OCR Text |
Show Congressman wined, dined in Navy 'orientation' junket Washington When the Navy sets out to make a congressman happy, - they do it with the same kind of efficiency that brought the Japanese to their knees in World War II: portal-to-portal transportation, airborne air-borne snacks served by the crew, the thrill of landing on a carrier's flight deck, even the company of two friends from down home and a woman whom the congressman described as "a girl friend." It helps, of course, if the congressman has a little more than the usual clout. And in this case, ; Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Texas, is a member of the Appropriations defense subcommittee in other words, one of the select group that decides how much the Navy will get in this year's or next year's budget. The Navy picked up Wilson and members of his party on Capitol Hill in a Mercury sedan on FViday, May 3, and drove them to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. There they were put on a converted A-3 bomber for the trip to Jacksonville, Fla. En route they were served crab salad, assorted cheeses, beef sticks, white wine and soft drinks by a member of the crew. In Jacksonville, the congressional party was joined by two of Wilson's buddies from Texas, and they were all flown to the carrier Saratoga, 75 miles out in the Atlantic, in a C-l twin-engine "on-board delivery" plane. Wilson was on official business, of course. The trip was billed as an "orientation," so the congressman would know what he was voting for the next time the Navy's budget comes up. It's difficult to say what purpose was served by bringing along Wilson's two friends from Texas and the "girl friend" from Washington. But the , two Texans paid $10 apiece s;:':; ; :.i tu ni ivp : v , . for their overnight accommodations on the aircraft carrier dinner of seafood casserole, rice and broccoli, plus two-eggs-any-style for breakfast the next morning, plus the bunks and the flight in and out from Jacksonville. Wilson called the Navy three days later to say he would pick up the $650 tab for his other friend, Annelise Dschenko, a Washington lobbyist. Interestingly, though, the congressman con-gressman didn't offer to pay for the lobbyist's fare until three days after our reporter Asghar Nowrouz had called the congressman's office to inquire about the junket. At least that's what the Navy spokesman, Cmdr. Mike Cherry, told us. According to Cherry, the Navy had been under a misapprehension at first about Ms. Hschenko's status. "We were under the assumpiton that she was a member" of the congressman's staff, Cherry said. Why did Wilson bring Ms. Dschenko along? "I brought her along because Molly was by herself," said Wilson. Molly Hamilton Hamil-ton is a Wilson aide who made the trip. 1 Footnote: In the presence of our reporter, Wilson called Ms. Dschenko and asked if she wanted to talk to us. She said no. COURTING CONGRESS, PART II: A dozen staff members of congressional committees that deal with health and tax issues of concern to the cigarette industry will travel to New York next month as guests of the Tobacco Institute. The itinerary includes "a little pampering at Saks Fifth Avenue." The guests have reservations on Amtrak's train 288, leaving Washington at noon on Friday, June 7, and reservations for 12 single rooms in the Regency Hotel at $195 a night, according to the itinerary. The congressional staffers will attend a "legislative seminar," which is described by the Tobacco Institute as a "short, informal discussion re congressional responsibilities respon-sibilities of participants." They will then attend a Broadway show ("Big River' ' ) and enjoy a late-night dinner at 21. The "littler pampering" at Saks is scheduled for Saturday. On Sunday the congressional staffers will discuss legislative matters over brunch at the Tavern-on-the-Green in Central Park. Footnote: A Tobacco Institute spokesman could not say exactly what was meant by "a little pampering" at the exclusive Fifth Avenue store. DISGUSTING DISCO: An official Soviet army publication offers this hair-raising glimpse of the decadence deca-dence of disco: "A discotheque should assist in raising the people's moral and cultural level. But in a garrison officers' club . . . you were hit in the face by the slovenly apparel-washed-out jeans held up by braces displayed over shirts; jumpers and sweaters tied around the hips. The girls were not wearing evening dresses , but T-shirts, gym shoes, jeans, trainers and flipflops ... "Drums can drive people to a frenzy, depending on how they are played. Neuropathologists have confirmed con-firmed that thunderous stereo sounds and irritations caused by lights can lead to psychiatric disorders. In girls it can lead to infertility . . . Almost all the girls and youths who go to this form of entertainment smoke. What's more, some even drink before they go." Copyright, 1985, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. 0.! Villi. ' .;,"., ., v ; Ath,. inn -!; T tttcW |