■ There they go again. When George McGovern took himself out of 1992 presidential race, he named as his choices: Sens. Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Robert Kerrey (Neb.) and Gov. Mario Cuomo (N.Y.), all on left flank of party. Evans & Novak think Harkin could run well as favorite son in Iowa and emerge as candidate of the Left, but “that’s not what the Democrats are supposed to be looking for this year.” E&N see Al Gore (Tenn.) as front-runner at this moment, and Douglas Wilder (Va.) as possible first black on a national presidential ticket (in No. 2 spot). . . . Former DNC Chairman Robert Strauss doubts Cuomo will be a starter unless he can put his own budgetary house in order. . . . Roper political analyst Everett Carll Ladd thinks George Bush has very little to worry about, with May polls showing that two-thirds of Democrats approve his performance. “No modern President,” says Ladd, “has looked so strong 18 months before election day.” . . . ABC News analyst Gary Langer, looking at recent Dan Quayle polls, agrees U.S. public is not ready for Quayle Presidency, but points out his numbers are not all bad: 61 per cent give him high rating on knowledge of national issues, and 65 per cent say he stands up for his beliefs. However, only 36 per cent think Quayle is a good communicator.
■ It’s three years off, but there’s growing interest in challenge to Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. Boston U. President John Silber, who has kept his 1990 campaign organization alive, hints he might take on Teddy next time around. . . . Others being mentioned: black U.S. Attorney Wayne Budd, a moderate Republican along the lines of Edward Brooke, black former GOP senator from Massachusetts; and deputy White House chief of staff Andrew Card. . . . In New York, former U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani may pass up primary against embattled Sen. Alfonse D’Amato next year and run instead against Mayor David Dinkins in 1993. . . . Turns out that “JFK Democrat” Harris Wofford, appointed to John Heinz’s Pennsylvania Senate seat, is liberal on everything but abortion. Wofford, a Catholic convert, is solid pro-lifer, as is Democratic Gov. Bob Casey, who appointed him. . . . While Beltway conservatives, familiar with Tom Pauken’s strong stand as Reagan’s ACTION head, were sorry at Pauken’s defeat in Texas congressional byelection, his successful opponent, Sam Johnson, is also a conservative. Byelection was called when Rep. Steve Bartlett resigned to run for mayor of Dallas. . . . Connecticut’s black Republican congressman, Gary Franks, who is not a member of far-left Black Caucus, has told Hartford Courant he’s “the most conservative member of the Connecticut delegation,” and that he is to the right of President Bush. . . . Fascinating vote on Ron Dellums amendment that would, in effect, have killed SDL That the amendment, which everyone knew would fail, got support of most of Black Caucus surprised no one. But why did Majority Leader Richard Gephardt support it? Others voting to kill SDI—the amendment would have eliminated the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization—included Reps. Patricia Schroeder (Colo.), Joseph Kennedy II (Mass.), Stephen Solarz (N.Y.).
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