The Zero Effect
USA
Today leads with yesterday's U.S. and worldwide stock rally. The
Washington Post and Los Angeles
Times lead with the balanced budget proposed yesterday by President
Clinton--the first such in thirty years. The New York Times
goes with Madeleine Albright's attempt to line up Saudi support for any U.S.
military operation against Iraq.
According to USAT , a 14 percent jump in Hong Kong's stock market on
Monday fueled the Dow's 201 point jump. The paper also cites as a factor the
spreading belief that President Clinton will survive his sex scandal. The rally
also drove the S&P 500 above 1000 for the first time ever.
The WP lead emphasizes that the Clinton balanced budget proposal bars
substantial new spending until Social Security is fixed. The paper notes that
in contrast to most past years, this proposed budget is not arriving on
Capitol Hill dead on arrival. The coverage also features various negative
reactions from the likes of Trent Lott, John Kasich, and Newt Gingrich, who is
quoted, "This is a budget only a liberal could love." The biggest criticism is
the budget's use of a proposed tobacco settlement to partially offset new
domestic social spending provisions. But, says the Post , according to
polls, these priorities generally conform to what the voters want.
The NYT budget off-lead covers much the same ground but is a bit more
sensitive to the political angle, saying the budget presents the president with
"another opportunity to portray himself as absorbed in governing, and to
deflect accusations that he had an affair.." The LAT also highlights
political considerations, saying that the budget was "designed to give
Democrats an upper hand in November's congressional elections and provide Vice
President Al Gore with an edge as the 2000 presidential election
approaches."
The main Wall Street Journal "Politics and Policy" piece says that
despite opening Republican potshots, there is likely to be agreement about the
provisions dealing with child care, transportation, and tobacco taxes. The
Journal sees the big conflicts coming over the expansion of Medicare to
those younger than 65, a minimum wage increase, and national teacher
testing.
The NYT lead reports that Madeleine Albright came away from her talks
with Saudi leaders with a statement of support for military action if diplomacy
fails. However, the paper says, she wants more: access to Saudi air bases like
the U.S. had in Desert Storm. The Times says the Saudis might agree to
let their bases be used for support aircraft, but not bombers. While seeking
support, Albright has, says the Times , made it clear the U.S. is
prepared to go it alone. The WP discloses that Albright did win aircraft
staging permission from Kuwait and is likely also to get green-lighted by
Bahrain, which she visits next.
The Times also passes along word that Russian negotiators are trying
to cobble a deal that would allow an ad hoc weapons inspection of eight
heretofore-off-limits presidential palace sites. But the U.S. is not
enthusiastic. The LAT also puts the Albright mission on the front.
The NYT front reports that there's been a more than forty percent drop in AIDS cases, both in New York City and
nationally. The trend also makes the LAT front, and is inside at the
WP . The likeliest explanation: the newer drug therapies.
The NYT has today's new Whitefluid development: Monica L. visited the
White House, not ten times as has been variously reported, but "about three dozen times" after leaving her White House job. She
was, says the paper, usually cleared by the president's personal secretary. The
paper's sources are officials who have either seen or been briefed about the
White House visitation logs. Ms. L.'s Pentagon bosses say her White House trips
weren't for them. A White House spokesman wouldn't confirm the number of visits
for the Times , although one senior official there said the number
"sounds about right."
"TP" had to read yesterday's WP twice before noticing that key
members of the Post editorial staff are apparently suffering the
cerebral ill effects of too much exposure to brightly colored polyester.
Witness this lead on Monday's front: "The issue of whether disabled golfer
Casey Martin should be allowed to use a golf cart in tournament play has
captured the nation's imagination for weeks."
The LAT front reports that, in an attempt to highlight Southern
California's virtues as a technology marketplace, today a nickname will be
chosen for the region that will figure in an aggressive marketing campaign. The
paper says it will probably be "Tech Coast." "Today's Papers" is still partial
to "Silicone Valley."
