Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I McCain. Bush duel over tactics by Glen Johnson Associated Press Fort Lawn—John McCain on Thursday demanded Geoige W. Bush’s campaign stop making mislead ing phone calls to voters about him after a woman told the senator her 14-year-old son was brought to the brink of tears by a pollster. The Texas governor denied his presidential cam paign was behind such calls, and promised, “If any one in my campaign has done that, they’re going to be fired.” On a day that Steve Forbes officially dropped out of the Republican race, Bush also offered fresh criticism of chief opponent McCain for transferring $2 million from his Senate campaign account to his presidential fund — a practice Bush said he would work to end if elected. Bush’s political team, meanwhile, continued its work to calm jittery Republican leaders. In a con ference call Thursday with GOP supporters, cam paign manager Joe Allbaugh said this week was in tended to “staunch the hemorrhaging” caused by McCain’s New Hampshire win and he said campaign polls show that Bush’s more aggressive campaign against the Arizonan “was having an effect.” The conference call was private, but two offi cials who participated confirmed the events on con dition of anonymity. Looking ahead, Allbaugh said the campaign plans next week to describe McCain as a senator who nev er accomplished major legislative goals, one official said. For the third day running, the two GOP con tenders exchanged harsh words long distance in the battleground state of South Carolina, which holds its primary Feb. 19. A new American Research Group poll showed a tight race, 46 percent support for Bush and 39 percent for McCain. This time, the two clashed over the practice of “push polling,” in which one campaign’s pollsters call voters and offer distorted appraisals of oppo nents’ positions. At a town hall meeting in Spartanbuig, Donna Duren told McCain that her 14-year-old son, Chris, took a call Wednesday from a “push poller,” al though she couldn’t name the polling firm. Duren said her son admires McCain and was on the verge of tears after talking to the pollster who described the candidate, in Duren’s words, as “a cheat, a liar and a fraud.” “I was so mad last night I couldn’t sleep,” the woman said. ■McCain said he would call the boy and he told the woman his.pampaign doesn’t conduct push polls. “I promise you, I have never and will never have anything to do with that.” “I would hope people would contact the Bush campaign,” McCain said. “I can’t believe that some one from a good family such as Geoige Bush would n’t stop this.” The governor, campaigning in Fort Lawn, de cried the incident and he called on McCain to join him in letting the public see the scripts they use to call possible supporters. “It’s one thing to battle for the vote,” Bush said as he arrived at the Catawba Fish Camp for a fish fry. “But there is not authorization, and it’s not going to happen in my campaign, for calling him a liar. It’s just not right. ” Campaign spokesman Ari Fleischer released a script for what he said was the only call the Bush campaign was making. It criticizes McCain for “neg ative campaign tactics,” but it does not refer to his honesty and asks only one question, will you sup port Bush in the GOP presidential primary? Calls are being placed to several hundred thou sand people identified as favorable to Bush or un decided in the race. Fleischer accused McCain of using the incident to divert attention from his fund-raiser Thursday night at a hotel across the street from the White House. The oiganizers included two lobbyists whose clients have interests before the Senate Com merce Committee. McCain, who heads the committee, has decried the effect of special interests on the political process. Campaign funding reform is the hallmark of his pres idential campaign. In a new line of attack on McCain, Bush criti cized the senator for transferring $2 million from his Senate campaign account to his presidential fund. And the governor noted that in a speech McCain made on the floor of the Senate in 1990 he said that rolling over money from one account to another was a practice used to “intimidate” challengers and amounted to “hypocrisy” among reformers. , “It’s one thing to say something, it’s another tiling to do it in politics,” Bush said. “I want to make sure that people understand that a campaign fund ing reformer must be held to high standards.” McCain spokesman Howard Opinsky said the senator was speaking in 1990 about the practice of Senate incumbents building warchests to scare off challengers. “I don’t think that anyone is intimidated by John McCain’s fund-raising, and the Bush campaign con tinues to try to twist John McCain’s words to sub stantiate their special interest-funded campaign,” Opinsky said. , Forbes quits GOP race by Jonathan Salant Associated