Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Headline Article Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 14:23:38 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION;INSIDE THE BELTWAY \BY John McCaslin \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES HOME SWEET HOME President Bush, not his successor, will get credit for home sales picking up in Houston this quarter. The Bushes, we presume after Nov. 3, asked family friend Jack Steel to house-hunt for them in the upscale west Houston neighborhood of Tanglewood. Mr. Steel should have three or four houses ready for Mrs. Bush to look at next week, all modestly priced with no more than about four bedrooms. "They're not looking for a mansion . . . because it's very doubtful the whole family will ever be there at one time," Mr. Steel told the Houston Chronicle. He said the Bushes are interested in having something ready to move into when Mr. Bush's presidency ends Jan. 20. "The thing that pleases me about this . . . is that so many people and the media always said, 'They're not really Texans, and they won't go back to Texas,' " Mr. Steel said. "I guess this shows 'em." SECRET TEAM Like the rest of us, Sen. Orrin Hatch said yesterday he's fed up with investigations, especially those that are partisan in thrust. Commenting on the costly Iran-Contra probe, the Utah Republican said President Bush ought to "pardon them all and get rid of this matter." "They've spent $41 million of taxpayer dollars directly and I estimate about $60 million more when you add all three branches of government and all of the wasted time that's been put on this matter," Mr. Hatch said in an interview on the "Fox Morning News." "And . . . I question whether it needed to have this type of an outrageous investigation and set up prosecutions that seem to be persecution at this point and seem to be highly partisan." Just when viewers thought Mr. Hatch was closing the door on investigations, he was asked about evidence that the Clinton-Gore campaign knew in advance of the Iran-Contra-related indictment of Caspar Weinberger on Oct. 30. "The matter of when the indictment was released and when the Clinton-Gore people knew about it is really up in the air," he said. "I think there ought to be an investigation of it." THE HONEYMOON'S OVER President-elect Clinton hasn't even made it to the Oval Office yet and already homosexual groups are pressing him to move fast on his promises to end the ban on homosexuals in the armed services, give homosexuals a civil rights bill and begin a "Manhattan Project" to fight AIDS. ACT-UP, a homosexual activist group, banners in a new publication: "Clinton = Homo Foe!" ACT-UP blasts Mr. Clinton on everything from failing to speak out against Arkansas' sodomy law to appropriating no money to fight AIDS from his governor's discretionary fund until the end of 1991. "Clinton doesn't have the wherewithal to stand up to the bigoted, AIDS-phobic Arkansas legislature. Can we trust he'll have the courage to stand up to the Jesse Helmses and Newt Gingriches in the U.S. Congress?" the group asks. Michael Petrelis, an ACT-UP member, said yesterday: "Only by holding Clinton's feet to the fire . . . will we ensure that gay and lesbian issues aren't put on the back burner. "After all, Clinton didn't get the nickname 'Slick Willie' for nothing!" NOAH'S ARK No one likes a natural disaster, but if one strikes Maryland, be relieved to know that officials are making plans to evacuate the state's 2.5 million dogs and cats. And if you own cows, don't worry, they'll take them, too. Maryland's unique animal disaster plan, which could be completed as early as next spring, was started six months ago and is a joint project of the Central Maryland chapter of the American Red Cross, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the state Agriculture Department, the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association and the Professional Animal Workers Association, which represents employees at kennels and humane societies in Maryland. "One of the problems that we have is that when there is a disaster, people are evacuated to mass shelters that don't allow animals," said Dr. Jacob Casper, a veterinarian from Pikesville. "A lot of people won't leave their homes without their pets." The disaster plan will identify designated shelters to board pets, and includes procedures for farm animals, Maryland's zoos, even fish at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. WAKE-UP CALL It was quite the scene yesterday morning heading north on Interstate 295 in the District. A D.C. Department of Public Works truck with no tailgate, improperly overloaded with brown trash bags, was breezing along at or above the posted speed limit while discharging its cargo in the path of ensuing rush-hour traffic. Drivers suddenly found themselves in the middle of a grueling and extremely hazardous obstacle course, but more disturbing was the fact that the D.C. employees were oblivious to the chaos resulting from their wake. The adventure ended at the Benning Road exit, where the truck pulled off. WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY? The staff at the Media Research Center in Alexandria has been paying particularly close attention to the unique observations of Dan Rather from his CBS throne: "It will be so exciting as to make the wax pop out of your ears." - Election-night coverage. "Long ago and far away, I worked a Zesto stand in Huntsville, Texas, and if a guy came in and asked for a glass of water, didn't buy anything, I'm not sure what my reaction would have been." - Reacting to a story about President-elect Clinton getting free water at a McDonald's after jogging. "Texas . . . another of the so-called big enchiladas, or if not an enchilada, at least a huge taco." - Seemingly self-explanatory. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM