Can Bill Clinton follow his own clarion call? His use of conservative rhetoric in State of the Union address, says Project for Republican Future’s Bill Kristol, “is a tribute to those ideas.” . . . What did American people think? A week earlier, 44 per cent told CNN/USA Today/Gallup that President shared their values; week after, 53 per cent did. Post-address, 84 per cent think he is leading country in right direction; 58 per cent feel he “will be tough enough on crime.” Two weeks before, respondents to NR poll gave President a “C-” on “fighting crime and drugs.” Kristol says: “in a few weeks people will be hungry” for action on those ideas. . . . Family Research Council’s Gary Bauer says of President’s commitment to “free condoms, free needles, free abortions— now there is a ‘pro-family’ agenda that even nervous Republican leaders should be able to defeat.” . . . Weekend before Clinton speech, RNC Chairman Haley Barbour hinted that GOP should distance itself from abortion issue, reports Robert Novak. . . . On health care, says Charles Krauthammer: Clinton “has passion and . . . obvious conviction,” but his “power is not logic.” . . . Rep. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) asks: How can we explain to those “who have invested in a plan that they’re not terribly unhappy with that they should jump into the abyss of the unknown?” . . . U.S. News & World Report’s Michael Barone warns: “When you ask what Clinton believes on any issue, ‘what’ should be plural, not singular.”
Flight from House continues: 36 is current tally of retiring congressmen, outpacing record-setting 1992. Among those are 15-term veteran Bill Ford, chairman of Education and Labor Committee, and Judiciary subcommittee chairmen Bill Hughes (10 terms) and Don Edwards (16 terms). . . . Knowing when to quit: in their last election (1992) those retiring from politics altogether had winning margins 10 points lower than those not retiring. . . . Likely to join list is liberal Michigan Rep. Bob Carr (D.), who plans to run for seat of retiring Sen. Don Riegle. Two conservatives, Spencer Abraham and Ronna Romney, are fighting tough battle for GOP nomination to fill seat. … In Ohio, legal-services executive Joel Hyatt, who would like to take over Senate seat of father-in-law Howard Metzenbaum, is hurt by reports of AIDS discrimination by a franchise partner: good news for Republican Lieut. Gov. Mike DeWine, who now leads the field. … In Rhode Island, Thomas Post Jr., co-chairman of 1992 Buchanan campaign there, plans to challenge liberal Republican Sen. John Chafee in primary. . . . Raising money for pro-life conservative Oliver North in Virginia is Republicans for Choice head Ann Stone.
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