XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 04/15/99 23:58:22 UTC XXXXX PENTAGON TO ASK FOR 30,000 RESERVISTS FOR WAR The Pentagon plans to ask President Clinton to call up about 30,000 reservists and National Guard members to bolster the attack against Yugoslavia, the NEW YORK TIMES is set to report in Friday editons. The Pentagon is still working out the details of which units will be called up, the paper reports. "While a senior defense official said the total would be around 30,000, an administration official said it could be as high as 33,000. By law, Clinton can authorize the activation of 200,000 reservists National Guard members." The call up would be the largest single activation since the Persian Gulf war in 1990. Of the $5.9 billion in emergency spending the White House is expected to request from Congress, a dramatic increase over previous estimates, nearly 5.4 billion would cover the cost of reservists' salaries, fuel and other supplies and munitions, reports the TIMES in its Friday lead. X X X X X MONEY MAN CHUNG SUBPOENAED, WILL BE CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS **Exclusive Details** Dan Burton bounces back. The DRUDGE REPORT learned late Thursday night that former Democratic fund-raiser Johnny Chung will be subpoenaed to appear before a congressional committee. The subpoena, which will be issued in the morning, calls for Chung to appear on May 27 and 28 before the House Government Reform Committee. With TV cameras running, Chung will be questioned in great detail about what he knows, and Chung has indicated that he will fully cooperate with the committee, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The House Government Reform Committee wrote Attorney General Janet Reno requesting permission to question Chung on April 7 after a story appeared in the LOS ANGELES TIMES. The story stunned the city: China's head of military intelligence took funds from Beijing and secretly spent them to reelect President Clinton, Chung has told federal investigators. "Chung's testimony has provided investigators the first, direct link between a senior Chinese government official and illicit foreign contributions that were funneled into Clinton's 1996 reelection effort," the TIMES reported. Late Thursday, AG Reno gave the green light for the committee to subpoena Chung. Reno put no limitations on the questioning, according to senior government sources. "Chung wants to tell his story, in public," one well-placed source told the DRUDGE REPORT late Thursday night from Washington. X X X X X HOW CNN LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOMB, 'NIGHTLINE' TOO There are reports tonight out of Yugoslavia of complete carnage and chaos in the wake of the continued NATO bombing. But hold on to your TIME WARNER stock, CNN again issues a press release announcing that its TV ratings are booming with the bombings. On the ground smoldering skeletons and a woman cut in half... a man's head lying in a field with the wind blowing his brown hair against the grass, and corpses lying in a squalid hospital nearby: details from the horror scene of the refugee caravan bombing reported by London's INDEPENDENT newspaper on Friday, coming only days after the passenger train bombing. But to every story there's a silver lining. And down in Atlanta at CNN headquarters, it's been press release after press release during the Crises in Kosovo. "In primetime, the network posted a 1.1 rating... an increase of 22%," rejoiced CNN's David Bittler and Alison Rudnick in a press release that moved on AP EXPRESS wires midweek. "The network series of four primetime Special Reports on the crisis in Yugoslavia posted a 1.2 rating and delivered 895,000 households." Up. Bittler and Rudnick point out increase by increase, daypart by daypart. LATE EDITION airing Sunday on CNN "experienced increases of 100%" during last week's NATO runs. CROSSFIRE lifts 38% over a year ago; INSIDE POLITICS surged 80%. The practice of issuing vaunting press releases celebrating increased viewership during wartime is not a CNN exclusive. On Thursday, ABC NEWS, in a press release, played up a NIGHTLINE win for last week's 90-minute broadcast BAD OPTIONS: THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO, even breaking the numbers down into Madison Avenue-friendly demographics. Koppel's Kosovo coverage kicked Conan! ABC NEWS declares in a press release: In adults 25-54, Koppel pulled 2,210,000 over NBC's 2,150,000. Lettermankilborn trailed with 1,890,000. [Laugh track] X X X X X MONICA HURTS SHOULDER SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS Monica Lewinsky is signing so many copies of her book on her European tour, she actually dislocated her shoulder. Michael Isikoff, also out on the circuit, pushing a book, dreaming of the sensation... X X X X X POLL: VOTERS WANT CELEBRITIES IN OFFICE More and more it seems like national policy is being driven by polls: "Poll shows Support builds for ground troops." "Majority of Americans Against Impeachment, Says New Poll." But just who is being polled? And what do they really have swirling in their brains? Veteran Democratic pollster Rob Schroth on Thursday unveiled a national survey that suggests that likely voters in the U.S. would prefer at least three entertainment or business figures to the current roster of presidential candidates! Among the highlights of survey: As an independent candidate for the presidency in 2000, Donald Trump narrowly leads Al Gore among likely voters -- and is within striking distance of frontrunner George W. Bush. Bush 35% Trump 31% Gore 30% Undecided 06% Clint Eastwood also leads Al Gore among likely voters -- and is also within striking distance of frontrunner George W. Bush. Bush 39% Eastwood 29% Gore 27% Undecided 05% If she entered the presidential race as an independent candidate, Oprah Winfrey would be very competitive with both Al Gore and Elizabeth Dole. Dole 34% Winfrey 32% Gore 30% Undecided 04% Ø Robert Redford is viewed more favorably (63%) and is better known (86%) than two-time presidential candidate Lamar Alexander (27% favorable/43% name recognition). Ø Clint Eastwood is viewed more favorably (72%) and is better known (93%) than U.S. Senator and presidential candidate John McCain (26% favorable/36% name recognition). Ø Former Chicago Bull forward Michael Jordan is viewed more favorably (77%) and is better known (94%) than former New York Knick, former U.S. Senator, and current presidential candidate Bill Bradley (42% favorable/56% name recognition). Ø Oprah Winfrey is viewed more favorably (76%) and is better known (96%) than former cabinet member and current presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole (63% favorable/92% total name recognition). Ø Over one-third of likely voters are prepared to vote for an un-named, generic "successful businessperson who's never run for office before," which would place he or she ahead of Gore and only one percentage point behind Bush: Bush 35% Businessperson 34% Gore 25% Undecided 06% [The poll was conducted from April 5-9 among a random selection of 800 registered voters who self described themselves as likely to vote in the November, 2000 general election for president. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.5%.] George Lucas for NATO Supreme Commander! ---------------------------------------------------- Filed by Matt Drudge Reports are moved when circumstances warrant http://www.drudgereport.com for steaks and breaks (c)DRUDGE REPORT 1999 Not for reproduction without permission of the author
