’s] being a liberal . . . when he visited here, but you just don’t get into the Politburo being a liberal. . . .” In his first statement after being tapped to succeed Chernenko, Gorbachev showed a lot more Leninism than liberalism: “People abroad who hold the same views as we may rest assured: In the. struggle for peace and social progress the party of Lenin will, as always, closely cooperate with fraternal Communist, workers’, and revolutionary-democratic parties.”

So far second-term Reagan White House is much feistier than first. Reagan’s veto of farm bill, accompanied by his emphatic warnings about bloated budget, was one example. White House is also ready to go to the mat for MX, aid to Nicaraguan Contras, and Strategic Defense Initiative. Some attribute Reagan’s new zest for battle to his changed staff. Donald T. Regan, new White House chief of staff, is far cry from James Baker. Regan, said a White House aide, “basically reinforces” Reagan, while Baker and Richard Darman and Michael Deaver, the inner circle in first-term White House, tried to tone him down. Now Baker and Darman are gone (to Treasury) and Deaver will be going in April. After Deaver goes, Regan and Patrick Buchanan, new White House Director of Communications, will have even freer hands. . . . New White House mood is so contagious it has apparently gotten to George Shultz over at State, who has become a Sandinista-basher. . . . Jeane Kirkpatrick, tough talker of first Reagan Administration, leaves her UN post at end of March, but she has big news planned for April. That’s when she is expected to follow in Reagan’s footsteps: change her party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. Mrs. Kirkpatrick, a Maryland resident, may seek Senate seat now held by liberal Republican Charles Mathias. . . . The GOP may pick up a seat in next year’s Senate race in Louisiana now that Russell Long has announced his retirement. Representative Henson Moore, a Republican, is now favorite in that race. Kevin Phillips, citing Louisiana race, says GOP has solid chance in 1986 of picking up two or three Senate seats now held by Democrats. Biggest cloud on GOP horizon, says Phillips, is farm-state vote: “If farm deterioration continues, a half-dozen farm-state GOP senators up in 1986 could draw strong Democratic opposition.” . . . Richard Nixon is doing his part to cut deficit. Nixon has told Treasury Secretary Baker that he is “declining Secret Service protection from now on.” The cost to the government of protecting Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Lady Bird Johnson, widow of LBJ, comes to about $26 million a year. Nixon’s move will save government $3 million a year. . . . Robert Dolan has resigned as chairman of Young Americans for Freedom amid charges that he used YAF funds for improper purposes. Terrell Cannon, who was elected to succeed Dolan as chairman, has requested a “comprehensive report” on YAF’s finances. But Cannon is on record with a denial that Dolan misused funds; he attributes Dolan’s departure to philosophical differences. Two days before his resignation, Dolan appeared on stage with President Reagan at Conservative Political Action Conference. . . . The GOP’s chances in 1986 have already gotten a boost: conservative political strategist Clif White is recovering nicely from triplebypass heart surgery performed at the Mayo Clinic. . . . Fourth annual Good Housekeeping poll of most admired men and women tilts to the right. Top three women (in order): Nancy Reagan, Mother Teresa, Phyllis Schlafly (Jeane Kirkpatrick is fourth). Top three men: RR, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham. Jane Fonda, who used to turn up in these polls, is a no-show.