For the Record

■ More surprises on the Hill: Why hasn’t a Democratic Congress given a Democratic President what he wants? Answer, according to Representative Tom Foley, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus: the 60 per cent of the House Democrats who have been elected since 1970 and don’t believe in party regularity. “When the whips tell the members, ‘The committee wants you to vote with them on this,’ the younger members reply: ‘Don’t tell me what the committee wants, tell me what the issue is.’ ”. . . ADA spokesman Leon Shull agrees that things are snafu’d. “We’re distressed,” he says. “Jimmy Carter’s somewhat to the left of what I expected, but Congress has been somewhat to the right.” And he adds: “There’s no doubt the House is in a conservative mood.” . . . Rep. David Obey (D., Wis.), out of whose committee came the new ethics code, puts various conservative victories (on common-site picketing, instant registration, school busing, abortions on Medicaid) down to liberal-labor complacency. “The only group doing any effective lobbying right now,” says Obey, “is the right wing.” . . . Wall Street Journal provides a rundown of how congressional leaders are seen by the White House. Robert Byrd, Senate Majority Leader, “prickly”; Jim Wright, House Majority Leader, hipped on water projects, reads Carter sermons; Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House, more cooperative, “you can play ball with Tip.”

■ It’s already started, the attack on the cruise missile and other new weapons systems. Says Louis Schneider, executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, the Administration should curb the cruise missile since it “is an even more dangerous destabilizing force than the B-l.” . . . The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency has released a report warning that development of the new neutron artillery projectile and the Lance missile war- head could hurt strategic talks with the Soviet Union. For instance, both the Lance and the neutron artillery shell need further underground testing: U.S. and Soviet negotiators are now discussing a total ban on such tests (see article by S. T. Cohen, Wm. Van Cleave, NR July 8). . . . New thoughts on why Carter came down so hard on General Singlaub: he wanted to ward off possible criticism of SALT talks by other high-ranking military men.

Featured Tags

■ More surprises on the Hill: Why hasn’t a Democratic Congress given a Democratic President what he wants? Answer, according to Representative Tom Foley, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus: the 60 per cent of the House Democrats who have been elected since 1970 and don’t believe in party regularity. “When the whips tell the members, ‘The committee wants you to vote with them on this,’ the younger members reply: ‘Don’t tell me what the committee wants, tell me what the issue is.’ ”. . . ADA spokesman Leon Shull agrees that things are snafu’d. “We’re distressed,” he says. “Jimmy Carter’s somewhat to the left of what I expected, but Congress has been somewhat to the right.” And he adds: “There’s no doubt the House is in a conservative mood.” . . . Rep. David Obey (D., Wis.), out of whose committee came the new ethics code, puts various conservative victories (on common-site picketing, instant registration, school busing, abortions on Medicaid) down to liberal-labor complacency. “The only group doing any effective lobbying right now,” says Obey, “is the right wing.” . . . Wall Street Journal provides a rundown of how congressional leaders are seen by the White House. Robert Byrd, Senate Majority Leader, “prickly”; Jim Wright, House Majority Leader, hipped on water projects, reads Carter sermons; Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House, more cooperative, “you can play ball with Tip.”

■ It’s already started, the attack on the cruise missile and other new weapons systems. Says Louis Schneider, executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, the Administration should curb the cruise missile since it “is an even more dangerous destabilizing force than the B-l.” . . . The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency has released a report warning that development of the new neutron artillery projectile and the Lance missile war- head could hurt strategic talks with the Soviet Union. For instance, both the Lance and the neutron artillery shell need further underground testing: U.S. and Soviet negotiators are now discussing a total ban on such tests (see article by S. T. Cohen, Wm. Van Cleave, NR July 8). . . . New thoughts on why Carter came down so hard on General Singlaub: he wanted to ward off possible criticism of SALT talks by other high-ranking military men.