For the Record

The question is: Did the House Democrats win one or lose one when they barred Rep. Phil Gramm, the maverick Boll Weevil from Texas, from the Budget Committee? Gramm’s response was to change parties, resign, and announce he would run for his own seat in a special by-election, having weeks ago sent pollster Lance Tarrance to Texas to see if he could win there as a Republican. Now the Democrats are saying the move against Gramm wasn’t “punitive.” Says Majority Leader Jim Wright, also from Texas, “denying a person a reward [service on the Budget Committee] is not a punishment” to give him such an assignment “is a prize, a plum, a leadership position.” . . . That’s not what they were saying last month when Rep. Gillis Long (La.), chairman of the Democratic Caucus, told the New York Times that “[punishing Gramm] would vividly portray the fact that we’re serious about this business” of enforcing some measure of party discipline. . . . The Democrats then turned around and reappointed another prominent Boll Weevil, Sonny Montgomery (Miss.), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Montgomery and Gramm, according to Public Citizen, Ralph Nader’s legislative watch group, voted the same way—which is to say wrong—on 12 key votes. I.e., what the Democrats are doing is making an example out of Gramm. . . . Republicans on the Hill, meanwhile, are jubilant, plan to hold an open committee spot on Budget for Gramm when, as expected, he returns. Back in Texas no one seems eager to take him on. . . . While ousting Gramm from Budget, Tip and Co. also managed to appoint liberal Democrats to that key committee.

Good Housekeeping is about to follow Reader’s Digest in black books of the media elite. Its annual poll of the most admired men puts Ronald Reagan first, followed, in order, by Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II. Among women: Mother Teresa, Princess Di, Nancy Reagan, Pat Nixon, and Phyllis Schlafly—enough to make any good liberal weep, which is what Arthur Schlesinger Jr. is still doing over Teddy’s withdrawal from ’84 race. “His withdrawal leaves the country without the all-out challenge to Reaganism that the miserable state of our affairs demands. . . . Unless some of the remaining Democratic contenders rise to the occasion, one has the dismal foreboding that, even if Mr. Reagan retires or loses, Reaganism in some sense will remain triumphant.” . . . The field is off and running: Walter Mondale and Reubin Askew have authorized the formation of campaign committees—which means that monies collected will be matched by the Treasury down the line; John Glenn is expected to do the same any day now.

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The question is: Did the House Democrats win one or lose one when they barred Rep. Phil Gramm, the maverick Boll Weevil from Texas, from the Budget Committee? Gramm’s response was to change parties, resign, and announce he would run for his own seat in a special by-election, having weeks ago sent pollster Lance Tarrance to Texas to see if he could win there as a Republican. Now the Democrats are saying the move against Gramm wasn’t “punitive.” Says Majority Leader Jim Wright, also from Texas, “denying a person a reward [service on the Budget Committee] is not a punishment” to give him such an assignment “is a prize, a plum, a leadership position.” . . . That’s not what they were saying last month when Rep. Gillis Long (La.), chairman of the Democratic Caucus, told the New York Times that “[punishing Gramm] would vividly portray the fact that we’re serious about this business” of enforcing some measure of party discipline. . . . The Democrats then turned around and reappointed another prominent Boll Weevil, Sonny Montgomery (Miss.), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Montgomery and Gramm, according to Public Citizen, Ralph Nader’s legislative watch group, voted the same way—which is to say wrong—on 12 key votes. I.e., what the Democrats are doing is making an example out of Gramm. . . . Republicans on the Hill, meanwhile, are jubilant, plan to hold an open committee spot on Budget for Gramm when, as expected, he returns. Back in Texas no one seems eager to take him on. . . . While ousting Gramm from Budget, Tip and Co. also managed to appoint liberal Democrats to that key committee.

Good Housekeeping is about to follow Reader’s Digest in black books of the media elite. Its annual poll of the most admired men puts Ronald Reagan first, followed, in order, by Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II. Among women: Mother Teresa, Princess Di, Nancy Reagan, Pat Nixon, and Phyllis Schlafly—enough to make any good liberal weep, which is what Arthur Schlesinger Jr. is still doing over Teddy’s withdrawal from ’84 race. “His withdrawal leaves the country without the all-out challenge to Reaganism that the miserable state of our affairs demands. . . . Unless some of the remaining Democratic contenders rise to the occasion, one has the dismal foreboding that, even if Mr. Reagan retires or loses, Reaganism in some sense will remain triumphant.” . . . The field is off and running: Walter Mondale and Reubin Askew have authorized the formation of campaign committees—which means that monies collected will be matched by the Treasury down the line; John Glenn is expected to do the same any day now.