For the Record

speaker Jim Wright, to House Republican leadership, late March: The House (which is to say, the Democratic leadership) will promptly consider requests for further aid to the Contras if the Sandinistas violate the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Secretary of State George Shultz, early June, requests further military aid to the Contras on the grounds that the Sandinistas are not negotiating in good faith: “The resistance [Contras] delegation was harassed, intimidated, and subjected to continual abuse, treated virtually as prisoners . . . Their [the Sandinistas’] actions have shown the world that their promises of democratization have no counterpart in concrete action.” An aide to Jim Wright, in response: “They [the Contras] are not going to get it.” … A classic illustration of GOP lobbyist Tom Korologos’s aphorism: “Congress does just two things: it overreacts, and it does nothing.” . . . Chortling on Hill over Wright’s ethics troubles is bipartisan. Vide liberal columnist Richard Cohen’s gleeful swipe at 55 per cent royalty Wright received for his non-book, Reflections of a Public Man. Such a royalty is unheard of, says Cohen, “especially for a book whose movie possibilities are not readily apparent.”

Premature: reports here and elsewhere that Democratic Sen. Howard Metzen-baum of Ohio has clear re-election run. Latest Market Opinion Research poll shows Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich closing gap to 11 points (49 to 38). Comments MOR’s Alex Gage: “George Voinovich is running strong in areas of Ohio where voters know the real George Voinovich and the real Howard Metzenbaum.” . . . First poll in Mississippi since March (a Mississippi State University poll) shows Republican Rep. Trent Lott leading liberal Democrat Wayne Dowdy 50 to 40 for seat John Stennis is relinquishing. Lott gets surprising 14 per cent of black vote . . . Incumbent Republican Sen. Chic Hecht trails Democratic Gov. Richard Bryan by seven points in Nevada Senate battle, up from earlier soundings . . . It’s good but not good enough in New Jersey, where Republican challenger Gen. Pete Dawkins has narrowed Democrat Frank Lautenberg’s lead by 12 points.

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speaker Jim Wright, to House Republican leadership, late March: The House (which is to say, the Democratic leadership) will promptly consider requests for further aid to the Contras if the Sandinistas violate the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Secretary of State George Shultz, early June, requests further military aid to the Contras on the grounds that the Sandinistas are not negotiating in good faith: “The resistance [Contras] delegation was harassed, intimidated, and subjected to continual abuse, treated virtually as prisoners . . . Their [the Sandinistas’] actions have shown the world that their promises of democratization have no counterpart in concrete action.” An aide to Jim Wright, in response: “They [the Contras] are not going to get it.” … A classic illustration of GOP lobbyist Tom Korologos’s aphorism: “Congress does just two things: it overreacts, and it does nothing.” . . . Chortling on Hill over Wright’s ethics troubles is bipartisan. Vide liberal columnist Richard Cohen’s gleeful swipe at 55 per cent royalty Wright received for his non-book, Reflections of a Public Man. Such a royalty is unheard of, says Cohen, “especially for a book whose movie possibilities are not readily apparent.”

Premature: reports here and elsewhere that Democratic Sen. Howard Metzen-baum of Ohio has clear re-election run. Latest Market Opinion Research poll shows Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich closing gap to 11 points (49 to 38). Comments MOR’s Alex Gage: “George Voinovich is running strong in areas of Ohio where voters know the real George Voinovich and the real Howard Metzenbaum.” . . . First poll in Mississippi since March (a Mississippi State University poll) shows Republican Rep. Trent Lott leading liberal Democrat Wayne Dowdy 50 to 40 for seat John Stennis is relinquishing. Lott gets surprising 14 per cent of black vote . . . Incumbent Republican Sen. Chic Hecht trails Democratic Gov. Richard Bryan by seven points in Nevada Senate battle, up from earlier soundings . . . It’s good but not good enough in New Jersey, where Republican challenger Gen. Pete Dawkins has narrowed Democrat Frank Lautenberg’s lead by 12 points.