November 1988

11/1/88

SA closes down Weekly Mail for a month.

USG claims Soviets sending sophisticated weapons to Afghanistan.

Imelda Marcos’ bail $5m--on charge of embezzling ≥$103m, borrowing $165m. She wore basic black shoes.

Poland to close the Gdansk Shipyard in Dec.--home of Solidarity.

Dukakis finally accepts use of word liberal “in tradition of FDR, Truman & Kennedy.” Quayle says that “FDR liberals today are Republicans like Ronald Reagan.”

1st 3 quarters of 1988, >$198b of mergers.

A psychologist says in 1st debate, Bush made errors in 20% of sentences, 17-18% in 2nd. Duke 5½ 1st, 11% 2nd.

Marcos was convicted 1939 of killing a man who beat his father in an election--quashed on appeal

In SA 1 in 600 blacks have been jailed. Israel 1 in 83 Palestinians.

When a DCI meets a foreign official, he is briefed. In 1976, George Bush met Noriega. In Jun75, Justice Dept report on N’s involvement in drug smuggling to US. Indeed DEA considered assassinating him, Seymour Hersh reported in 1986. The report mostly on DEA’s misconduct & relationship w/CIA withheld from Congress (Village Voice, 10/1/88). Early 1970s, DEA made 1st attempt to indict Noriega, but never indicted. Since when Bush met Noriega, latter was believed to be bribing US agents, CIA would have given Bush such info.


11/2/88

More Br justice: if suspects caught near a terrorist site w/explosives or blood on them, they will be expected to produce an explanation. Presumption of guilt.

Israel: Labor & Likud virtually tied. All power to the relig loons. Question is will Likud ally w/Moledet (2 seats), which wants all Arabs in Occupied Territories expelled.

Imelda Marcos’ $5m bail posted by a tobacco heiress.

Thatcher to visit Poland as Lenin Shipyard closing. Says PM Rakowski, “I would never much like to be a pupil in her school.” Thatcher planning to close down Br Coal (all those miners’ strikes).


11/3/88

At $10,000/yr, AZT (AIDS drug) the most expensive drug ever marketed.

Nat Hentoff says the inventor of the Pledge was a Christian Socialist. After the initial 1940 Sup Court decision 8-1 for pledge, >2,000 children of Jehovah’s Witnesses expelled. Some people castrated. Expelled children would be “unlawfully absent,” hence delinquents, hence their parents could be prosecuted. From Robert Jackson’s majority opinion 1943: “The test of its [right to dissent’s] substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order. If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”


11/6/88

Shamir still courting relig loons, pushing for new settlements & to give Orthodox rabbis authority over conversion. Likud 40 seats, Labor 39.

USSR stopped Afghan pullout, though may still meet its deadline. Says arms shipments of Pakistan & US make it impossible.

Referendum in Fr & abroad, in low turnout, support for ind for New Caledonia. 60% support in NC. 2 provinces for natives, 1 for settlers, eventual ind.


11/7/88

Nation comments on Bush’s using Brezezinski, architect of the “liberal grain embargo.”


11/8/88

The AAC-Consolidated Gold merger has implications. Papua New Guinea & Australia don’t want SA controlling assets in their countries, but only the Br can stop it.

Bush: “It is no exaggeration to say that undecided voters can go either way.”

Elections: Out include Malcolm Wallop, conserv R of Wyoming, Lowell Weicker, the most liberal Republican--beaten by a Demo who ran to his right.


11/9/88

Evan Bayh (32) Indian’s new governor, the youngest--Birch Bayh was defeated by Dan Quayle 1980. MD votes for gun control. Mass votes to keep 2 nuke plants in operation. Mich. to halt state funding of abortion. Florida voted English-only. Hubert Humphrey III lost to incumbent Dave Durenger Minn.


11/10/88

New Senate to be 55-45 D., up from 54

Ex-Atty Gen John Mitchell d.


11/11/88

SA Conservs who now control many municipalities will return to segregated facilities.

