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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1988)
T News Digest Nel?%an *■ ’ w ^ Monday, November 7,1988 Both presidential candidates lay claim to momentum George Bush and Michael Dukakis both laid claim Sunday to precious, last-minute momentum in their campaign marathon, the vice president declaring the tide was “moving in our direction” and the combative underdog insisting he was “rocking and rolling” to an election upset Tuesday. The political equivalent of a nu clear exchange occurred on televi sion, where the Republicans and Democrats spent millions of dollars in advertising for the waning hours of the campaign. The two candidates bought time for 30-minute commer cials on all three major networks for election eve on Monday. Although national polls pointed to a victory by GOP nominee Bush, both candidates battled the clock and physical exhaustion in a final drive to snare undecided voters and nail down the presidency. NBC News said Bush led nation ally by five percentage points, and that one of every five voters were f-— undecided or might switch alle giance. “There ain’t no stopping us now unless we slop ourselves,” the vice president said at a breakfast rally in Colorado Springs, Colo. “We can’t turn the White House over to the people who claim to be on our side but who left the country on its back,” Bush said. Countered Dukakis, also begin ning his day in Colorado: “He’s slip ping and sliding, we’re rocking and rolling.” He sought to raise fears over the possibility that Bush - if elected - might put vice presidential running mate Dan Quayle in charge of the White House crisis management team. “Gives you the chills, doesn’t it?” Dukakis asked. “Think about it - the Cuban missile crisis, with Dan Quayle in charge.” Democrats voiced confidence they would retain or perhaps widen their majorities in the House and Senate in Tuesday’s balloting, and they got little dissent from Republi cans on that score. One of the tightest Senate races was in Florida, where a late-hour poll showed a virtual tic between Rep. Buddy Mac Kay and Republican Rep. Connie Mack for the scat being va cated by Democratic Sen. Lawton Chiles. Democrats also hoped for modest gains among the 12 statehouse races on the ballot. It was the costliest campaign in American history, and just one piece of it, a scries of California ballot initiatives, had a price tag of more than $100 million. Bush aide Alixe Glen described the vice president’s rapidly changing itinerary as a “Magical Mystery Tour.’’ Dukakis tried to defy the clock and was flying overnight from Spokane to Cleveland and then St. Louis - and then back to the West Coast for a noon rally Monday. A scries of state polls provided a picture of several close races. One poll gave Bush a 17-point lead in Texas, with its 29 electoral votes. But Dukakis was reported gaining on Bush in the latest survey in Colorado, and holding an eight-point lead in Iowa. NBC News said its nationwide survey completed Saturday night showed the vice president with a lead of 48 percent to 43 percent, down from two weeks earlier, and that a very high 21 percent of the voters are “undecided or may still change their minds.” Bush professed little doubt about the outcome Tuesday. “Things arc moving in our direc tion,” he said as he raced Sunday from Colorado to California to Michigan. Dukakis, in a desperate race, noted that botn candidates began the day in Colorado. “For months George Bush has been following me around on the is sues. He discovered education a few months ago, he even discovered the environment a few months ago,” he V said. “This week he started following me around on my message, telling people he’s on your side. Now he’s following me around the country. I'll tell you one place he’s not going to follow me. He’s not following Lloyd Bentsen and me to 1600Pennsylvania Avenue.” Bentsen, the vice presidential nominee, flew from Illinois to Texas in a final bid to prevent Bush from taking his home state. In an NBC interview, Bentsen said that if he returned to the Senate in a Bush administration, he would help Bush when he thought it was deserved and try to block him when he thought he was wrong. Quayle, who shows upas a drag on the Republican ticket in virtually all the polls, declined invitations to ap pear on network television and cam paigned Sunday in Virginia, one of the safest Republican states, where a new poll showed Bush with a 56-25 percent lead. Karnes banking on western Nebraska to secure victory The heavily Republican, west ern half of Nebraska holds the key to Sen. David Karnes* hopes of defying the polls and pulling out a late-night victory over Democratic challenger Bob Kerrey, Karnes’ ■ -•.M i^errey sa*a aunoay during an rapeaiance on WOW Radio in Omaha he does not intend »let ap in the final days of the campaign. "The object is to run the trace hard from begitmmg to end.** he Initiative 402 backers, opponents disagree on medical effect SCOTTSBLUFF — Proponents and opponents of a Nov. 8 ballot issue that would remove Nebraska from a low-level radioactive waste compact disagreed recently on the effects the measure would have on use of radio active materials in medicine. Initiative 402 could have national significance. It is the only referendum in the country on whether a state should withdraw from a low-level radioactive waste compact. A citizen’s group based in Wash ington, D.C., said medical facilities wouldn’t be forced to close or curtail operations if Initiative 402 passed. i-— Bui a Pender physician said medi cal research would be pul in jeopardy. The uend is for nuclear medicine to produce more radioactive waste in the future, Dr. David Hoclling said. Initiative 402 would remove Ne braska from the Central Interstate Compact, which has chosen Ne braska to host a