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- <text id=89TT1222>
- <title>
- May 08, 1989: American Notes:Congress
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1989
- May 08, 1989 Fusion Or Illusion?
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- NATION, Page 33
- American Notes
- CONGRESS
- 1-for-3 for The G.O.P.
- </hdr><body>
- <p> Republican strategists were breathing a little easier last
- week after state legislator Craig Thomas won a special election
- in Wyoming, called to fill the congressional seat vacated by
- Dick Cheney when he became Secretary of Defense. In two prior
- contests to fill House vacancies that had cropped up since
- George Bush won the White House, the G.O.P. had come up
- embarrassingly empty-handed.
- </p>
- <p> Since Wyoming had not elected a Democrat to Congress since
- 1976, a Thomas defeat would have been especially painful for
- the G.O.P. The high symbolic stakes made for a vituperative
- campaign. Thomas' supporters spread a false rumor that his
- Democratic opponent, State Senator John Vinich, had filed a
- falsified report about an automobile accident. Vinich may have
- blown the race with exaggerated ads accusing the Republican of
- being soft on crime.
- </p>
- <p> Having finally won one, Republican leaders insist that the
- momentum from Thomas' victory will help them regain control of
- the House in 1990. But the Democrats' 260-to-175 advantage
- among incumbents seeking re-election, more than 90% of whom can
- count on winning, seems to make that a hollow claim.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
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