On the Record

Popular Front of Latvia hopes for independence from Soviet Union within five years, thinks it may see “transitional period” earlier. According to Chicago Latvian Newsletter, 64 per cent of Latvia’s ethnic Russians and 57 per cent of other non-Latvians support the Popular Front. Which gives hope to Vladien Dozortsev, Russian member of Popular Front, who said recently, “We cannot struggle for the independence of Latvia with only half the population.” . . . In Yugoslavia, thousands of ethnic Albanians fought with police in Kosovo demanding that the Communist authorities lift state of emergency and hold free elections. . . . Last week, Joszef Orosz, a Hungarian journalist in Albania, the one remaining hardline European state yet to fall, reported hearing gunfire in the outskirts of Tirana; there have been unconfirmed reports of security crackdown. . . . Anxiety for free elections and eroding confidence in present government has led East Germany to move elections from May to March. … In Poland, Communist Party voted to disband itself after 45 years in power. Zbigniew Jarecki, delegate from Gdansk, said: “It will take years to rebuild our credibility.”

In Georgia, U.S.A., State Sen. Roy Barnes said it straight out. If Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young (who is black) is nominated for governor, his white Republican opponent John Isakson will win. Barnes is running against Young in primary. … In California, Ron Kovic, character portrayed by Tom Cruise in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, is being urged to oppose conservative Rep. Bob Dornan (R.). . . . North Carolina Democrats having hard time finding big-time candidate to oppose conservative Sen. Jesse Helms, perhaps because, as former Assistant Secretary of State Rich Williamson said about Helms in another context, “Jesse is the skunk in the garden party, and he doesn’t mind it one bit.” … In Alabama, Howell Heflin (D.) is facing tough race from GOP State Sen. Bill Cabiniss. … In Iowa, Tom Tauke is putting up a strong fight against incumbent Sen. Tom Harkin (D.). According to Des Moines Register poll, Harkin leads his Republican challenger 50 to 36 per cent, but Tauke’s support is strong and growing. . . . Republican Bill Schuette is strengthening his organization and warchest to fight Democratic Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.). But Schuette faces tough primary battle from former Legal Services administrator Clark Durant. … In Illinois, Rep. Lynn Martin, though still a long way from victory, is gaining ground on Democratic freshman Sen. Paul Simon. . . . The Busby Papers reports that after the 1990 census, California, Texas, and Florida combined may have about one-fourth of House seats. . . . And a couple of political sidebars. Rep. Marvin Leath (D., Tex.) has, as the headline writer put it, decided to “take the money and run.” Leath will not stand for re-election so he can take a $487,535 in campaign surplus funds with him into retirement. That loophole was closed after this year in the House pay-raise legislation. . . . Also in Texas, George A. Mallick, the Fort Worth entrepreneur who once hired Jim Wright’s wife, has filed for bankruptcy. . . . San Francisco Chronicle reports that the largest organization on the radical-Left Berkeley campus is Berkeley College Republicans. Says its president, Jonathan Gear, “Being in Berkeley, we can see socialism in action and that makes recruiting easy.”

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Popular Front of Latvia hopes for independence from Soviet Union within five years, thinks it may see “transitional period” earlier. According to Chicago Latvian Newsletter, 64 per cent of Latvia’s ethnic Russians and 57 per cent of other non-Latvians support the Popular Front. Which gives hope to Vladien Dozortsev, Russian member of Popular Front, who said recently, “We cannot struggle for the independence of Latvia with only half the population.” . . . In Yugoslavia, thousands of ethnic Albanians fought with police in Kosovo demanding that the Communist authorities lift state of emergency and hold free elections. . . . Last week, Joszef Orosz, a Hungarian journalist in Albania, the one remaining hardline European state yet to fall, reported hearing gunfire in the outskirts of Tirana; there have been unconfirmed reports of security crackdown. . . . Anxiety for free elections and eroding confidence in present government has led East Germany to move elections from May to March. … In Poland, Communist Party voted to disband itself after 45 years in power. Zbigniew Jarecki, delegate from Gdansk, said: “It will take years to rebuild our credibility.”

In Georgia, U.S.A., State Sen. Roy Barnes said it straight out. If Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young (who is black) is nominated for governor, his white Republican opponent John Isakson will win. Barnes is running against Young in primary. … In California, Ron Kovic, character portrayed by Tom Cruise in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, is being urged to oppose conservative Rep. Bob Dornan (R.). . . . North Carolina Democrats having hard time finding big-time candidate to oppose conservative Sen. Jesse Helms, perhaps because, as former Assistant Secretary of State Rich Williamson said about Helms in another context, “Jesse is the skunk in the garden party, and he doesn’t mind it one bit.” … In Alabama, Howell Heflin (D.) is facing tough race from GOP State Sen. Bill Cabiniss. … In Iowa, Tom Tauke is putting up a strong fight against incumbent Sen. Tom Harkin (D.). According to Des Moines Register poll, Harkin leads his Republican challenger 50 to 36 per cent, but Tauke’s support is strong and growing. . . . Republican Bill Schuette is strengthening his organization and warchest to fight Democratic Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.). But Schuette faces tough primary battle from former Legal Services administrator Clark Durant. … In Illinois, Rep. Lynn Martin, though still a long way from victory, is gaining ground on Democratic freshman Sen. Paul Simon. . . . The Busby Papers reports that after the 1990 census, California, Texas, and Florida combined may have about one-fourth of House seats. . . . And a couple of political sidebars. Rep. Marvin Leath (D., Tex.) has, as the headline writer put it, decided to “take the money and run.” Leath will not stand for re-election so he can take a $487,535 in campaign surplus funds with him into retirement. That loophole was closed after this year in the House pay-raise legislation. . . . Also in Texas, George A. Mallick, the Fort Worth entrepreneur who once hired Jim Wright’s wife, has filed for bankruptcy. . . . San Francisco Chronicle reports that the largest organization on the radical-Left Berkeley campus is Berkeley College Republicans. Says its president, Jonathan Gear, “Being in Berkeley, we can see socialism in action and that makes recruiting easy.”