Tarrance Group poll has moderate Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison 11 points ahead of appointed incumbent Sen. Bob Krueger for June 5 Texas election. Victory would be symbolic defeat for Bill Clinton, while narrowing Democrats’ margin in Senate to 56—44. . . . Clinton has 37 per cent popularity rating among Texans, topping only his 33 per cent in Arizona. Nationwide approval rating is down to 46 per cent. … In New Jersey, moderate Republican Christine Todd Whitman still leads polls for three-way June 8 primary. She also fares better than her opponents in match-ups against incumbent Gov. Jim Florio. Asbury Park Press has her leading Florio 45 to 36 per cent. . . . Rep. John Kasich (Ohio) is a rising Republican star, thanks to effort to form tax-cutting package as alternative to President’s plan. An aide recently announced that Kasich is “definitely considering” challenging the interminable Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, who may in fact be considering retirement in 1994. . . . Bruce Herschensohn, although heartened by offers to draft him into Senate race against Dianne Feinstein in 1994, is still saying he won’t run. . . . Ronald Reagan has found reason to celebrate, noting in recent videotape address to a Republican fundraiser: “As you dine together, Democrats are making the mistakes that guarantee Republicans will be in the White House for the next 25 years.” . . . Richard Nixon predicts a 25-seat House pickup for the GOP in 1994. On average the party not in the White House gains 19 seats in the midterm elections.
With friends like these, who needs Republicans? Positive TV news coverage of Bill Clinton fell from 61 per cent during transition to 42 per cent during first 75 days, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs. In news stories, Clinton social policies were criticized by 73 per cent of sources, economic policies by 59 per cent. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, received 78 per cent positive press. . . . Mr. Clinton has also lost support of longtime friend and vehement early-in-term supporter Rep. Dave McCurdy (D., Okla.). McCurdy says energy tax and other initiatives “are in real trouble,” reports Wall Street Journal. . . . Deputy budget director Alice Rivlin dismissed President’s deficit trust fund as a “display device,” and was taken to woodshed.
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