A2 Thursday, March 22, 2012
GENERAL
Roswell Daily Record
The lost art of compromise Jeb Bush endorses Romney
AP Photo
From left, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker and Bob Dole during “A Century of Service,” an event at Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Wednesday, that honored them and recognized their service.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Once upon a time in Congress, compromise between Republicans and Democrats was the norm. And a witty GOP senator named Bob Dole was one of the best practitioners of the art, preferably on a West-facing balcony of the Capitol where he could get sun on his face while lawmaking. He succeeded an affable storyteller and able dealmaker named Howard Baker, who likened running the Senate to herding cats. Nearly 16 years after Dole left the Senate to run for president, the balcony is named for him and the Senate is even more unruly than Baker described. The pair was feted in Washington for their combined century of service and for practicing a thing called bipartisanship that seems lost, for now. “All I know is I don’t have to make a speech,” Dole, 88, said in a telephone interview before the festivities. He said he’s feeling a bit better lately but still suf fers from chronic back pain. Plenty of others did,
including the current crop of partisan warriors who insisted that under their leadership, the polarized Senate was working the same way it always has and they’re doing the best they can. But others in the Bipartisan Policy Center, which Dole and Baker helped found, suggested that the two encouraged discussion instead of the parliamentary gamesmanship that rules the chamber now. “I think the Senate operated more effectively then than it does today,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., one of the hosts of the tribute. “But I don’t think it would make much to change it today. It would take a change of behavior rather than a change of rules.” The Bipartisan Policy Center’s mission statement says it is dedicated to “great moments in compromise by encouraging civil, respectable political discourse between the political parties.” That sounds quaint after more than a year of divided government mired in standof fs over the
nation’s troubled economy and, lately, a selection of long-settled social issues like access to contraception and the Violence Against Women Act. So polarized is Congress in the 2012 election year that centrists like Maine Olympia Republican Snowe and Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson are fleeing. In fact, Dole and Baker, both former presidential candidates and veterans of World War II, were at the center of such historic moments of bipartisanship. They could each be conciliators and fierce partisans. Baker, 86, served in the Senate from 1967 to 1985 and was the senior Republican on the congressional panel investigating Watergate. He is famous for asking the question of his fellow Republicans: “What did the president know and when did he know it?” His calm demeanor was considered key to passage of the 1978 Panama Canal T reaty, which called for the gradual transfer of the canal to Panama. He served as Senate majority leader from 1981 to 1985. The equally steady and acerbic Dole was his successor as leader of the Senate Republicans. He developed a reputation in the Senate of valuing thoughtful discussion over incivility in lawmaking, and, wounded in World War II, became a leading advocate for veterans and disabled Americans generally. He was a key to passing the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. Also, the two greased the wheels of negotiations with humor. “That’s what’s missing now, there’s no humor,” said for mer Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., in a video tribute to Dole.
Customer damages car wash, vehicle
Police were dispatched to the Brewer Chevron, 917 N. Main St., Tuesday, to take a report of criminal damage. An employee stated a customer purchased a car wash. After she left, employees noticed damages to the fiberglass covers, the mechanism that pulls the vehicle foward, and the breaking mechanism, and part of the van was left behind.
Dog gone
•Police were called to the 3300 block of T railing Heart Road, Tuesday. The victim reported she let her two dogs out to run in the fenced-in yard around 7 p.m. Fifteen minutes later she went out and discovered the side gate open and the dogs missing. Both dogs are Schnauzers, 12-
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year -old, grey and white male and a 2-year -old white female. She said her dogs have collars and are microchipped. •Police were dispatched to Ritz Pet Grooming, 501 N. Atkinson Ave., Tuesday, where someone removed four aluminum animal cages, with a total value of $1,200, from the back of the business.
Found property
Police responded to a call from a resident of Western Briar Road, Monday, after the individual found a white powdery substance in the mailbox. The white powder blew into her face
and she said her lips and tongue “went tingly.” The of ficer investigating brought in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Technical Services Unit. Samples were collected and will be sent off for analysis.
Fraud
Police were dispatched to the 600 block of South Plaza Drive, Tuesday, where a victim lear ned someone was making unauthorized charges on a business account. Anyone having information about these or any other crime is asked to contact Crime Stoppers, 888-594-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward.