Press Washington — Ending his “swim against the tides, ” publisher Steve Forbes pulled out of the Republican presiden tial race today after spending personal millions on his second quest for the nom ination. “We have created a new conserva tive agenda,” Forbes told supporters, claiming influence in making the party take his ideas seriously. “I have no regrets, and you should n’t either.” Forbes exited in Washington, the place he railed against in two campaigns for the timidity of its tax cutters and the clout of its special-interest lobbyists. Champion of a flat income tax and a conservative voice on abortion, Forbes struggled to get his voice heard in a cam paign dominated from the start by Texas Gov. George W. Bush, with John Mc Cain coming on strong after a New Hamp shire victory. “Wfe were nosed out by a landslide,” Forbes said dryly. His departure triggered a scramble among the remaining contenders for his anti-abortion, anti-tax supporters on the conservative right, and also set the stage for a two-way battle between Bush and McCain, though former Ambassador Alan Keyes is still in the race. Declining to immediately endorse another candidate, Forbes said on CBS’ “The Early Show” this morning that his campaigns in 1996 and this year “changed the political landscape” and their cost— more than $66 million — was money well spent. “When you add it up, it’s a formi dable sum, but it will get you a handful of ads in the Super Bowl,” he said. “I think we have changed the dialogue.” Forbes cited his focus on overhaul ing the income tax system, ending abortion, giving parents more control over schools, and allowing people to con trol their Social Security savings. He said his flat tax proposal forced candidates Bush and McCain to release their own tax-cut plans. Foibes won the Delaware primary in 19% but decided to get out of the race this year after placing third in that state on Tuesday, behind Bush and even Mc Cain, who didn’t campaign at all in Delaware. “This was a fantastic phenomenal ex perience, seeing America, learning about America in a way few people get to do it,” Forbes said. He declined to say whether he would run for the presiden cy again or some other office, but said, “I will participate in the public square one way or another.” Forbes left the presidential race to day in the company of a select few who spent millions of their personal fortunes on back-to-back political campaigns that ended in defeat. Like Reform Party founder Ross Per ot and Californian Michael Huffington before him, Forbes helped set the stan dard for sparing no expense on a politi cal dream. He spent an average of $ 160 per vote to finish second in an Iowa straw poll in August, although no delegates were at stake and anyone could vote for the price of a ticket. He spent more than $3 million a month ih the last three months of 1999 in advance of the Iowa caucuses, where he finished a strong second, and the New Hampshire primary, where he came in a poor third. Harry Hamburg KRT Steve Forbes campaigning in Iowa earlier this year. Forbes dropped out of the Republican race for the presidency Thursday after spend ing $66 million in the last two GOP contests. French, Belgian diplomats snub Austrian's speech by Roland Prinz Associated Press Vienna, Austria—French and Bel gian diplomats boycotted a speech to day by Austria’s new foreign minister, who took over as head of the Organi zation for Security anti Cooperation in Europe when the new center-right gov ernment came to power. The boycott was a protest against the participation of Joerg Haider s far right Freedom Party in Austria’s new coalition Cabinet, members of the French OSCE delegation told the Aus tria Press Agency. Haider outraged France and Bel gium by denouncing French Presi dent Jacques Chirac and calling tire Bel gian government “corrupt” A French diplomat told A FA that the boycott of Austrian Foreign Min ister Benita Ferrero-Waldner’s speech was part of “the measures of rejection and distance” toward the formation of the new Cabinet Herve Ladsous, the French ambas sador to the OSCE, said the French and Belgian delegations returned after her speech to attend the regular session of OSCE permanent council. Ferrero-Waldner downplayed the snub. “I cannot consider this as a vote of no-confidence, ” she said at a news con ference. “Whoever weakens us will weaken the oiganizaiion as a whole.” In her speech, the minister ignored the problems faced by her government at home and abroad. She only re ferred only to a coalition declaration signed last week in which the two part ners — the Freedom Party and Chan cellor Wolfgang Schuessel’s Austrian People’s Party — pledged their com mitment to the fundamental values of democracy and human rights. “It is clear to us that observation of these values in one’s own country is essential for a credible (Austrian) chair