The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 11

The Beacon Journal A11 DEMOCRATS IN ATLANTA CONVENTION '88 am forces 2nd lockout IN THE SPOTLIGHT Thursday, July 21, 1988 Dan Rostenkowski at made-for-TV show By James R. Carroll Knight-Ridder Newspapers It was 1968, the Democratic convention was spinning out of control and outside, there was rioting in the streets of Chicago. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, a protege of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, took over the gavel from the convention chairman, House Speaker Carl Albert. Albert and other Democrats were furious at Daley and at President Lyndon Johnson, who asked Rostenkowski to assume the chair and restore order.

In the two decades since that chaotic time, the influential congressman has not had a starring role at around the arena blamed the jam on an excess number of credentials issued by the DNC, "hundreds" of counterfeit passes that were discovered among some early arrivers at the convention and the unauthorized use of credentials by some. But the heart of the problem appeared to lie more in the nature of the arena, the goals of the Democratic Party and the use of television to get the message out. Earlier in the day, DNC Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young tried to explain why more than 1,000 delegates had been excluded from the Tuesday night session, where Jesse Jackson gave a rousing speech.

"This is a place that was chosen to be, for all intents and purposes, a large TV studio," Kirk said, "to be able to project our message to the American people and a national audience." The fact that the made-for-TV podium and the huge skyboxes ate up seating space meant that somebody would get squeezed. Party officials, reporters and delegates had long been worried that the cramped Omni, where the convention is being held, would be unable to handle the crush of humanity that wanted to watch and record a moment in history. 1 'mm. mi "It's the podium that ate the Omni," CBS News anchor Dan Rather joked. Kirk's clear implication was that the delegates and alternates, who vote on their party's presidential nominee, were the most expendable.

More than at any time since America's first political convention was gaveled to order in 1831, they have become bit players in a TV drama. And if a few delegates couldn't get into the Omni, it was not cause for crisis Wednesday. "We are having the first convention in the history of politics that essentially is a media convention," Young told reporters. The 150 million people in this country who are going to vote have got to be our major target." Delegates who stood for more than an hour Tuesday night facing barriers and stony-faced police and security officers were not very understanding. "This is a media event, not a people event," declared an angry Shirley Scarafiotti, an alternate from Santa Fe, N.M., who had been looking forward to hearing Jackson in person.

"The Democratic Party is the people party, and we are the people. We are being excluded." Atlanta For the second night, an estimated 2,000 delegates and spectators at the Democratic National Convention were shut out of the undersized, overcrowded Omni arena, missing the presidential nomination of Michael S. Dukakis. Among those shut out Wednesday night were Texas state treasurer Ann Richards, who gave the keynote speech Monday night; Bert Lance, a former Carter administration official and current adviser to the Rev. Jesse Jackson; and Sen.

Alan Cranston of California. Mused Lance, the veteran Georgia Democratic operative who was named national chairman at the 1984 Democratic convention before a storm of protest forced his withdrawal: "I got kicked out of San Francisco, so I guess it's better to get locked out of Atlanta." Officials of the Democratic National Committee said that fire officials had concluded that the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd inside the arena presented a security problem. The doors were closed at 9:02 p.m., three hours after the Wednesday session began. Police and security officials Aqe: 60. Democratic convention.

Until tonight. At about 8, Rostenkowski will have the honor of delivering the main speech nominating Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas for vice president. Bentsen last week asked Rostenkowksi to deliver the speech, even as the Chicagoan was wondering what role, if any, he would be asked to play in this year's carefully scripted gathering. Bentsen, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rostenkowski, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, have cooperated on key pieces of legislation.

A few years back, when President Reagan was pushing tax reform, Rostenkowski went on national television to urge Americans to "Write Rosty" and show their support. In that speech, the tough, blunt, big-city pol came across as the ethnic, blue-collar guy down the street who somehow could make complex subjects understandable. The Democrats are hoping that with tonight's Born: Jan. 2, 1928, Chicago. Education: Attended Loyola University.

