■ It wasn’t Watergate and it certainly didn’t involve national security, though it did involve the security of some 100 Vietnamese. It has been revealed that several of the media organizations—NBC, CBS, the New York Times, AP, and UPI—brought considerable pressure on various U.S. officials to get their employees out of Vietnam. The media officials brushed away the legalities and persuaded the government to look the other way during the extralegal (illegal?) operation as their Vietnamese employees boarded planes without proper papers. They all feel that the ends justify the means—when humanitarian issues are concerned.
■ REGRO, anyone? That stands for Republicans for Effective Grass Roots Organization—a Boston group whose purpose is to recruit “disaffected Democrats who feel uncomfortable in the party of George McGovern and are looking for a place to hang their hats.” They favor constitutional limitations on taxation rates, overhauling the welfare system, voucher education, balancing ecological and economic considerations, an end to racial busing, and enforcement of the gun control laws already on the books. Sensible people. One question is whether the Republican Party is still an effective agency for sensible people. See page 550.
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