POSHARD'S WIN MARKS HIM AS A "DAVID" OF POLITICAL WORLD

Across the river in Illinois, our neighbors just produced one of the great David-whips-Goliath episodes of modern political history in this week's race that saw Democrat Rep. Glenn Poshard defeat his Democratic colleague, Rep. Terry Bruce.

When last year's redristicting pitted the two incumbent congressmen against each other, Rep. Bruce's advantages were so vast as to seem overwhelming. Not only did the more senior Bruce boast a campaign war chest bulging with more than $600,000 (Poshard had less than $50,000), but a huge 70 percent of the territory in the sprawling new district was from Bruce's old district.

Poshard turned these seemingly insurmountable odds into an astonishingly wide victory margin that is a real testament to his hard work, courage, tenacity, organization and integrity. This one will be studied for years to come; there might even be a book in it, perhaps a PhD. thesis.

Congratulations to Rep. Poshard, to his family and to all his supporters.

* * * * *

President Bush's admission on the eve of the Georgia primary that he made a mistake in raising taxes was explained away by a White House official, speaking without attribution: "Congress' behavior over the past week has made it evident there was a mistake made. You can't satisfy the appetite of that tax monster, and we shouldn't have tried in the first place."

In any event, it's certainly interesting what an "unsuccessful" political campaign can accomplish. As stated here before, commentator Pat Buchanan's campaign is not the one supported by this columnist. Still, Buchanan forced the President of the United States into the reluctant admission that the central economic decision of his four years in office the 1990 budget deal with the congressional majority was a mistake. (As was loudly proclaimed here at the time.)

Meanwhile, nearly 18 months after cutting that classic insiders' "budget reduction" deal, President Bush languishes with poll numbers that resemble Jimmy Carter's at a comparable time in 1980. The latest approval rating I've seen for the President is 39 percent job approval; 53 percent disapproval.

What is George Bush's problem? Here's what long-time Reagan political consultant Lyn Nofziger told Newsweek: "Bush is in trouble because those guys over at the White House don't understand the American people. They never had to worry about a job, and they don't understand people who really have to worry about a job. As a result, they came at this matter of the economy rather casually.

"Another part of the problem," Nofziger continued, "is that they've picked people to run a campaign who've never really run a campaign. ... They need more people who've been down there rolling around on the ground and getting their hands dirty. What I've seen over there are signs of panic."

* * * * *