US gov reintro homework in garment industry.

President of W Ger Parl, in speech on 50th anniversary of Kristallnacht, said nice things about Hitler. He quit today.
-50 Greens & SPD walked out.

NYC starts needle-exchange program.

A local R party in Texas put ads on Spanish stations that “voting officials will be watching closely” & citing penalties for illegal voting.


11/13/88

Nancy R. doesn’t intend to pay taxes for borrowed dresses & gowns worth $1m.

House of Commons votes 244-183 to uphold the ban on broadcasts of IRA & 10 other groups.


11/14/88

Here’s a frightening thought: the 1st Mexican nuclear power plant due to open soon.

USSR halted pullout from Afghan., though still plans to leave by Feb. 15.

PLO Nat. Council accepts UN Resolution 242, recognizing Israel, and est a gov. Shamir to head Israel gov, w/relig support

RR vetoes time limit on ads on children’s tv, allegedly on 1st Amend grounds.

Sup Court lets stand a decision that a father can’t prevent an abortion.

R platform encourages expulsion of Palestinians with “More jobs and more opportunities in adjoining countries might drain the energies of more young people into building a world for themselves rather than destroying someone else’s.”

Col. Jean-Claude Paul of Haiti, who had been indicted by US, associated w/Tontons Macoutes, and behind coups, died of “heart attack” or poisoning.


11/15/88

Bush: “I would not jump at an opportunity to have a bilateral chat, meeting with Daniel Ortega.” Though would give them “a certain standing that I think is uncalled for.”

Palestinians said their state’s boundaries will be determined by negotiation. 1st recognition, by Algeria. Israel rejects the results of the meeting in advance. Endorsed UN Resolutions 242 & 238, by vote of 253-46 & 10 abstentions. Reiterated Cairo Dec85 limiting guerilla ops to military targets in Israel & Occupied.

Quayle is pushing Indiana governor to appoint his wife to his Senatorial seat until 1990.

Nicholas Brady to cont. under Bush as Sec Treasury. Bush headed commission after crash that wanted regulation.

The networks were calling the election before polls closed, yet again.

Ariel Sharon, who may be defense minister again, wants annexation, close all newspapers in Occupied Territories, limit mvmt of Arabs.
-Shamir says the Algiers PLO meeting was just continuation fo the war.

Gandhi has been reinstated as a lawyer by Inner Temple (disbarred 1922).

China has the neutron bomb.

Sup Court rules cities may not reject apartments if its effect is to segregate blacks in poor areas.

Before election, Bush to reporters: “I’ve seen you rushing with the cameras and the mikes when I unexpectedly walk one way instead of another. And I’ve seen all of this and looked at you and thought, ‘Tough, too bad, who cares. It’s your problem, get a raise. Get a real job, get a haircut.’”

Soviet space shuttle made a successful unmanned run. James Oberg says the program not well integrated into space program, inc stations.

CBS dec Bush the winner at 6:17 pm PST. ABC at 6:20, NBC 7:30.

Economist: “The American presidency is a job that combines both king and chief executive. Mr Bush ran for king, Mr. Dukakis for chief executive.”


11/16/88

Estonian Parl dec its sovereignty, inc right to veto Soviet legislation. Meaning unclear.

Elections: in the CA initiatives, we voted for $6b in debt, inc interest. Voted down one AIDS initiative, voted for another, restored CAL OSHA, voted for a good Ralph Nader insurance initiative, taxed tobacco, gave governor right to revoke paroles.

Turnout was lowest since 1924.

Initiatives elsewhere: Mich, Colo, Ark banned state-financed abortions, Ark amend protects life from conception.

Now 28 D governors, up from 27.


11/17/88

There is a campaign w/in CIA to dump Wm Webster as DCI, I assume to replace him w/Donald Gregg, Bush’s nat sec adviser. Claimed he is too reluctant to use covert ops. Another possible DCI is James Lilley, now ambassador to SK, who was COS Beijing whne Bush was envoy. Webster did submit his resignation.
-Related must be a new report that US intelligence “insufficient,” inc Robert Gates, DDCI & James Green of FBI. Wants a new counterintelligence body, increased covert ops as “a regular instrument of statecraft.”


