THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210405
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
In Sunday's talk session, David Brinkley asked Pat Buchanan about his reputation as ``a brawler.''
He needn't have asked. By then, pursuing the GOP nomination for president, Buchanan had battled all four panelists on the Brinkley show, two or three at once.
It brought back Douglas Fairbanks Sr., sword in hand, jumping over tables, swinging on chandeliers, fighting a horde of foes.
When the panelists baited Buchanan with his old columns, he said, ``And what are we talking about? Reading golden oldies from Buchanan columns? It is a pathetic indictment of the whole Washington establishment - by that I mean journalistic as well as political.
``Why doesn't Bob Dole debate me and beat me on the issues, rather than this nonsense? What is this constant resort of reading columns 13 years old?''
Sam Donaldson asked if the United States should resort to arms to protect Taiwan from China.
``Sam, we mounted a Normandy invasion. It took three years and the greatest war power in the world to get across an English Channel.
``Do you think the Chinese have the capability to float ships across there with the 7th Fleet going up and down the Taiwan Straits?
``Sam, you ought to do a little more reading in history and strategy.''
``Is that the answer to my question?'' Donaldson persisted.
``I would leave our options open,'' Buchanan said. ``I'll tell you what I would do. I would start an airlift of modern aircraft. And I would sell the Taiwanese what they needed in anti-submarine naval forces.
``I would move the 7th Fleet right in that area. And then I would tell the Chinese, again: `We have told you, don't do this!' I think China would wake up and listen. The first thing it would suffer is an economic contraction because I would shut off trade with China.''
Did Buchanan favor extending China most-favored nation status?
``I think our policy toward China is craven appeasement,'' he said.
American business wants to go over there, Donaldson observed.
``American business is not going to run the Buchanan administration. It's run too many administrations. It is too much in control of that Congress. That's one of the problems with Senator Dole,'' said Buchanan.
Was he saying business is bad for the United States?
``I'm saying big business controls too much of the decision-making power in my party because they're the ones that pay those big corporate contributions and all that PAC money. And when I get there, we start representing. . . .''
Donaldson cut in: ``They're the ones providing jobs, Mr. Buchanan. The jobs you say are needed in New Hampshire.''
Buchanan retorted: ``Sam, look at your numbers. Big Fortune 500 companies used to employ 22 percent of workers. They're down to 10 percent. Sam, it is small businesses that are creating the jobs. Get out there! Sam, go up in the north country. Visit New Hampshire. And learn about America!''
In that set-to, Buchanan lectured Donaldson to read history, to look at the numbers, to go to the north country and learn about America, and he informed them all their questions were pathetic.
No candidate but Buchanan would plunge in the Straits of Taiwan. None other would fire back at panelists. But he is an old hand at cross fires. In a dozen duels on Sunday's show, he gave no quarter, nor asked for any. Didn't lose his cool.
Among viewers, many doubt the media and enjoy seeing it defied, especially by one of its own, even, at times, when Buchanan's views run contrary to theirs.
Beset by doubts of massive layoffs and down-sizings they can't fathom and $50 billion loans to Mexico, they exult in Buchanan's populist thrusts at corporate America, whose members are startled that a challenge to their powers arises in thunder from the far right.
Somewhere soon the party establishment must deal with brash Buchanan. Meanwhile, there'a a sense of shared adventure to his mad quest. Tuesday he was saying, ``If we get around the corner of New Hampshire, then we are in the clear and we can run to daylight.''
After bumptious Buchanan departed from Sunday's show, Brinkley said to his trio, ``Do you feel as if a storm has come through?''
It is leaving a tornadic wake across the land. by CNB