■ Tagged as vulnerable in 1994: Sen. Don Riegle (D., Mich.), owing to anti-incumbent fever and Keating Five taint. Republicans’ hopes bolstered by fact that popular conservative Gov. John Engler is also up for re-election. Likely GOP challengers include: Rep. Fred Upton (ACU: 75), former NRCC chief Spencer Abraham, and Detroit Pistons star Bill Laimbeer. . . . Also quite unpopular is Bill Clinton, whose approval rating is lowest at this point in Administration of any post-WWII President. Mid-April Gallup survey shows 52 per cent approve, 38 per cent disapprove. Compare with Gallup figures for predecessors at same point: Kennedy—72 per cent approval, 6 per cent disapproval; Nixon—65 to 9; Carter—70 to 9; Reagan—60 to 24; Bush—63 to 13. . . . Rumbles from Alabama: anti-Clinton Democratic Sen. Richard Shelby may plan to switch party affiliation; Shelby has been severely punished by White House and fellow Dems for opposing President’s spending plans: NASA jobs were moved out of state, attempts were made to steer bill around his subcommittee. . . . Only a third of those polled throughout New York feel Gov. Mario Cuomo should run for re-election. Likely candidates for GOP or Conservative Party nomination are Sen. Al D’Amato, former ambassador to France Evan Galbraith, businessman Pat Barrett, 1990 contender Herb London. . . . Being urged to run, but with no plans as yet, is Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell. The Harlem-born general has a statewide favorable rating of 68 per cent. … In Los Angeles may-oral race, conservative Republican Richard Riordan won spot in run-off with liberal Democrat Michael Woo. . . . Conservative Opportunity Society chairman Rep. John Boehner expressed dissatisfaction with Chamber of Commerce for alleging that small businesses seek government mandate forcing them to pay employee health costs. Rep. Newt Gingrich has escalated attack on CoC, getting typically non-confrontational Minority Leader Bob Michel into the fight.
■ Friends in High Places: Peter Edelman has been named counselor to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala. Mr. Edelman’s wife is Children’s Defense Fund Chairman Marian Wright Edelman. . . . Shelley Metzenbaum, daughter of the Ohio senator, expected to be named to assistant administrator post at EPA. . . . Top aide to U.S. Ambassador to France Pamela Harriman is Avis Bohlen. When Mrs. Harriman’s late husband Averell became Ambassador to USSR, his top aide was Chip Bohlen, Avis’s father. . . . Hoping to “look more like America,” Clinton Administration is looking more like Washington, D.C. So far, of close to 200 top jobs filled, some 60 have gone to Washingtonians, a dozen to Marylanders, ten to Virginians.
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