Reel

Capitol Journal - South Africa and apartheid

Carter segues to topic of South Africa and apartheid

Violence in South Africa, soldiers fire guns from armored trucks at people on the street - people run seeking shelter. Apartheid violence.

President RONALD REAGAN in oval office signing legislation of limited sanctions against the South African government due to apartheid

Crowded street protest in South Africa as it is being broken up by violent police officers. Apartheid violence

Senators congregating in crowd on Senate floor

Long shot of White House push in. The Capital Building dome, pull out

Senator RICHARD LUGAR (R - Indiana) heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Voice over explains that the two houses may come to accept the less strict sanctions.

Representative WILLIAM GRAY (D - Pennsylvania) explains to an interviewer why he'll support the Senate bill on sanctioning South Africa. I for one will be prepared to support the Senate bill, even though it is not nearly as strong as I think it should be or I think the action should be that we ought to take. The reality is that we only have about 3 weeks and unless we pass a piece of legislation and give it to the President next week, there is a possibility that he could pocket-veto it. By that I mean, just simply put in his pocket, we adjourn, he doesn t sign it, he kills the bill, and thus we have no way to override his veto It is my understanding that the Senate is saying to the House that they are willing to override a Presidential veto if the final product is very close to the position they passed. I prefer that we could go to conference and toughen the sanctions, but the real political pressure here is do you want to have a sanctions bill Senator RICHARD LUGAR (R - Indiana) stands at a podium. Representative WILLIAM GRAY (D - Pennsylvania) I just think that Senator Lugar basically is trying to protect the White House. I think that if the Republican leadership of the Senate had their way, they would like to be able to say their members voted for sanctions back in August and now let s kill the bill and have no sanctions. I think that s where the Republican leadership is in the Senate. And I think that s unfortunate because I think that s out of step with where the American people are. And it s tragic to see an attitude of diversion, derailment, similar to what we saw last year when the leadership of the Senate, at the behest of the President, did a similar thing.

Back in studio Mark Shields and Hodding Carter discuss the effectiveness of U.S. condemnation of foreign countries we disagree with.