regional dump for low-level radioactive waste. It also would require a vote before any nu clear waste facility could be built in Nebraska. Other states in the compact are Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Under federal law, each stale must by 1993 take responsibility for dis posal of the low-level radioactive waste it generates. The Nuclear Information and Resource Service out of Washington issued a news release Saturday countering claims made by a group that opposes the Nov. 8 ballot issue. The group, Nebraskans Against 402, has said that withdrawing from the compact would cause problems for nuclear power plants, the main source of low-level waste; medicine. which uses radioactive materials for diagnosis and treatment of various illnesses; and research that requires radioactive materials. But the statement issued by Diane D’Arrigoof NIRS cited U.S. Depart ment of Energy reports in saying Nebraska hadnrl shipped any medical radioactive waste to any disposal site in the past two years. Some waste was generated, but it wasn’t necessary to ship it to a dump, Ms. D’Arrigo said. Threatening citizens with the loss of medical services shifts the focus -- from problem waste such as that from nuclear power plants, onto the less controversial issue of radioactive medical waste, Ms. D’Arrigo said. But Pender physician David Hoclting, a spokesman for Nebras kans Against 402, said medical re search at universities would be imper iled if Initiative 402 passed. Much of the radioactive waste generated in medicine is for research, not treat ment, Hoclting said. Another potential problem is the use of new radioactive materials in treating cancer dial take longer to decay, Hoclting said. --—| Democrats may well increase control in Senate W AS H1NGTON — There is an unusual unanimity this year about prospects for the Senate in Tuesday’s balloting: Democrats will remain in control, and may well increase their eight-seat ad vantage. “The Democrats will hold onto 54 seals at a minimum, and 1 be lieve have a very good opportunity to add,’’ said Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of die Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “We realize it’s still quite vola tile out there,’’ said Tom Mason, spokesman for the National Re publican Senatorial Committee. We could end up on Election Day minus two. But we could just as easily be plus two or better.” One reason little change is ex pected is that, unlike some past presidential elections, there has been no overriding national theme 4 dictated by the top of the ticket, the Lr-— kind of compelling issue that would propel voters to seek mas sive changes. Rather, polls have show a gen eral contentment with the status quo, and that works to the benefit of incumbents. That advantage extends to the House, where very little move ment is expected in the Democrats' 255-177 majority. “There isn't the thematic differ ence” that has pervaded presiden tial contests in the past, Mason said. “President Reagan said it best: We are die change. It's not as clear a mandate as in 1980, when there was such a screaming need for change.” That was the year Republicans rodeRcagan'scoattails toa 12- seat pickup and control of the Senate for the first time in a quarter-cen tury. In 1986, an eight-seat gain enabled Democrats to retake con trol. This time, Republican George Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis have been criticized for running a race devoid of issues, devoted mostly to personal attacks and distortions of each other’s records. So issues in this year’s Senate campaign have been largely drawn from a list of topics that Democrats claim as their own, although they have been used by candidates of both parties: the environment, education, Social Security, health care and “family issues" like child care. Also prominent in Senate stump speeches and advertising have been the problems of drugs and crime. Most Senate incumbents of both parties appeared likely to win re-election on Tuesday, but there were several prominent excep tions. Analysts $a*4 Republican Sen. David Karnes, who was appointed in 1987 to fill an unexpired Ne braska Senate term, was the most likely to be ousted. Democratic former Gov. Bob Kerrey, a popu lar figure, held a heavy lead in polls. In Nevada, GOP Sen. Chic Hecht, who for months had been considered the most vulnerable Republican incumbent, has fought back to a dead heat with his chal lenger, Democratic Gov. Richard Bryan. Sen. Lowell Weicker, the vet eran maverick Republican from Connecticut, has resorted to his own negative ads attacking chal lenger Joseph Lieberman, the state’s Democratic attorney gen eral. Republicans hungry for an upset were pointing to Montana, where they claimed to have Democratic incumbent John Mel cher on the run. Nebraskan Editor Curl Wagner 472-1766 Managing Editor Diana Johnson Assoc Nows Editors Jana Mtrt Lea Rood Editorial Papa Editor Mike Reilley Wire Editor Bek Neieon Copy Desk Editor Chuck Oreen Sports Editor Sieve Stppte Arts 4 Entortalri ment Editor Mietd Heller Diversions Editor Joeth Zueco Graphics Editor Tim Hartmann Photo Chief Irtc Gregory Ami. Photo Chief David PaMoeon Night News Editor Amy Edwards The Deify NebraskanfUSPS 144*0801 is published by the UNL Publications Board. N* braska Union 34. 1400 R St. Lincoln. NE (except holidays). weekdays durinf the school year. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to tt ** Dally Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 4 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tom Macy, 475-9668. Subscription pries Is $45 tor one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Dally Nebraskan, Nebraska Union1400 R St .Lincoln. NE 06688-0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln. NE ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1988 DAILY NEBRASKAN