The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 07, 2000, Page 2, Image 2
NewsDigest Underdogs seek primary momentum SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A feisty John McCain labeled Republican rival George W. Bush “so Clinton-esque it’s scary,” while a subdued Bill Bradley said he must “win a couple of states” as both underdogs looked to revive their presidential cam paigns in a Super Tuesday showdown. In the more competitive race of the two, both Bush and McCain were making a final push today in California, where 162 delegates to the GOP nomi nating convention were the biggest prize of the day. Bush had the inside track on those delegates, but McCain hoped for a symbolic victory in the non binding popular vote. “There has not been a primary yet that has met expectations. It’s just too volatile,” McCain said this morning at a rally in Santa Clara, Calif., claiming the momentum. At a San Diego park, Bush, fighting off a cold, sounded hoarse at times but still projected the confi dence of a front-runner. Bush said he wasn’t worried that the primary battle would leave the GOP fractured, and even gave McCain “a lot of credit for bringing people to the party.” Bradley aides were quietly making plans for an exit if Vice President A1 Gore does as well as polls suggest in today’s voting for the Democratic nomi nation. Both Gore and Bradley were devoting the day to New York. Gore courted New York’s Jewish activists this morning, saying in a Gore administration, the United States would be “a good and helpful and loyal friend to Israel.” McCain told reporters that Bush “handed us back the reform issue” thanks to a $2.5 million series of attack ads he says are financed by Bush’s forces. Bush complained today that the ads were “what much of the press corps wants to talk about,” even though he had “nothing to do with” them. Bush was appearing on Jay Leno’s “The 11111111111 Max Whittaker/Newsmakers Senator and Presidential candiate waves to the crowd after a campaign speech at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., on March 6,2000. McCain is campaigning in California through the crucial “Super Tuesday” primary to be held today. Tonight Show” before heading home to Texas to await election results. McCain planned to watch the returns in Los Angeles. Polling showed no openings for Bradley to dent the front-running Gore and talk was turning to the potential of the former New Jersey senator’s leaving the race after Tuesday. There was evidence that both Bush and Gore had reason for confidence. In what amounts to the first national primary, Republicans in 13 states cast ballots with 613 dele gates at stake, while Democrats in 15 states pick 1,315 delegates - both representing more than half the number needed for nomination. Mozambicans angry at lack of assistance MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) - Waiting to board a plane to inspect the damage wrought by catastrophic floods, former first lady Graca Machel summed up Mozambicans’ growing bitterness over wealthy nations’ failure to hurry to her country’s aid. “It seems the world has no con science when it comes to human life,” said Machel, now the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Planes and helicopters criss crossed the southeast African nation on Monday, delivering food and other aid to hundreds of thousands of flood victims. But an editorial in the coun try’s main newspaper, Noticias, echoed the sentiments of many Mozambicans: “When the West wants to intervene militarily anywhere in the world, they get there in record time.” The anger focused on the hours and days after Feb. 27, when a wall of water roared down the Limpopo River valley from neighboring Zimbabwe, sweeping away hundreds of villages and thousands of people. Seven South African air force heli copters rushed into action to pluck flood victims from the tree branches and rooftops. They were soon followed by two more choppers from impover ished Malawi. But in the next few crit ical days, no one else pitched in. “A lot of people are getting killed,” U.N. World Food Program spokesman David Schaad said on Feb. 27. Despite appeals from Mozambican officials and aid agen cies, it wasn’t until Sunday that addi tional helicopters arrived from Germany, Britain and Spain. And U.S. military choppers will not be flying over Mozambique until today or Wednesday, U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike Young said. South African air force crews res cued more than 12,000 flood victims from trees or rooftops. South African Foreign Ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said Monday aircraft were unavailable because they were being used for res cue operations at home or were on emergency standby. “Our forces and resources were stretched,” Mamoepa said. Africans have long complained of a double standard in how world gov emments respond to emergencies on the continent compared to those in Europe and Asia. Ross Mountain, special envoy for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, described the international response to the catastrophe as “rather good” but conceded it had shortcomings. Other U.N. officials have said it was an unusual emergency in that it evolved over several weeks. Mozambican officials raised their official flood death toll to 400 Monday, and expected it to grow as data came in and more bodies were found. One hundred tons of food must be moved every day to feed an estimat ed 250,000 people in 72 aid camps, said Georgia Shaver, regional World Food Program manager. ! I** $J| $ t*® §* - > £o,.odWft & ^ Sm *, w Jfevxo:- ■» •:$;. Showers high 65, low 50 Breezy, rain high 58, low 35 Nel^raskan Editor: Managing Editor: Associate News Editor: Associate News Editor: Opinion Editor: Sports Editor: A&E Editor: Copy Desk Co-Chief: Copy Desk Co-Chief: Photo Chief: Design Co-Chief: Design Co-Chief: Art Director: Web Editor: Asst Web Editor: Josh Funk Lindsay Young Dane Stickney Diane Broderick J.J. Harder Sam McKewon Sarah Baker Jen Walker Josh Krauter Mike Warren Diane Broderick Tim Karstens Melanie Falk Gregg Steams Jewel Minarik Questions? Comments? Ask for the appropriate section editor at (402) 472-2588 or e-mail dn@unl.edu. 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ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT1999 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN Officers found guilty in Louima assault case NEW YORK (AP) - Three white officers were convicted on Monday of conspiring to cover up an officer’s role in the precinct house torture of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. A federal court jury reached its verdict on the fourth day of delibera tions in the second trial stemming from the 1997 incident that horrified an already race-conscious city. The case went to the jury less than a week after four other white officers were acquitted in another racially charged case: the February 1999 shooting death of African immigrant Amadou Diallo. Former Ofc. Charles Schwarz, 34, and Ofc.s Thomas Wiese, 37, and Thomas Bruder, 34, were found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, because they had claimed that Schwarz was not present during the attack on Louima. They could be sen tenced to five years in prison. Schwarz already faces a possible life sentence for his 1999 conviction for violating Louima’s civil rights by holding him down as Officer Justin Volpe sodomized him with a broken off broom handle in a Brooklyn sta tionhouse bathroom on Aug. 9,1997. Louima, who suffered severe inter nal injuries, including a ruptured blad der and colon, and spent two months in the hospital, was not in the courtroom for the verdict. “What Abner Louima wants more than anything else is for what hap pened to him to never happen to any one else’s children,” Sanford Rubenstein, an attorney representing the Louima family, said outside the courthouse. As Schwarz was led out of the courtroom, he loudly cursed his lawyers. His attorney said an appeal was planned. Bruder, who like Wiese, is still free on $100,000 bail, also reacted angrily as he walked into the hallway to try to comfort his wailing mother and other relatives. “You tell the truth and this is what happens,” Bruder said. “I’ll be fine; nobody’s stronger than me. I’m stronger than anyone in this building.” ■ Michigan Students return to school after first-grader shooting f MOUNT MORRIS TOWN SHIP, Mich. (AP) - Greeted by teddy bears and extra security, Buell Elementary School children returned to class Monday for the first time since a first-grader was shot to death in her classroom. Children and parents alike expressed fears at first about return* ing to the school where 6-year-old Kayla Rolland was killed Feb. 29; allegedly by another first-grader. Room 6, where the shooting occurred, had been cleaned and repainted. Trauma counselors with teddy bears were in each room to help the children. About 335, or 79 percent, of the 424 children enrolled at Buell were in school Monday. ■ California Plane skids off runway, hits passing car near gas station BURBANK, Calif. (AP) - A Southwest Airlines jetliner landing with 142 people aboard barreled off the end of a runway, slammed through a fence and struck a passing car before screeching to a halt about 50 feet from a gas station. The cause of the accident was not known, officials said Monday. Up to 15 people on the plane sustained minor injuries in Sunday night’s accident at Burbank Airport, officials said. The driver of the car and her 4-year-old daughter weren’t hurt, although their car’s hood was pinned under the aircraft. ■ Chile Judge requests Pinochet be stripped of immunity SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - A judge asked a Chilean court Monday to strip Gen. Augusto Pinochet of his congressional immunity so the former dictator could stand trial for what has come to be known as “the caravan of death” - the killing and disappear ance of 72 dissidents in the days fol lowing his 1973 coup. The request by Judge Juan Guzman, the first ever filed against Pinochet in Chile, comes just three days after the army gave the retired general a warm welcome upon his return from house arrest in Britain - and gave rise to concerns the mili tary might bring pressure to bear against any such trial. “This is the beginning of justice, which we have sought for so long,” said lawyer Hugo Gutierrez, who is marshaling several of the lawsuits pending here against Pinochet. ■ Washington Gas prices likely to climb even higher toward summer WASHINGTON (AP) - Already at nearly $1.50 a gallon or more, gasoline prices are likely to jump another 20 cents by the end of May and soar even higher as the summer driving season takes hold, the govemmentsaid Monday. The oil exporting countries may boost production soon to ease the acute shortage that has seen crude prices climb to nearly $32 a barrel, but the additional oil, even if pumped immediately, “would undoubtedly be too late” to keep gasoline prices from rising, accord ing to a report released by the Energy Department. The report said U.S. gasoline stocks were “alarmingly low” and that the country was “moving into uncharted territory” as far as gaso line markets are concerned.