manship,” Ferrero-Whldner said. Although officially he plays no role in the new government, Haider sum moned his party’s ministers in the new Cabinet today to Klqgenfurt, in Carinthia province where he is governor, to dis cuss a “ 100-day program.” None of the People’s Party minis ters were present. According to AR\, the main top ics under review were the improve ment of the situation of poor people, and administrative and civil services re forms. In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, Schuessel said Austria was ready to make amends for its Nazi past. He affirmed his administration’s loyalty to European values, and called on European, the United States and other partners to “review their prej udices and preformed opinions in the light of Austrian realities.” He also said Austrian companies that used slave laborers during the Nazi era would be expected to make pay ments to the victims. ----j House passes $182 billion tax cut for married taxpayers by Curt Anderson Associated Press WASHINGTON — Dispatching an election-year valentine, Republicans won House passage Thurs day of legislation that would cut income taxes $ 182 billion over 10 years for all married taxpayers, in cluding the 25 million couples who pay a “mar riage penalty” compared with single people. The vote, timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day next week, was 268-158 to send the bill to the Senate. Although 48 Democrats joined all Repub licans in favor, it was short of a veto-proof edge. Senate passage is far from certain, and Presi dent Clinton is threatening a veto over the bill’s cost and timing, yet House GOP leaders trumpet ed the measure as the first in a series of tax cuts that would return a portion of projected budget sur pluses to taxpayers and limit the growth of gov ernment. “We need a tax code that doesn’t punish mar ried couples,” said House Speaker Dennis Hasten, R-Ill. “They need to buy braces for the kids. They need to buy insurance for the car and the home. They don’t need the federal government picking their pocket.” It was a day for politicians of every stripe to al ly themselves with the popular issue, even if they opposed this particular bill. Despite his veto warn ing, Clinton said at a Capitol Hill appearance, “We know we should do this.” However, he wants mar riage penalty tax relief taigeted more toward low er- and middle-class taxpayers. “We are united in saying, ‘Let’s do it now,”’ Clinton told a Democratic rally. The “marriage penalty” occurs because mil lions of couples who file joint tax returns are forced to pay taxes at higher rates than they would if they were single and filing separately, especially if each spouse earns roughly the same income. The penalty strikes most frequently at income levels between $20,000 and$75,000 and costs couples an average of $ 1,400 a year, according to congres sional estimates. The GOP bill would cut taxes for those couples as well as millions of others who already get a mar riage “bonus,” mainly those in which one spouse earns the lion’s share of family income. It would gradually expand the bottom 15 percent tax brack et to apply to more of a married couple’s income, boost the standard deduction in 2001 for married fders to twice that of singles and raise the income cap to allow more lower-income couples to claim the earned income tax credit. About 50 million married couples fried joint income tax returns in 1997, the most recent year complete statistics are available from the Internal Revenue Service. Government report confirms some workers were exposed to radiation by Nancy Zuckerbrod Associated Press Washington —A government report released Thursday confirmed what some workers at a feder al uranium enrichment plant in Kentucky suspect ed for years: They were exposed to high levels of ra diation on the job. The Department of Energy report doesn’t spec ify how many Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant work ers developed cancer or other diseases. But it does acknowledge that workers came into contact with radioactive materials and hazardous chemicals be tween 1952 and 1990 at levels much liigher than al lowed today. ThoSe radiation levels usually were within in dustry and government standards for the period, though at least two times in 1968 workers were exposed to levels above even what was allowed then, said David Michaels, assistant secretary for envi ronment, safety and health at DOE. “I’m both angered and saddened,” he said. “We certainly made some mistakes.” Michaels said it was impossible to know how much radiation workers were exposed to because the Paducah plant, which enriched uranium for nu clear weapons and non-military uses, operated in a “climate of secrecy.” “I’ve been suspicious ever since I worked there. Different guys were always getting sick,” said A1 Puckett, a plant employee from 1952 to 1965. Puckett is among