PRO-TOBACCO TILT PERCEIVED IN GOP

As GOP leaders in the House begin to explore alternative tobacco
legislation, a party-sponsored poll warns that Republicans have a
substantial "perception problem as the defenders of the tobacco industry."

The survey, conducted for the Republican National Committee by Tarrance &
Associates, Public Opinion Strategies and Voter Consumer Research, found
that voters view Republicans as more "industry-sensitive" than
"youth-sensitive," by 48 percent to 28 percent. These findings, which
suggest that tobacco is an inherently difficult issue for the GOP, are only
a slight improvement on the public's view last October that Republicans
were pro-industry by 52 percent to 24 percent, according to the Associated
Press.

Democrats, in contrast, have significantly improved their public image over
the past eight months. Last October, voters said Democrats were more
industry-sensitive by 44 percent to 32 percent. In the survey completed
about two weeks ago, the public said Democrats are now more sensitive to
the interests of young people than to industry by 47 percent to 29 percent.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has proposed tough tobacco legislation that
would raise the cost of a pack of cigarettes by $1.10, force the industry
to pay an estimated $516 billion over 25 years and expand federal
regulatory control over the industry. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.),
however, has denounced the McCain bill and signaled that he may propose far
more limited legislation.

Taking Issues to Hart

Former Colorado senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Gary Hart is
making the well-worn Washington rounds to flack his new book "The
Minuteman: Restoring an Army of the People."

Hart, who dropped out of the 1988 presidential race after allegations of an
extramarital affair, was confronted yesterday at a press breakfast by
reporters who quickly dispensed with courteous inquiries about the book and
moved on to the controversy surrounding President Clinton and the news
media's coverage of it.

Hart, not surprisingly, thinks the media have paid far too much attention
to the story, although he acknowledges that if a president lied under oath
it would be a big deal. But Hart has much more to say -- about other issues.

He implicitly criticized Democratic leaders: "My party ought to have a
social conscience. If you lead and govern by trying to find the middle,
you're not going to lead."

He said that being vice president will be "probably a liability" for Al
Gore in 2000 as Gore could get caught in the kind of "loyalty trap" that
hurt Walter F. Mondale when he ran in 1984.

Hart said the nation could "do worse" than electing Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.), but added that McCain, because of his unorthodoxy, "probably
would never get his party's nomination."

Will Hart jump back in the game now that the public seems not to care so
much about a politician's private life? "Probably not," he said somewhat
ruefully.

© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski