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Show New York hosts its fourth Lively action predicted for Demo convention Television viewers who yawned their way through the unrelenting coverage of the Republican Convention in Detroit last month may fear this week's Democratic gathering gath-ering in New York's Madison Square Garden will be equally tame. But not Ron Kovic, the wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran who spoke at the 1976 Democratic Convention. Kovic believes this convention, conven-tion, to run Monday, Aug. 11, through Thursday, Aug. 14, will be a lively confrontation of opposing factions. In his role as convention reporter for Penthouse magazine, maga-zine, he anticipates numerous floor fights that will prove to politicans (and the TV-viewing audience) that the American Ameri-can people are not stupid, do care and know their rights. "I think there will be a tense atmosphere," he says. "I don't think Carter will got in on the first ballot. The Carter camp will be defensive, wary, insecure, and I think they will feel overly competent. But by the second day, that will be shattered. Carter promised no Americans would die in a foreign for-eign conflict, and we've already lost Americans overseas. over-seas. I think it's too late for Carter. Senator (Edward) Kennedy will make a strong bid for the nomination. I predict Kennedy will come close to the nomination. Right now delegates are jumping for Kennedy. "Also there will be veteran groups demonstrating outside against the draft. I don't know how many will be there. People Peo-ple will have a hard time trusting again." Kovic, who wrote the controversial con-troversial "Born On the Fourth of July," is bitter about what he views as the administration's disregard of veterans' needs. "Carter has done a great disservice to veterans," he says. "Veterans' hospitals are still in a poor condition; they're overcrowded overcrowd-ed and give second-rate treatment. treat-ment. "Politicians have to listen to the men who came home from the last war. When I left, the generation of men who now have to sign up for the draft could hardly walk. They must not be played with by-politics. by-politics. " Of the candidates, Kovic feels that Kennedy "listens New York City's Madison Square Garden will host its fourth Democratic convention, Monday, Aug. 11, through Thursday, Aug. 14. The three major networks will provide live coverage cover-age of the lively floor fights anticipated between supporters of Jimmy Carter (left, below) and Edward Kennedy. ..,.-. ... .,..,T -.-...i. -.I,. 1 ( i , L .... J cAZJ Following is the schedule for the Democratic Convention Conven-tion proceedings: Monday Opening ceremonies, welcoming speeches, finance report, approval of temporary rules, keynote speech by Rep. Morris Udall. Tuesday Credentials Committee report. Compliance Review Commission report. Rules Committee report. Platform Committee report. Wednesday Nomination of president, roll call. Thursday Rules Committee report (part two), nomination nomi-nation of vice president, roll call for vice president, acceptance speeches by presidential and vice-presidential nominees. he has the potential to speak out on behalf of veterans." . Republican nominee Ronald Reagan, however, is a disappointment. "He has shown disinterest, as well as! insensitivity to veterans. Over! all, he should re-evaluate his veteran policy." Kovic fears the country is moving toward a strong "militarism "mili-tarism and chauvinism. We could easily have a nuclear confrontation, another Vietnam Viet-nam war. We must listen to the living reminders. If we don't, we're committing a big mistake. "When I'm at the convention, conven-tion, reporters say to me, 'Kovic, where is your patriotism? patriot-ism? Don't you care?' But I feel veterans have sacrificed. We love this country. The people peo-ple are so loving. We have to unleash the potential for good and cooperation." Kovic recommends a congressional con-gressional investigation of U.S. foreign policy to inform the public of its options. "Americans should demand this investigation. We ask the young to go to war when most don't even know what the situation situ-ation is. "I want to give the fullblown full-blown picture in my coverage of the convention. I think the media will respond to the challenge of the times and will be the eyes and ears not just the mouth of the rhetoric." This week's event will be the fourth Democratic convention con-vention to take place in New York. (The Republicans have never held a national convention conven-tion in the city.) In fact, the longest of all political conventions conven-tions the 1924 summer marathon that dragged on for 103 ballots before nominating John W. Davis took place in an earlier, un-air-conditioned Madison Square Garden. And it was here that Carter received the presidential nomination four years ago from one of the most harmonious harmo-nious Democratic conventions in recent history. The denouement, denoue-ment, if not the demeanor, of this year's production will no doubt be the same. It's probably proba-bly just as well that the convention con-vention will lack quite so much sustained balloting. At today's inflated prices, how many delegates could afford to linger for 17 days in New York City? |