Harvard’s Kennedy School canceled traditional orientation course for congressional freshmen because GOP frosh flocked to Heritage Foundation’s two-and-a-half-day seminar instead. Heritage VP Kate Walsh O’Beirne told USA Today that Heritage set up program as direct challenge to Kennedy School and makes no claim of objectivity—“We’re conservatives.”…Impugning others’ patriotism, once the great liberal no-no, is now SOP for embattled Democrats. Sen. Christopher Dodd’s (D., Conn.) aiding-and-abet-ting-foreign-enemy blast at Sen. Jesse Helms (R., N.C.) (for saying Bill Clinton not respected by military) echoes Al Gore’s accusation that Ollie North was “unpatriotic” and literally committing treason for criticizing Clinton military cuts. Key player, by the way, behind ultra-liberal Dodd’s challenge to ultra-liberal Tom Daschle (D.. N.D.) for Senate minority leader was Sen. Pat Moynihan (D., N.Y.). … As he did with Contract with America, Speaker-to-be Newt Gingrich rolled grenade into opposition trenches with hugely popular school-prayer amendment. Clinton’s initial friendliness to idea brought immediate denunciation from Left. Clinton then backtracked (an “instant cave-in,” said Arthur Kropp of People for the American Way), saying he would ask GOP agreement on moment of silence. ‘We’re talking about voluntary prayer, not voluntary silence,” riposted Gingrich’s savvy, ubiquitous press aide Tony Blanldey…GOP push for tort reform in Congress does not scare Russ Herman, president of Association of Trial Lawyers of America, who says he likes “underdog role” and is “highly energized and motivated.” President-elect Pamela Liapakis less enthusiastic: “Yeah, we’re invigorated. I’d rather be less invigorated.”
More election post-mortems: NY Conservative Party’s 300,000 votes gave GOP’s George Pataki his margin of victory; he won by 193,000. Cuomo advisor David Garth and Liberal Party leader Raymond Harding have suggested NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s endorsement of Cuomo may have backfired by handing Pataki clear illustration of upstate—downstate conflict. . . . New York Times story by Robin Toner calls voter anger at Clinton’s try at government takeover of health care “the silent storm” that “swept away” Democratic candidates… “Gender gap” that gave 8-point advantage to Dem. candidates among female voters reverses itself to 4-point advantage for GOP if only married women are counted. Analysts say sense of economic security, not social issues, is key determinant with women. … In noting that no pro-life incumbent lost, and that pro-life challengers took down more than 30 strong abortion advocates, NY Post columnist Ray Kerrison says election shows “U.S. is rapidly, astonishingly, and mercifully revolting against abortion.” Pollster Richard Wirthlin asked ’94 voters about preference for ’96 presidential candidate; 48 per cent went for pro-life Republican, against 35 per cent for pro-abortion Democrat.
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