PAT IN '92:

"They have no vision. They have no ideas. They are frightened of the truth. They are frightened of debate."

Pat Buchanan said these words about President Bush and his surrogates yesterday, but they fit the staff pretty well, too. The staff's piece says a lot more about the people who wrote it than it does about Buchanan: What they can't win on the field of principle and belief, they prefer to steal through slander. Pathetically (and altogether predictably), the staff attempts to equate Buchanan with Duke. But ridiculous charges aside, Buchanan is a candidate worthy of being judged by his ideas. So let's take a look.

First, Buchanan is the only candidate who understands nationalism--not only ours, but other people.' Far from being an "isolationist," Buchanan called for the immediate recognition of Slovenia, Croatia, Ukraine and the Baltics when those nations declared independence from their communist oppressors. And he is the only candidate who won't hide behind tired, reactionary calls for "stability" when Quebec secedes from Canada later this year, or when devolution becomes a reality in Scotland.

Forging a victory in 1988 based on clear-cut opposition to taxes and quotas, Bush signed legislation that mandated both. Deepening recession followed swiftly behind. Still, Bush really thinks that the current recession is just a run of bad luck, that it will soon blow over like so many campaign promises. In short, he simply has no clue.

Buchanan does. Buchanan supports tax cuts, and an eventual flat-tax rate. He would immediately move to abolish the capital gains tax, which would free up both short-term and long-term investment (as in Japan and Taiwan). More important, Buchanan would initiate an immediate, all-out search-and-destroy mission to cripple federal regulation on business and industry, which would free our economy from its current socialistic shackles.

Finally, like the old Ronald Reagan, Buchanan would be a real leader. Speechwriter and aide to three presidents, Buchanan is an insider to the world of executive decision making, but an outsider to the world of get-along-to-go-along congressional compromise. That means no more corrupt budget deals. No more quota bills. No surrender to those who would rather steal their way to public policy success than argue their case before the American people.

If you want more of the same (whatever that is), vote for George Bush. Or if you want slightly worse, then vote for a Democrat.

If you want real leadership and a practical vision for America, vote for Pat.