Personal: Married to LaVerne Pirkins. Children Dawn, Kristie, Gayle, Stacy. Career: Member of the Illinois Legislature from 1952-58. U.S. representative from Illinois' 8th District since 1959.

Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Sources: Chicago Tribuns, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Who's Who in America speech written in part by John Sherman, the composer of "Write Rosty" some of Rostenkowski folksy aura can soften Ben-tsen's more patrician image. 9 ackson chosen speakers a rainbow ox iiDerais Mendez is a New York state senator representing a heavily Puerto Rican district in the Bronx. She was born in Ma-yaguez, Puerto Rico, and educated at the University of Puerto Rico. She earned a doctoral degree in educational psychology at Columbia University in New York and taught at the State University of New York.

She was a Kennedy delegate to the 1980 Democratic Convention, and even though she is a Jackson delegate, was elected secretary of the New York delegation to the Atlanta convention. broaden his appeal among white workers and farmers in the 1988 primaries. Maxine Waters, a savvy California assemblywoman, is known as a woman not to be messed with. "When she gets into the political ring," said San Francisco Mayor Art Ag-nos, "It's pure mission and pound-for-pound slugging." Waters has played a top role in the Jackson campaign since its beginning, and she took part in the highly publicized negotiations that led to Jackson's summit meeting with Dukakis on Monday. Massachusetts.

He organized a draft-Kennedy movement in 1979, aimed at driving President Jimmy Carter from office the following year because Carter was too conservative for him. When Kennedy lost the nomination to Carter, Winpisinger led a walkout from the 1980 Democratic convention and pledged his support to Barry Commoner, president of the socialist-leaning Citizens Party. He was one of the founding members' of Jackson's Rainbow Coalition in 1986, and played a key role in helping him Jackson picked William W. Winpisinger, the Cleveland native and outspokenly liberal president of the IAM, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Seconding speeches were delivered by Maxine Waters, a California assemblywoman and one of his closest political confidantes, and Olga Mendez, a Puerto Rican-born psychologist and New York state senator.

Winpisinger, 63, a member of the IAM for more than 40 years, is a longtime supporter of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of By David Willman and Robert S. Boyd Knight-Ridder Newspapers Atlanta Jesse Jackson plucked three strands out of his Rainbow Coalition to place his name in nomination for president Wednesday night a white male labor leader, a black woman activist and a Hispanic state senator. i All three are aggressive, progressive activists pinions of the left wing of the Democratic Party that Jackson claims to represent.

To make the main nominating speech, Democrats poke fun PRESIDENTIAL ROLL CALL armony reigns at rival George Bush Continued from page Al as Dukakis wins along on a fishing trip to Wyoming this week because "George is too squeamish to bait his own hook." Later, he ridiculed Bush as "a fellow who wears cowboy wide margin boots over argyle socks." After the roll call, the delegates nominated Michael J. Dukakis by Texas Agriculture Commis sioner Jim Hightower told the convention and a prime-time audience that Bush is "a toothache of a man," a "perpetual Continued from page Al trademark. Minutes later, fireworks ex Dukakis Jackson Other Delegates' Nev. ploded outside the hall in cele preppie" who "is a man who was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple." Sen. Edward M.

Kennedy, to be Bush's press secretary, answered Kennedy's question: "George was cutting taxes, not raising them. George was defending America, not tearing it down. George was leading the drug interdiction effort, not blowing smoke. And George was pushing arms control, not cutting defense." Insulting the opponent is not a risk-free strategy. Half-joking Democratic attempts to portray Ronald Reagan as a mad bomber backfired in 1980.

