]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]     THE GORBACHEV RATING        [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
                                                             (7/18/88)
     Under this title the NATIONAL REVIEW of 7/22/88 brings an article 
by Gregory Fossedal and Adam Lieberman, examining 11 issues and the 
stand of 22 American public figures, and comparing it with the stand 
of Mikhail Gorbachev. A table shows the Americans' compliance with 
Gorbachev's stand, ranging from 0 to 100%.
     The issues, with Gorbachev's stand in parentheses, are the fol-
lowing:
     1. US deployment of SDI in the 1990s (No)
     2. Aid to the Nicaraguan Resistance (No)
     3. Aid to the Angolan UNITA (No)
     4. Elimination of medium-range missiles from Europe (Yes)
     5. Deployment of 100 MX missiles (No)
     6. Loose interpretation of the 1972 ABM Treaty (No)
     7. Flagging & escort of Kuwaiti ships in the Gulf (No)
     8. Withdrawal of 1/3 of US troops from NATO (Yes)
     9. Sanctions against South Africa (Yes)
    10. Compliance with Salt II (Yes)
    11. Aid to the Afghan freedom fighters (No)

     The ratings in ascending order (from 0% to 100% agreement with 
Gorbachev) are:
     * Pat Buchanan, columnist            0
     * Rep. Jim Courter                   0
     * Rep. Jack Kemp                     0
     * Norman Podhoretz, ed., COMMENTARY  0
     * Ronald Reagan                      9 (agrees on #4)
     * George Bush                        9 (   "       ")
     * WALL ST. JOURNAL editorial page   11 (agrees on 5, n/a on 8)
     * Rep. Robert Dole                  27 (agr. 4,7,9)
     * Morton Kondracke, columnist       50
     * Sen. Sam Nunn                     50
     * Sen. Les Aspin                    67
     * Rep. Steven Solarz                67
     * Bill Bradley, L.A. mayor          70
     * Rep. Al Gore                      72
     * Gov. Michael Dukakis              82  (disagr. on 8, 11)
     * Anthony Lewis, NYT columnist      82  ( "       "     ")
     * NEW YORK TIMES editorial page     82  ( "       "     ") 
     * Sen. Paul Simon                   90  (n/a on 8, disagr. on 11)
     * Gary Hart, ex-senator             91  (disagr. on 11)
     * Jesse Jackson, ex-candidate      100
     * Alexander Cockburn, columnist    100
     * Rep. Ray Dellums                 100

     The article also brings the following memorable quote by Sen. Wm. 
Proxmire (D-Wisc.), made on the Senate floor:
     "The Soviet Union fully understands, as virtually every fully 
informed and independent American knows, that Star Wars almost cer-
tainly will not work. Why then has the Soviet Union so strongly pro-
tested the program if they do not regard it as a serious threat? 
Answer: Gorbachev knows that the one way he can surely persuade the 
Cobgress to go along with the President and divert military funds into 
this hopeless program is for Gorbachev himself to protest it."

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