workers who have filed law suits seeking compensation for radiation exposure. The administration has proposed offering $100,000 to each Paducah worker who developed cancer due to on-the-job exposure to radiation, although it is not known how many people might be covered. The administration has requested $21.8 million from Congress for expanded medical monitoring, expo sure assessments and accelerated cleanup at Paduc ah and uranium-processing plants in Piketon, Ohio, and Oak Ridge, Tenn. The DOE investigation began in August after three employees sued, alleging former operators Lockheed Martin Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp. profited by lying about the extent of environmental pollution and worker exposure to radiation. In the early 1950s, plant managers did not un derstand the dangers of radiation, the report said. But it did cite a letter from 1960 that showed plant of ficials were aware of the potential hazards of ra dioactive material. The document stated that 300 plant workers “should be checked out,” but that management was hesitant to study the issue for fear the workers’ union would demand hazard pay. News Briefs ■ Jordan endorses Bradley in commercial Washington (AP) - Basketball super star Michael Jordan will appear in tele vision ads endorsing former ballplayer Bill Bradley’s campaign for the Demo cratic presidential nomination. The ad, taped two months ago, will begin airing Friday in some of the states voting in the critical March 7 batch of primaries, said Kristen Ludecke, Bradley’s spokeswoman. She refused to say which markets the ad would run in. New York, California and other large states are holding primaries that day. It’s the first time Jordan, who has starred in TV commercials for shoes, drinks, underwear and long-distance tele phone service, has entered the political arena. “I am very honored to receive Michael’s support for my campaign, par ticularly since he has not publicly en dorsed a political candidate before today,” Bradley said in a statement today. “I have worked hard to bring new people into the political process and to bring people to gether around a shared vision for the coun try.” ■ Courtney arraigned on fraud charges GREENVILLE - State Sen. Charles Tyrone “Ty” Courtney, was arraigned Thursday on federal fraud charges stemming from an allegedly falsified loan application for his home. U.S. Magistrate William Catoe re leased Courtney, R-Cowpens, on $25,000 unsecured bond, meaning he wasn’t re quired to post any cash. Courtney, 48, was indicted last month on charges of bank fraud, mail fraud and making a false statement on a loan ap plication. The indictment was unsealed Feb. 2. Trial was scheduled for April 4 in Greenville, Catoe said. Courtney won’t return to the Senate floor until the charges are resolved, de fense attorney William Yarborough said. Courtney will not vote on any leg islation, but will continue to represent his constituents in committee meetings, Yarborough said. ■ EU examines Windows 2000 launch Brussels, Belgium - The European Union’s top antitrust official says EU reg ulators have opened an examination in to the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows 2000 operating system. Mario Monti, the EU competition commissioner, said Wednesday that sev eral competitors had complained that Windows 2000 would give Microsoft a dominant position in the software mar ket. “Whoever gains dominance in the software service market gains dominance in electronic commerce too,” Monti said. Monti said the European Commis sion sent Microsoft a letter last week, asking for more information. Microsoft has four weeks to respond. Microsoft officials said Wednesday the company would comply fully with the EU’s request for information, and that the investigation wouldn’t interfere with making Windows 2000 commercially available. “Microsoft has designed (Windows 2000) in a way which may permits it to leverage its dominant position in PC op erating systems into operating markets such as server operating systems and e commerce,” Monti said. ■ Iraq won’t let • weapons inspectors enter county Baghdad, Iraq (AP) - Iraq won’t al low a U.N. weapons inspection team into the country to restart disarmament activities, a top Iraqi leader said Thurs day. “There shall be no return of the so called inspection teams. We reject the in filtration (of our country) by spies using such cover,” the official Iraqi News Agency quoted Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan as telling a visiting Russian en voy. The remarks are the most negative by an Iraqi leader regarding the Dec. 17 U.N. Security Council resolution, and 0 come as the newly appointed chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix of Sweden, is trying to set up the new disarmament commission. Ramadan didn’t mention Blix by name, but his team was set up un der the resolution.