F3 4
thursday, epril 14, 1977
flECA
arter takes the moo
out bslks
During Easter, Washington was quiet.
Congress went off for what used to be called the Easter
recess and is now known as a "District Work Period"
which some, nonetheless, spend in China. The President
went to Georgia to renew his roots, and perhaps walk in
the piney woods to sneak a look at his polls.
Flattery has gotten him everywhere.
His rating has gone off the boards.
The American people, who didn't even know who he
was a year ago, have lost their heads over him.
One- poll shows him at 80 per cent approval rating.
And what has he done?
He walked down Pennsylvania Avenue on Inauguration
Day. He wore a sweater on television.
He retired the trumpeters and the limousine fleet. He
went on a radio call-in show with Walter Cronkite and got
a girl in Maryland a government job. He went to Clinton,
Mass., and told the people they were absolutely marvelous
and his food bills are high, too. The crowd went wild.
Washington winds
He sent Congress a reorganization bill. It won't cost
any jobs or save any money. Congress said, hey, wait a
minute, what does it do? What's it going to do?
Carter said, none of your business, sign here.
Congress tugged its forelock and said, "Yes, sir."
Carter didn't tell Congress it was wonderful. He said
he was going to cut out 16 dams in their home districts.
They said you can't do that. And he said, just for that,
I'm going to study 14 more for extinction.
Carter's polls went up another few notches. ,
Ballet, opera
Carter went to the ballet, the opera, the theater. He
caused a treehouse to be built for his daughter Amy. He
told Congress he was going to reorganize the entire energy
situation.
Congress said, how? He said, watch for the grand open
ing on April 20.
He announced he was going to sell his yacht.
He sent Cyrus Vance off to negotiate a new era in
peace. Vance got to Moscow, opened his briefcase and put
his offer on the table. Leonid Brezhnev gave him a couple
of hours to get out of town.
A fiasco? Not at all. It was a success, Carter told the
American people, and if we have one more like it, I'll
start up the arms race again.
Nobody seemed disturbed. Looked at in a certain way,
it was a triumph. He didn't disarm the Soviets, but he dis
armed Henry Jackson, who told Carter to "hang tough."
Jackson was ecstatic about Carter's offer to the
Soviets. It couldn't have been better if he had written it
himself.
Carter may not have a treaty, but he has the votes in
the Senate, and the Cold Warriors have joined his fan club.
Not a great deal has been said about unemployment,
which was going to be. the first order of business. He's
been too busy about human rights.
The Republicans claim he's stolen their thunder.
American's are so delighted to have a President who
doesn't sweat at his news conferences, and doesn't
stumble, they don't pay any attention.
Few reductions
He hasn't been able to reduce the size of the White
House staff yet. It's grown a bit since he took office. He
hasn't been able to reduce the budget yet, either. As a
matter of fact, the White House staff got a raise, but since
it stopped a thousand short of what it might have been,
he claimed a "savings".
He hasn't gotten around to making those cuts in the
Pentagon budget yet. He may even go ahead with the
Bl -bomber, even though during the campaign he said
he wouldn't. It doesn't matter. Eighty-nine, per cent of the
American people think Jimmy Carter is "sincere."
So it's been a beautiful spring for Jimmy Carter. He
loves everybody, and everybody, it seems, loves him. His
success is an argument for an inactive presidency. If he
does something, he might spoil everything.
He's a little like Mark Fidrych, the Detroit pitcher.
Fidrych, unfortunately, is benched until June with a torn
ligament. "The Bird,' who is also an idol with the stands,
spends a great deal of his time on the preliminaries. He is
extremely fussy about the moundL He gets down on his
hands and knees to rake the dirt and rearrange it,
scouring the terrain for noisy ants who might disturb
his concentration or grasshoppers who might trample
him. He talks to the ball as lovingly and intimately as
Jimmy Carter talks to the American people.
Then he throws the pitch. Jimmy Carter hasn't done
that quite yet. He's enjoying preparing the mound, taking
bows. Any minute now, he will have to play ball.
(Copyright 1377 lasfoington Star Syndicate)
falph
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I think it is time that something accurate be said about
the recent Student Court hearing concerning the validity
of the actions cf the 1976-77 ASUN Senate.
The petitioners alleged that all actions taken since Dec.
15, 1976, by the Senate were invalid. The basis for this
contention Was the supposed lack of a quorum on that
date. The requirement of the quorum was given to the
guest opinion
present at the meetings.
The Student Court then went on to "reconsider" the
first quorum requirement and to reverse itself and change
the requirement to be "23s of the current seated
members who are presently serving on the Senate." This
reconsideration allowed the Senate which had 24
members recognized by the . Court to meet and validate
the appointments of 1 1 senators to fill the Senate to its
authorized capacity.
This whole affair was interpreted by the Daiy Ne
brsskm and other concerned students as making the
ASUN Senate look like it operated unauthorized.
