ustxtxb_obs_1975_10_03_50_00009-00000_000.pdf

Both U. S. Senators from Texas are taking some heat from anti-busing types because they missed a chance to vote against “forced busing” in early September. Aides for both men said they planned to vote for the anti-busing amendment but that it came up earlier than expected. Tower was flying back from a speech in California and Bentsen was delivering a speech in New York when the votes were counted. Flag the founders Sept. 17 was the anniversary of the signing of the U. S. Constitution. As it does on every patriotic occasion, The Dallas Morning News ran a small item titled “Fly Your Flag” \(complete with trithe day. The item was top left on the front page. Next to it was the headline for the day’s lead story, “School plan rejected, held unconstitutional.” U. S. Dist. Judge William Taylor had nixed the Dallas school board’s latest attempt to draw up a desegregation plan only six days after it was submitted. Inside, the editorial page was topped with a headline for anti-busing letters to the editor: “Founding Fathers Didn’t Anticipate Busing.” You’d think that a man like Judge Roy Hofheinz, the Astrodome entre preneur and circus owner, would have developed a sense of humor somewhere along the line, but you’d be wrong. The Houston Post reports that for the recent Rice/U of H football game in the Dome, the Rice band worked up a half-time spoof during which the announcer called the Astrodome the “world’s smallest indoor football stadium” and noted that the Astros are “last in the National League.” The deal was that the announcer, a Rice freshman, would make a crack about something and then the band would play a song that related to the joke. For example, the freshman noted that a baseball game at the Dome was delayed this season because of a storm and then the band played “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” It wasn’t a triple-A laff riot, but then neither was it unusually obnoxious as collegiate halftimes go. The judge, however, was not pleased. After the “smallest stadium” crack, Mrs. Hofheinz called down from somewhere in the lavish empyrean of the stadium and asked Bobby Risinger, the director of PR for the Astros, about the band’s script. Then, after the comment about the baseball team’s standing, La Hofheinz called again. As Risinger remembers the conversation, she said, “Bobby, the judge is really upset about it. We’re either going to pull the plug or take away the script.” So Risinger dutifully marched up to the freshman and ordered him to stop with the wise-mouth and just announce the names of the songs. The band played “A Fool on the Hill,” the Budweiser theme song, and The following report is from the Capitol Hill News Service in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen’s presidential campaign, beset with staffing problems and financial worries lately, received a slight boost when the Federal Election Commismaximum $1,000 individual contributions for both his presidential and senatorial candidacies. The FEC decision to allow Bentsen, an announced candidate in 1976 for both the Democratic presidential nomination and for reelection to the Senate, to collect up to the $1,000 individual maximum for both campaigns was seen as the key element of the federal commission’s threepart ruling. The FEC also said that, beginning immediately, Bentsen could not spend any more money in his dual candidacy in Texas than any of his prospective senatorial opponents. Further, it ruled that the Houston millionaire and his family could contribute $85,000 to his dual candidacy the senatorial limit of $35,000 to be used in Texas only and an additional $50,000 to be used in his presidential campaign in the 49 other states. The effect of the campaign expenditure limit in Texas will theoretically leave Bentsen at a financial disadvantage against other Democratic presidential aspirants. Under the ruling, Bentsen will only be able to spend the senatorial limit of slightly under $650,000 as a dual candidate. His presidential opponents in the Texas primary would be entitled to spend twice that amount under the law. Bentsen’s former national campaign director, Benjamin Palumbo, who left the Bentsen camp in September, observed that the decision to allow the senator to receive maximum contributions for both races should help the campaign’s fundraising effort, which appears to be lagging. Although Bentsen raised about $1.53 million for his presidential campaign from late 1973 through July 10 of this year, Bentsen’s records show a balance of only $386,598. The bulk of the funds raised to date have come from Texas. The FEC ruling, in effect, will allow Texans and others who have already given $1,000 to Bentsen’s presidential campaign to also contribute that amount to his senatorial candidacy. It will also permit those who had been withholding money pending a ruling, to now contribute to “The Volga Boat Song,” in rapid succes sion, leaving the bewildered audience to supply their own gag lines. Bentsen’s presidential campaign without jeopardizing a similar contribution later to his senatorial race. Palumbo, an aide to Bentsen since late 1973, said he left the senator’s camp for “personal reasons.” He acknowledged that differences had developed, but declined to elaborate on specifics. On the political side the Bentsen campaign has been picking up strength, Palumbo said. Financially, it is another story. “The judgment as to whether he is capable of raising funds outside of Texas,” Palumbo added, “is yet to be made.” “There were no differences over strategy,” continued Palumbo. “Any campaign constantly reassesses itself to determine if any change is going to be needed in the approach to win the nomination. But up to this point the differences the senator and I have had were not related to that.” Palumbo had been drawing a yearly salary of approximately $43,000 at the time he left the campaign. National political reporters have speculated that one reason for Palumbo’s sudden exit from the Bentsen campaign may be attributed to differences between the senator and his campaign manager over the campaign’s direction. One report said that Bentsen, because of fundraising problems in northern industrial states, had hoped to capture the bulk of delegates in the south and be a “second choice” candidate if a deadlock developed at the Democratic convention next July. “That’s not right,” replied Bentsen in an interview. “I’m gearing my campaign to get as many delegates as I think are findable. I will be in several presidential primaries and part of it will be determined by funds.” Bentsen observed that it was only natural for him to raise money predominantly from Texans. He said that his recognition factor has jumped from three percent to 39 percent outside the state as a result of his campaigning. Since announcing his candidacy, Bentsen has visited 42 states. However, Bentsen has more recently admitted that he will not be making an all-out “go for broke” try for the nomination because of financial constraints and the limits on his time imposed by his Senate duties. He still plans to enter some northern primaries but admits his new strategy cannot send him into the convention as the front-runner. He doesn’t think any candidate will go in with a big lead and is hoping that “things may break my way.” October 3, 19 75 9 Bentsen retrenching