Crimestoppers
1-888-594-TIPS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican establishment started to coalesce around Mitt Romney in earnest on Wednesday, with Jeb Bush and other leading Republicans pressuring Rick Santorum to leave the race after a thumping in the Illinois primary. But, on what should have been a triumphant day, Romney found himself having to defend his conservative credentials anew after one of his own top advisers, Eric Fehrnstrom, remarked that “everything changes” for the fall campaign. “It’s AP Photo almost like an Etch A Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum holds Sketch,” he said. “You an Etch A Sketch during a rally in Mandeville, La., can kind of shake it up Wednesday. and we start all over again.” primary season.” “I think you hit a reset The remark fueled critiHis backing comes button for the fall camcism that Romney molds amid fresh signs that big paign. Everything his principles to fit with GOP donors and other changes. It’s almost like political goals. Democrats party figures will follow an Etch A Sketch. You pounced, and by day’s Bush’s lead after sitting can kind of shake it up end his GOP opponents on the sidelines for much and we start all over were waving the draw, of the primary season. again.” The aide didn’t shake and erase toys at Romney is on pace to win back away from the comcampaign events in the nomination in June. ment when asked to clariLouisiana. He has 563 delegates in fy it. He said only that the “The issues I’m running the overall count main- general election is “a difon will be exactly the tained by The Associated ferent race, with different same,” the former Massa- Press, out of 1,144 need- candidates, and the main chusetts governor said in ed to win the party nod. issue now becomes” Arbutus, Md., as Republi- Santorum has 263 dele- exclusively President cans and Democrats alike gates, Newt Gingrich 135 Barack Obama. mocked him. “I’m running and Ron Paul 50. It didn’t take long for as a conservative Repubfinance the Democratic National Campaign lican. I was a conservative reports released Tuesday Committee and Romney’s governor. I will be run- showed that big donors to Republican rivals to seize ning as a conservative a GOP political organizaon the remark. Republican nominee — tion founded by political In Louisiana, Santorum hopefully, nominee at strategist Karl Rove have an Etch A brandished that point. The policies boosted their financial Sketch and told voters he and the positions are the support for Romney in is a candidate who stands same.” recent weeks. “fir mly on the rocks of It all nearly overshadBush’s support came freedom, not on the sands owed the endorsement as a surprise to the Romfrom Bush, the son of one ney campaign. The former of an Etch A Sketch toy.” Gingrich stood on stage president and the brother Florida governor personof another. He had stayed ally contacted Romney elsewhere in the state out of the race for Wednesday mor ning to and explained to his audimonths, and some party say he planned to make ence just what the toys were. “Gov. Romney’s elders publicly had urged the endorsement. staff, they don’t even have him to become a candiRomney made one date as Romney struggled quick public appearance the decency to wait until to close the deal with the in Maryland on Wednes- they get the nomination conservative base of the day ahead of the April 3 to explain to us how party. primary there. He they’ll sell us out,” he planned to spend much of said. “I think having an Bush refused, and on Wednesday he made his Thursday personally Etch A Sketch as your preference in the race courting members of Con- campaign model raises known after Romney’s gress and other officials every doubt about where we’re going.” double-digit Illinois victo- in Washington. Louisiana holds its priBut the Etch A Sketch ry. “Now is the time for remark threatened to dog mary Saturday. Santorum is favored in the Republicans to unite him. state, though Romney’s happened early It behind Gov. Romney and allies are airing TV ads Wednesday on CNN when take our message of fiscal conservatism and job cre- Fehrnstrom was asked if there even though the ation to all voters this the extended primary South has proven less fall,” Bush said in a writ- fight “might force the gov- hospitable to Romney. Beyond Saturday, polls ten statement. He con- ernor to tack so far to the gratulated the other right it would hurt him show Romney has the heading Republican candidates with moderate voters in advantage toward Maryland’s April 3 “for a hard-fought, the general election.” Fehrnstrom responded, primary. thoughtful debate and
‘History Detectives’ in NM for Carson episode SANTA FE (AP) — The History Detectives of PBS are slated to visit New Mexico for an episode about Kit Carson’s family members written in an old biography.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Sociologist Tukufu Zuberi, host for the episode, will be in Santa Fe this week to interview a Kit Carson descendant and author of last year’s “Kit Carson: The Life of an American Border Man.”
But the History Detectives won’t yet identify the Carson descendant living in Santa Fe.
Born in Kentucky in 1809, Carson was a teamster on the Santa Fe Trail, then a trapper in the Rocky Mountains. He married two American Indian women before settling in Taos with his third wife, Josefa Jaramillo, whose sister married New Mexico’s first territorial governor, Charles Bent.
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