The Nation - News from Jan. 29, 1989

It was all a mistake, a spokeswoman said of a Republican fund-raising letter signed by party Chairman Lee Atwater that critizes a 50% congressional pay raise endorsed by former President Ronald Reagan and President Bush. Atwater is “not opposed” to the pay raise, according to Republicans National Committee spokeswoman Leslie Goodman, who blamed the mistake on Republican National Committee staffers. She said Atwater had ordered changes in the letter, including deletion of the two paragraphs of pay raise criticism, but staff members failed to follow the directions. The letter tells prospective contributors: “There’s also a move afoot to let congressmen enjoy yet another whopping pay raise. In this kind of atmosphere, how can President Bush hope to keep your taxes low, cut the budget deficit and keep prosperity growing across the land.?”