October 13, 1994: Vol26n6: Wit and wisdom from McLaughlin Group


By STEVE COX
Reporter Staff
George Pataki topples Mario Cuomo. The Republicans retake control of
the United States Senate, possibly even the House. This, and more,
drive Bill Clinton to step down in 1996 to make room for Al Gore (or
maybe Hillary) atop the Democratic ticket.
	So go the predictions of the Public Broadcasting Service's
panel of pungent political prognosticators from on the Potomac: the
McLaughlin Group. More than 2,000 turned out to see them perform in
Alumni Arena Oct. 5 for the Distinguished Speakers Series.
	Seen weekly on local PBS affiliate WNED-TV, the McLaughlin
Group brings together some of Washington's most knowledgeable
journalists for frank discussions of current events. John McLaughlin
tossed out the topics, from Haiti to upcoming elections to President
Clinton's potential primary foes, while his panelists took shots at
answers, and at each other, in a vigorous, two-hour round of
intellectual table tennis.
 	Known for his caustic wit and bullish prodding of panelists,
longtime Washington insider McLaughlin is the group's creator,
executive producer and host. He is a former special assistant to
Presidents Nixon and Ford, as well as former Washington editor and
columnist for the National Review.
	McLaughlin was accompanied by two group mainstays: on the
(political) right, Fred Barnes, senior editor of The New Republic, and
on the left, Eleanor Clift, contributing editor and former
congressional and political correspondent for Newsweek. They were
joined by Josette Shiner, Washington Times managing editor and Howard
Fineman, Newsweek's Washington bureau chief.
	Only Eleanor Clift dissented from the consensus that Democrats
would suffer a significant setback at the polls in November, losing
control of the Senate. Clift pointed out that only five House
incumbents have been defeated in primaries thus far, compared with 15
at this point two years ago. Barnes retorted that this year's voter
unrest "is not an undifferentiated anger: voters are angry at
liberals." He claimed that at least 12 U.S. Senate seats held by
Democrats are in danger, but that no GOP incumbents are behind.
	The GOP needs seven new senators to take control, and the
clear consensus among the group was that this would happen. A net gain
of 40 seats by the Republicans would be needed for Newt Gingrich to
become Speaker of the House; panelists held out at least some
likelihood that this would occur.
	Turning to specific races, in California, despite his spending
a record $20 million, much from his personal fortune, Shiner predicted
that Michael Huffington (R) will probably not unseat Sen. Diane
Feinstein (D).
	Fresh from a week in Massachusetts, Fineman suggested that
"unless he can turn things around in the first 20 minutes of his first
televised debate with Mit Romney, Ted Kennedy is in big trouble." It
would be big news, indeed, for no Kennedy has ever lost a general
election. However, the consensus was that Kennedy's 32-year Senate
reign would continue, albeit by a slim margin.
	Elsewhere, said McLaughlin, look for GOP upsets in Ohio, where
Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) leads mega-lawyer Joel Hyatt (D) in the race
to succeed Hyatt's father-in-law, Howard Metzenbaum; in Virginia,
where Oliver North (R), on his way to joining the body he was
convicted of lying to, appears to be beating incumbent Sen. Charles
Robb (D); and in Tennessee, where both seats could go Republican. The
only question, according to Barnes, is whether it will be a small
landslide or a big one.
	Other "McLaughlinisms" offered up by panelists: 
	o 	On Haiti, Clift warned that "If things go sour there,
Clinton will pay at the polls," and McLaughlin said of the size of the
troop contingent there, "It is time to welcome Haiti as the 51st
state."
	o 	On former and soon-to-be-again DC Mayor Marion Barry,
McLaughlin observed, "He will be the only politician in America to
arrive at his inauguration in a limousine whose license plates were
made by himself."
	o 	On being a Democratic candidate this year, Shiner
reported, "Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said to me 'It's like watching
mice scurry for the corners - candidates don't want to be associated
with Clinton."
	o 	On New York gubernatorial candidate George Pataki,
Clift called him "the closest thing there is to a generic candidate;
no one knows who or what he is," to which McLaughlin replied, "He is
virtual reality."
	o 	On the 1996 primaries, Fineman predicted, "Clinton
will have a challenge from the left that will be more bothersome than
Pat Buchanan," to which McLaughlin added, "possibly by George
Mitchell, possibly by Jesse Jackson, and Clinton will step aside to
make room for Al Gore."
	o	 And, on host John McLaughlin, Barnes told the
audience, "Now you can see why, in Washington, they say a day without
McLaughlin is like a day without hemorrhoids."