| Show A16 The Salt Lake Tribune NATION WORLD Thursday January 1998 1 Will 1998 Be the Congressional Election Year Without a Cause? National Themes May Give Way To Local Concerns BY NEW S SER r tax-base- CHI CK RAASCH GANNETT discussion about what to replace it with Democrats have polls showing that could help Republicans but d they believe they can trump a attack by questioning w hether Republican tax plans will favor the rich The data that we see right now is that yeah it is kind of a good n issue Engel issue a acknowledged But the facts are underneath when you look there seems to be more out there that people want than just this issue Several other themes are shap three-yea- ICE WASHINGTON Politics is begging for a breather After three straight elections that challenged the status quo and swung heavily on nationalized hinges 1998 congressional races are shaping into what political analyst Charles Cook calls Rodney Dangerfield elections Rather than turning on big national themes like 1994's Contract With America 1998 may be a series of local pitched battles Everybody is kind of focused on 2000 everybody is already starting to weed out who the presidential contenders might be said Steven Law executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee "And because the stakes don't appear to be gieat in 1998 there is a lack of" focus on the races right now Game Plan: Representatives of four Democratic and Republican national-part- y committees recently laid out a '98 game plan for Gannett News Service Each side views the '98 elections as part of a continuing battle over government's role But the fight is devoid of the revolutionary talk that led to the Republican takeover of Congress m 1994 or the backlash that Democrats capitalized on in 1996 by taking hack 22 House seats and beating 18 Republican incumbents a the diRep John Linder rector of the National Republican Congressional Committee said he'd like the 1998 GOP bumper Who Decides sticker to be Washington or You' (Linder said he suggested that to 96 presidential candidate Bob Dole but it didnt go anywhere ) Paul Johnson executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee suggested a counter Democrats believe there is a role for government that helps our lives Control of the House of Representatives hinges on perhaps 30 to 40 races that could take on a far different tint depending on where they are In the Northeast Republicans may be on the defensive on environmental issues in the South and West they may be on the attack against the Internal Revenue Service and the income tax Republicans have a narrow ma228-20with one Indejority and pendent and one vacancy the belief that their balanced-budge- t deal with President Clinton earlier last vear will sit well with voters this jear But Democrats believe that the s quo atmosphere that often plagues the party in the White House in nonpresidential elections isn't as strong because deal takes the balanced-budge- t label away from the their candidates V BESS ing up for 1998: The role of labor After pouring an estimated $40 million into advertising campaigns against Republican House candidates in 1996 labor is back on its heels An internal election scandal is plaguing the Teamsters a Republican payroll protection initiative in several states could threaten unions ability to raise money for political purposes B Internal divisions in the parties Among Democrats the split between House Mmonty Leader Richard Gephardt and Vice President A1 Gore broke into the open Republicans meanwhile are only six months removed from a failed coup attempt of House Speaker Newt Gingrich who remains a big target of Democrats despite losing a considerable amount of weight last year Gingrich is my friend joked Engel in that the speaker's low approval ratings give Democrats a face to put with Republican policies that voters dont like But Lander countered: Most of our losses m the last election had nothing to do with Gingrich It was either turnout or in some instances wounds in November Both men have presidential aspirations To court his partys left wing Gephardt bucked the White Houses rek authority in quest for trade negotiations Engel said he doesnt expect this early 2000 sparring to affect g or campaigning 98 But predicted Linder: You are going to see a continued battle between the new Democratic ideal and the old Democratic ideal and it will be personified by Gore and Gephardt And it will play heavily into virtually everything we do in Congress this year fast-trac- fund-raisin- self-inflict- FRAME v J2BOJC SPRING ' 3- PREMBBJM MATTRESS 4- MATTRESS PAG 5 FITTED SHEET 6 TOP SHEET 7- 8 PtlLOWS CASES 9& ? 0 ML MATTRESS SETS WITH A To US !ght Com Minus Flas THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Japan NEW YORK cartoon series blamed for s zures in hundreds of viewers n mix be commg to America the flashy special effects that n have caused the illness Nearly 700 people mostly lit children were treated for syu toms including blackouts conv sions and nausea after watch one weekly episode Pokemon m early Decemb More than 200 had to be hospii ized The cartoon is being edit for the American market te - 0w7thiuxodnt 5 WlSSSMS R-DELU- 21E 3-PBBB- 9u!on OWS 4? CSS A3CS QiilIN SIZI PUCI POINT r i V v O r THE TOP TEN OFFL FOR QUAUFY mill fit any pttlew-teSixes! in mstitressli ell Sheets Equal Savings i J L f ij rA jl r p 5 anti-statu- Issue Environment: This election will be district by district candidate vs candidate said Rob Engel executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee And the issue environment is better than we deserve to have better than I thought it w ould be " In the Senate races in Illinois Ohio California New York Indiana Kentucky and Arkansas are likely to be the most closely watched with a second tier m Nevada Washington state Missouri North Carolina South Carolina Georgia and Wisconsin also expected to be highly competitive But neither side predicts a huge sweep one direction or the other There is certainly not a tidal wave that I can see said Johnson of the Senate Democratic commit- tee Voters don't have an urgent need for change" agreed Linder of the House GOP committee who predicted that Republicans could add 15 to 20 seats to its current majority in the House which is the narrow est in 40 years Law the Senate Republican committee director predicted only modest GOP gains m the Senmaate not the filibuster-proo- f were talked seats 60 that of jority about a year ago Republicans now have a 55-4- 5 Senate margin If there are national themes Democrats are most bkely to push education and child care and better access to health care Republicans are preparing for a fight over tax cuts and the Internal Revenue Sen ice Linder suggested that during this v ear Republicans will probably pass a bill to sunset the IRS code and engage America in a 6 Convenient Store locofHns STJHIS! 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