Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 5

Monday, August 29,1994 A5 WASHINGTON (AP) Fired NAACP leader Bem'amin Chavis Jr. affirmed solidarity with Nation oflslam leader Louis Farrakhan at a rousing Sunday service of the breakaway African-American Catholic church. Chavis also denounced as "a mme against humanity'' the Clinton administration's policy of in-cercepting Haitian and Cuban refugees at sea to prevent them from reaching the United States. "We must say to our sisters and brothers in Cuba and Haiti we stand with you" and work for policy changes, he said, "You can take away my job, you can take away anything, but I am not going to forsake Mr. Farrakhan as my brother," Chavis said.

The Chavis-brokered alliance with Farrakhan was one of the issues involved in his dismissal eight days ago as executive director of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People. Chavis, an ordained Protestant minister in the United Church of Christ, preached the main sermon and received a footstamping, drum-beating ovation from more than 1,000 worshippers at the recently opened Capitol Hill Imani Temple of the African-American Catholic Congregation. The church's Archbishop George Augustus Stallings Jr. praised Chavis as a freedom fighter who shook up the oldest U.S. civil rights organization.

Stallings was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church after founding the congregation five years ago and declaring that Jesus was black. NAACP board members' who fired Chavis last week "have lost touch with the average African-American on the street" and deferred to wealthy New York and Los Angeles interests, Stallings said. Chavis returned the compliment, calling the archbishop "one whom the pope himself could not hold down. If the pope were wise he would meet with Archbishop Stallings, abrotherwho is tryingto restore the Catholic church to its authenticroots." Chavis asked God's "forgive-' ness for the board of the NAACP and asked the congregation to "pray for them. They made the wrong decision." He also asked prayers for former NAACP employee Mary E.

Stancel, whose sex discrimination claim he settled with $332,400 in NAACP funds without board clearance, precipitating his dismissal. "Once the truth comes out," Chavis said, "you will know there was no sex harassment, no sex discrimination. It was an employment dispute." Chavis said despite the $30 billion federal anti-crime bill passed by Congress last week, "crime will not stop in our community until you and I stop it" through greater unity among African-Americans, their churches and organizations. Benjamin Chavis Jr. ii J-LIinois Newspapers '-(S V.

Two lawmakers say Congress should pass health reform on return We started in 1984 with an idea. Then selected only the best health care providers across central Illinois. that discussion on the Senate floor has so frightened two-thirds of the American public, they're afraid of any reform," Lugar said. "Even (with) a small incremental reform right now, they may weigh in at least with their calls and letters. So we really have our work cut out for us." Tony Coelho, special adviser to the Democratic National Committee, said Sunday that Clinton would probably sign a less, comprehensive health reform measure as long as it moved toward his goal of extending health insurance to all Americans.

House Speaker Tom Foley, made a similar statement Saturday. "If something gets through that might be insurance reform or something he probably wouldn't veto that," Coelho said on ABC's "This Week With David Brinkley. "He won't support anything that doesn't go down the path that he wants." Clinton early this year pledged to veto any bill that did not guarantee health care for all. He has 1 not said whether he will retreat from that threat now that enactment of broad health reform appears dead for this year. But Lugar said Clinton's approval of anything less than coverage for all would be tantamount to former President Bush's breaking his "no new taxes" pledge, which some believe con-.

tributed to his defeat in 1992. WASHINGTON (AP) Congress should pass modest health reform legislation when it returns from summer recess in two weeks but whether it can is far from assured, two members of Congress said Sunday. And a special adviser to the Democratic Party said President Clinton would probably sign such a bill as long as it moves toward his goal of extending health insurance to all Americans. "The debate today is do you get incremental reform or no reform at all in the remaining weeks of the session," Rep. Lee Hamilton, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think some health care reform should be passed in an incremental sort of a way within the next few weeks.

I hope very much that that is what we will do." Sen. Richard Lugar, also appearing NBC, said Congress should tackle a number of related issues, including whether to allow workers to keep their healthbenefits when they change jobs and whether to block insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. "These are things that people want in a bipartisan sense," he said. "I think the president will sign it. It would be to his credit if he did." But both lawmakers said they didn't know whether such legislation would be passed and, if it did, whether Clinton would sign it.

"I think the dilemma we face is To grow the best health care insurance plan ibr our members with a 95 approval rating. vW ffF www'- I- 0 Former Congressman gets used to White House WASHINGTON (AP) For a White House staff nervous about Over the years, we've grown and nourished to the changing needs of our members. a possible -shakeup, Leon jg Panetta message is not reassuring: "There is no job security here," Six weeks into his job, President Clinton's new chief of staff has established himself as the doing that if I think it provides the best operation for the president," Panetta said. It was Panetta who dealt with the House over changes in Clinton's crime bill. He also has staked out a role for himself in Clinton's foreign policy operation.

wanted to be directly involved in foreign policy issues as one of the principals because I think the president needs to have a chief of staff who's covering all the bases," Panetta said in an interview in his spacious West Wing office. All memos going into the Oval Office have to be routed through Panetta, even when they're signed by such senior aides as Mack McLarty and George Stephanopoulos. Clinton's outside political advisers also have had their easy access restricted. "We had a lot of kind of counselors to the president, advisers to the president," Panetta said in an interview. "What I've tried to do is establish much clearer re-sponsibihties for those advisers." Panetta also eot assurances he Panetta So now it's time to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of our first 10 years.

power center, chief negotiator and strict disciplinarian for a White House that in the past has veered from being free-wheeling to chaotic. "You can't have an operation work well for the presidentunless it is well-managed and has a discipline to it," Panetta said. "It just doesn't work." Long-rumored personnel changes are likely, Panetta said. The most probable targets are believed to be in the areas of uling, communications and political affairs. "If there's abetter way to structure this, I can't be hesitant about wouldn't be second-guessed by Vice President Al Gore or Hillary Rodham Clinton, two other powerful figures.

Minister exhorts Clinton to rest on Sabbath day Of course, now we Ye working on new ideas for the next 10... that yourvacation on the will restore and rejuvenate." His sermon focused on the reli gious significance of rest and play, a perfect Sunday morning thnuriit for a hard-driven politi cian weary from a summer of Washington battles. Reminding the non-denomi national congregation that the Sabbath is a day of rest, Vander Hey said, "The rhythm in life is OAK BLUFFS, Mass. (AP) President Clinton sat in the front row with his family Sunday at an open-air church on a New England town square, and was given holy orders to get some rest and recreation. "Even a president needs some Hey said in his sermon at The Tabernacle, a 159-year-old religious camp on Martha's Vineyard.

The president, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, their daughter, Chelsea, and one of Chelsea's friends gathered with more than 500 summer residents beneath a huge steel shelter resembling a revival tent. As a gentle ocean breeze held offthe summerheat, Vander Hey welcomed the Clintons to their seats, saying, "We hope for you not all work; it work and rest. "If God could take a vacation then ro could we." he said. PmondCareQ Celebrating 10 Healthy Years! Sewing Champaign-Urbana, Charleston-Mattoon and Kankakee 1-800-431-1211 With Clinton's golf addiction in mind, Vander Hey said playing is an important part of living, He that srolf clubs are "instru ments of the devil," and that he nrofom rnmuetball because "I lose very few balls on the small court. 4-.