LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
IN 01.00.00 01.00.00-WETA credit/sponsor credits 01.00.23-COKIE ROBERTS-on program: REPUBLICAN primaries in major states nominate moderate candidates who have a good chance of defeating DEMOCRATS in november. LINDA WERTHEIMER-The HOUSE finally passes a BUDGET. PAUL DUKE-report on Congress' poll of its own best members. 01.00.46-Title Sequence 01.01.12-DUKE-November elections five months away, some PRIMARIES give the clue that MODERATES in both parties can look for success. Some strong CONSERVATIVES and supporters of REAGANOMICS were defeated in primaries. ROBERTS-MODERATE REPUBLICANS won primaries in OHIO, NEW JERSEY, and CALIFORNIA. PETE WILSON won in California, MILLICENT FENWICK will run in NEW JERSEY. DUKE-both parties have strong stake in the 1982 elections, and generally the party in control of WHITE HOUSE loses seats in off-year elections. Introduces commentary by Reps. TONY COELHO (D-CA) and NEWT GINGRICH. 01.03.56-DUKE asks for comment based on the primary results. COELHO confident that DEMOCRATS will pick up at least 10 seats in HOUSE, maybe more. GINGRICH says there is a turn away from the "liberal welfare state" and REPUBLICANS will do well. Discussion of REPUBLICAN MODERATES winning primaries, asks if they will abandon REAGAN in NOVEMBER. GINGRICH tries to spin the results of the primaries to say that the moderates are all for REAGAN. COELHO dissents. DUKE asks if the polls show that people aren't confident in the DEMOCRATS, either. COELHO says that the elections in the fall will basically be LOCAL affairs, and REAGAN and TIP O'NEILL won't be such important factors. Says that people clearly want a change in REAGANOMICS, even though they generally like REAGAN like a GRANDFATHER figure. NEWT whiningly asks to claim "at least partial equal time here", blames DEMOCRATS for everything. ROBERTS asks NEWT how he can translate his ideological beliefs into a real-life plan to win the elections when REAGANOMICS is so unpopular. NEWT says REPUBLICANS will do well if voters think in national terms and feel that REPUBLICANS stand for less bureaucracy and lower taxes. ROBERTS presses GINGRICH on the issue of the IMMENSE CAMPAIGN FUNDING enjoyed by REPUBLICANS. NEWT describes people giving "an average of 23 dollars each" to the GOP, disguising the real sources of all that money. Compares the "average American" base of GOP to labor union/minority/female (presumably un-American in Newt's view?) base of the Democrats. COELHO points out that before the GOP could start its "grassroots" fundraising, it had to get mammoth donations from corporate America. Democrats don't have the funding of the corporate oligarchy. Discussion of the impact of the PRIMARIES on votes taken in CONGRESS between now and the elections in November. 01.12.37-DUKE-introduces report on fallout from PRIMARIES on HOUSE FLOOR VOTING. WERTHEIMER with report on the BUDGET. Says that DEMOCRATS were divided about whether to compromise with MODERATE REPUBLICANS or fight and lose with liberal budget and take the results to the ballots in November, REPUBLICANS undecided about sticking with REAGAN or moving to moderate ground, but eventually, after the first round of debates failed to produce a budget, the choices became simple. 01.13.17-Shot of Rep. DELBERT LATTA (R-OH) in well of House, says that there were too many amendments to the first budgets, it's time to stop messing around and make up a budget for the people's sake. Shots of Congressmen in debate. WERTHEIMER v.o.-this round, the house limited debate to three choices-BUDGETS written by Rep. JIM JONES (BUDGET COMMITTEE CHAIR), a group of Conservatives, and the original budget proposed by REAGAN. Shot of LATTA in debate, rails about "tax and spend" DEMOCRATS, says they are responsible for ruining the country. Shot of Rep. JIM JONES in debate-says the major problem is the HIGHEST LEVEL OF UNEMPLOYMENT SINCE THE DEPRESSION. Shot of Rep. RONALD DELLUMS (D-CA), says even the DEMOCRATIC proposal isn't good enough, the ethical thing to do is to reject both the budgets.