11/18/88

In displaying “flexibility” on taxes, Bush claimed the Medicare surcharge for catastrophic health care wasn’t a tax.

Congressman-elect Dana Rohrabacher illegally enters Burma & promises to work for aid to rebels there.

On Mickey Mouse’s 60th b-day, BBC said it was not true that he wears a Dan Quayle watch.

SA bans a white extremist group after a member shot 6 blacks in Pretoria.


11/19/88

Lithuanian Parl backs away from following Estonia down the sovereignty path. Kremlin summoned Estonian leaders to Moscow. May be declared, would you believe, unconstitutional. Lithuania did, like Estonia, legalize its flag & make language official.

Justice Dept files an amicus brief for North on charge of undermining Congressional oversight. Said Walsh overstated Congress’ power to regulate foreign affairs & covert intelligence.

In finding 4 black activists guilty of treason, SA judge ruled that UDF had dec war on SA gov & was guided by ANC.

RR signed an exec order allowing fed gov to intervene & draw up evacuation plans for nuke plants to allow them to be built over state or local objections.

USSR recognized the Palestinian state, as have 29 others.

Shamir: “The so-called change in the PLO position is the big lie. It was a specialty of the Nazis, the Communists, and now the PLO is following the same way.”


11/20/88

Oakland city voted a nuclear-free zone.


11/21/88

Nixon met with Quayle & said he was really quite good. Nixon, of course, knowing so much about VPs.

USSR to allow teaching of Hebrew.

Bush wants death penalty “to the narked-up terrorist kind of guys” who kill cops.

VN to have similar pop controls to China--no children before early 20s, free contraception & abortion.


11/22/88

Conservs win in a vicious Canadian election that turned on free-trade treaty w/US--or, how much do we hate America? As someone said, George Bush wants a kinder, gentler country--it’s called Canada. Correction: the majority did vote against Mulroney & free trade & got them anyhow.


11/23/88

In McFarland, CA, muni water bills carry a warning that the H20 unsafe for consumption by infants.

Bush appoints Brent Scowcroft Nat Security Adviser.

RR will pocket veto an Ethics in Gov Act on lobbying by former admin officials.

Marilyn Quayle to J Danforth on wedding night: “You’re no Jack Kennedy.”


11/25/88

Dukakis says Bush doesn’t have a mandate.

Party control state legislatures. Only in 4 states (D’s in NM, Indiana split). R’s VT, Mont. D’s have both houses in 27 states, R’s 8, 12 one each. D’s gained 13 seats of 5,961 contested.

Chun Doo Hwon apologized on tv for the corruption when he was SK president


11/26/88

US denies visa to Arafat to come to UN. Arab countries want the UN reconvened in Geneva.

USSR draft const being revised to assuage republics.

28% of Bush voters voted D for House (1984 RR voters 19%).


11/27/88

41% of eligible households, 51% of indivs received food stamps 1984 (15m people of 30m). Dept Agric says “only” 10m. Households need 60 pieces of info & have 60 days≥

Cyprus will apply to EEC, though not soon (has associate status since 1973).

Social Security trying to restrict right to appeal denials. Would restrict evidence, review


11/28/88

The election: Bush 54% of vote, majority in 40 states. 426 electorate to 112. Bush won by 22 points in Fla, ave 16 in upper South, 20 in deep South. Did better 18-24 yr olds than RR in 1984, though not majority. D’s 28 governors, up 1, 55 Senators, up 1, 262 in House, up 5. Of 408 Reps running for reelection, ≥400 won.


11/30/88

UN Gen Ass. condemns US for denying visa to Arafat.

USSR ends all radio jamming.

In finding UDF leaders guilty, SA Justice van Dijkhort: “one can commit high treason without violence.”