And as far back as 1966, Democrats attempted to ridicule Reagan's acting career only to find that the public, particularly in California, found the jokes petty and flat. But in Bush, the Democrats apparently figure they have an easier target. Political analyst William Schneider predicted that Richards, in kicking around Bush, had outlined this year's main Democratic theme and suggested that the negative reactions toward Bush that show up in polls make him vulnerable. got the delegates to shout in unison the sarcastic re 0 23 0 22 0 126 0 30 0 292 0 95 0 22 0 183 0 56 0 54 0 202 0 57 16 22 107 22 194 58 17 136 52 35 179 48.5 24 22 19 63 frain, "Where was George?" as he listed a string of Reagan administration actions that Bush claims he was unaware of or took N.H. N.J.

N.M. N.Y. N.C. N.D. Ohio Okla.

Ore. Pa. P.R. R.I. S.C.

S.D. Tenn. 5 0 19 8 97 35 3 46 4 18 23 8 3 31 1 20 71 3 9 42 27 0 25 4 0 .5 0 23 53 20 84 no part in. Concluded Kennedy: "George Bush is the man who is never there. And he won't be there after the clock strikes noon on Jan.

20, 1989." Clearly, all this particularly Kennedy's assault is getting under the Republicans' skin. Wednesday, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, who used Dukakis 2,876.25 Jackson 1,218.5 Other 9 Dukakis Jackson Other Delegates Ala. 37 28 0 65 Alaska 9 7 1 17 Ariz. 28 14 0 43 Ark. 31 11 0 48 Calif.

235 122 0 363 Colo. 37 18 0 55 Conn. 47 16 0 63 Del. 9 7 2 19 D.C. 7 18 0 25 Fla.

116 35 0 154 Ga. 50 42 0 94 Hawaii 19 8 0 28 Idaho 20 3 0 24 III. 138 57 0 200 Ind. 69.5 18 0 89 Iowa 49 12 0 61 Kan. 30 15 0 45 Ky.

59 6 0 65 La. 41 33 1 76 Maine 17 12 0 29 Md. 59 25 0 84 Mass. 99 19 0 119 Mich. 80 80 0 162 Minn.

57 29 3 91 Miss. 19 26 0 47 Mo. 50 37 0 88 Mont. 22 5 0 28 Neb. 22 8 0 30 1 211 0 28 Texas 135 Utah 25 20 86 77 47 91 18 6 9 4 Vt.

9 Va. 42 Wash. 50 W.Va. 47 Wis. 65 Wyo.

14 Samoa 6 Dems abroad 825 Guam 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Potshots in Atlanta fail to ruffle Bush on the common ground of conscience, compassion, equality and justice economic, political and social justice for all," Winpisinger said. "He is the personification of feeling and reason united." The gesture, which Jackson sought as "a testament to the struggles of our fathers and mothers," was greeted enthusiastically by an overflow crowd of delegates and onlookers, causing the hall to erupt in waves of red placards proclaiming "Jesse" and "Keep Hope Alive." But the civil rights activist clearly accepted and even endorsed the nomination of Dukakis. The ceremonial balloting occurred in a jam-packed hall where the entrances were sealed for the second consecutive night because of overcrowding, leaving about 2,000 people outside. The roll call took more than 50 minutes. The delegates appeared restless to get on with the count, particularly during Clinton's nominating speech.

Although the address was allotted 15 minutes, it took the Arkansas governor 32 to get through it. Cameras panning the delegates showed several signaling for him to cut it short. "I went over it five times and it was never more than 16 minutes long," Clinton said later. "The people were so poised to get loud for Dukakis." With the state-by-state roll call, Dukakis claimed officially what had been apparent all week: his virtual domination of the Democratic Party and its historically fractious factions. The party's new-found optimism got a bump Wednesday with the release of a poll of "swing voters" Democrats and independents who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984.

The survey showed that a majority of them are planning to vote for Dukakis in the fall. "The swing voters are coming back home," said Rep. Beryl Anthony, chairman Knight-Ridder Newspapers Virgin Islands 0 5 Not assigned 0 0 bration. For the son of Greek immigrants, who celebrated his victory with his family in a nearby hotel, it was a day to savor triumph and accept tribute. "He's the kind of man who plays it straight, keeps his word and pays his bills," said Arkansas Gov.

Bill Clinton, who nominated the Massachusetts governor in words as plain and straight as the candidate. "His character is steadfast and consistent. And one thing about Michael Dukakis, he wakes up in the same world each morning, which is a trait of considerable importance in a president." Clinton's speech was interrupted frequently by impatient chants of "We want Mike. We want Mike." Neither of Ohio's favorite-son candidates, U.S. Reps.

James Traficant of Poland and Douglas Applegate of Steubenville, got a vote when the roll was called. One Ohio delegate, former state Sen. Marigene Valiquette of Toledo, was absent. Because she was a "super delegate" and not an elected delegate, an alternate could not cast her vote. Cleveland Council President George Forbes, a Jackson delegate, was seen waving a Dukakis sign during the roll call.

Forbes said that although he supports Jackson, "We have a job to do" defeating George Bush in the fall. "I deal with victories and defeats every day," Forbes said. "It's my business." He said he will to work hard for Dukakis. Jackson was not without a prominent place at the nominating session. As planned, his name was placed in nomination for the presidency by William Winpisinger, head of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Jackson is the third black to be nominated to the presidency. "He has brought us together The discrepancy between Ih voles cast and the number ol delegates reflects abstentions. known New England governor with no experience in national politics, survived early ridicule as one of the party's "seven dwarfs" and emerged at the end of the ordeal with enough dele gates to guarantee victory on the first ballot. His repeated promise of maybe it'll backfire," Bush said. "Maybe people don't like this trying to tear down the other guy.

Maybe they'd rather hear what those people doing the criticizing are for, what they'd do for the country, how they'd try to lead the country, how their candidate would defend his record." Bush said he is not comfortable as "a slash-and-burn candidate" because "I have this feeling, and I always have, that if you just go nasty, go ugly, that isn't an effective way to do business. I think it turns off the American people." Bush also said his staff has not yet assembled a list of prospective vice presidential candidates, but has begun planning procedures for choosing one. He acknowledged that his chief rival for the nomination, Senate Republican leader Bob Dole of Kansas, would be on the list, but added that he would not announce his choice until the GOP convention opens in New Orleans. "good jobs at good wages, cou Warren, Mich. After four secluded days of fishing in Wyoming without newspapers, TV or radio, George Bush seemed unperturbed Wednesday by all the ridicule heaped on him at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.

The vice president, returning to the campaign trail, shrugged off the Democratic attacks as "a bunch of frantic name-calling" and a possible sign of desperation that could backfire with voters this fall. Bush claimed he had not seen or heard any of the convention during his vacation and would not return any of the fire directed at him by the opposition. "What's the point of getting into the name-calling business? I don't see it," the probable Republican presidential nominee said at a news conference, saying he was unaware of the ridicule directed at him. "Without knowing what the concentrated attack is about, pled with a record of manageri al competence and a cool refus of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which sponsored the survey. Pollster Paul Maslin said these voters, mostly Northern Catholics and Southern white Protestants, voted 2-to-l for Reagan over Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984.

Dukakis watched the vote from his hotel suite six blocks away and, adhering to the tradition of not accepting the nomination until the following night, didn't appear before the delegates despite their chants. But his mood was reflected earlier in the day when a beaming Dukakis, accompanied by his wife, Kitty, said: "This is a kick. I think it's for real; I mean, it's happening." Dukakis, 54, began his campaign 15 months ago as a little- al to embroil himself in the sometimes bitter Ideological battles within his party, enabled him to triumph over rivals who were both more experienced and better known. Dukakis' nomination enabled him to follow his political hero, John F. Kennedy, in becoming the second Democratic presi dential nominee from Brookline, Mass..