In reality the interpretation should be analogous with
one's own driver's license. The bottom line of your
driver's license says "not valid unless signed" The sisnin
Senate by the Student Court on Dec. 6, 1976. This
opinion stated that the correct quorum was 23s of 35 or
24 senators, regardless of the cumber of vacancies ia the
Senate due to resignations or rsmovsl by the Senate. This
opinion was based cn a court decision decided ia the stzis
of Fbrida, 109 years aof
On March 30, 1977 the Student Court ruled that the
Eppcbtments cf senators to fill vacancies in the Senate,
m action taken on Dec. 15, 1976 was invalid because the
Senate did not comply with the Student Court's defini
tion cf a quorum. As a consequence cf the invalidity of
the appointment, all subsequent action was therefore
Exposing il
as the group it is
We wish to congratulate Scott Whitcomb for , his
brilliant expose published in Monday's Dzi!y Ncbmktm.
Whitcomb alone was able to cut through the fog created
by TNE and the Faction and lay bare the real source of
political subversion on this campus . , , MECA.
At great danger to his person and his sobriety, Whit
comb ventured into the dark, underworld of Harry's
Wonderbar. Cleverly discovering a MECA meeting, he hid
himself at the back of the bar to watch the proceedings
unobserved. Disguised as a long-haired, bearded, blue
jeaned conservative, he gathered the facts, just the facts.
guest opinion
Not wishing to tip his hand, Whitcomb carefully
remained out of earshot of the meeting. Several MECA
members threatened to talk with Whitcomb, but he skill
fully eluded these attempts to color his opinion with
discussion. Preferring instead to rely on a carefully
cultivated source in Michigan, Whitcomb pioneered the
use of "long-distance" journalism as he raked up a
scurrilous bit of muck in the university garden, exposing
MECA for what it really was. Whitcomb 's efforts uncover
ed a tangled web of conspiracy and intrigue.
Covered tracks well
But,he subversives had covered their tracks well. So
well that even Whitcomb failed to uncover information of
vital importance to university security. We shudder as we
relate what we have come to know as "The Plan".
Noting that students in MECA "were not able to
participate in the regular channels of student govern
ment," Whitcomb failed to recognize a grander scheme.
Through its control of campus elections, MECA planned
to further clog those "channels" with (gasp) mercenary
turkeys from Nebraska's hintherlands. Fortunately MECA
failed in this scheme thanks to the ever vigilant Faction
who beat them to it.
Having failed in this selfish power grab, MECA devised
a more fiendish plot.
The Hit-men of MECA planned to infiltrate and take
control of the university, by silently stealing through the
underground campus steam tunnels, and then coming up
in the Nebraska Union and taking the Union and Frank
Kuhn as hostage, t '.
'.. . Extravagant demands
i Certain MFC A demands would have to be met before
the hostage and building would be released. Extravagant
demands such as: student fee funding for MECA, an office
for MECA in the Union, the resignation of Prof. Hiram
Hedgehog to be replaced by MECA's man Jy
Rubberdutch, complete amnesty for MECA members and
War of 1812 military deserters, establishment of a DMZ
(DcMECAniation Zone) on campus, and finally and most
importantly, long sought B.A. degrees for certain in
fluential MECA members. ,
This plan was abandoned when MECA realized that
even if all went well and the Union was successfully
seized, no one would want it back and then they'd be
stuck with it.
MECA is so powerful, this monolithic group was able
to field not one, not two, but three losing parties in last
year's ASUN election. MECA indeed finds "strength in
diversity". . ..
The Daily Nebraskan has fearlessly revealed the tip of a
dirty iceberg and we only hope that it will continue its
quest to find the truth. For who knows what evil lurks in
the hearts of MECA. But, on the other hand, does any
body really care?
Bill Latza is an economics senior from Pawnee City.
Don Wesery is a University Studies senior from Lincoln.
decision
only invalid, because the proper "signature" or form was
not followed. The substance of the actions of the Senate
were correct. By reversing it's own decision the Student
Court allowed the Senate to validate it's actions by
attaching the proper form to its meetings.
Many people feci that the alleged "invalidity" of the
Senate and the postponement of the elections will hurt
voter participation in the April 13 election. But this
postponement should only create more interest, by giving
the voters a longer period of time to analyze the candi
dates. Steve Voigt is a .Dr, xzpon junior ia the KU Law College.
Voift served as defense counsel represent! ASUN ia the
Student Court hearing. . . -
mvilld. zl'2iOL"h at U to zrat tut Cits the
isst and trsassctsi fcystrss vn2x at best 24 senator
cf your name to the driver's license does not have any
relation to your qualifications as a driver, it. that you
passed your examination or that you passed your sight
test, or that you reached the age as required by law, it
merely makes the license invalid until it is signed.
Thus the signature validates an invalid piece of paper.
On the other hsnd, if ycu did not pass the written
examination, or the eye exandnation, but still received the
piece of psper, then your signature could not validate it,
because the license would be null and void. If all ether
qualifications cf a driver's liccna are met, then the form
of stsning it makes it valid.
The trne vis tree cf the 1975-77 Zsnzii, its action
were not decscd rr-tl zr.i void ty the Student Court,
TV m ft .!. r .. t .
me umiy necrssKan welcomes letters to tne
editor and guest opinions. Choices of material pub
lished will be based on timeliness and originality.
Letters must be accompanied by the writer's name,
but may be published under a pen name if request-
Cy.
Guest opinions should be typed, tripled -rpaced,
on nonerasable paper. They should be accompanied
by the author's name, chss standing and rr.rjor, or
occupation. All material submitted is subject to
to the miter.
