Horselaughs in the Times

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Traveler: What can I say when they ask me back in Washington what the country is talking about?

Bates: What you say if you want to sound like a real pulsetaker is this: Washington is losing touch with the country. Apathy contends with restlessness all along the Ohio Valley, and unless somebody in Washington re-establishes contact with the mood of the country there will be some surprised politicians when the ballots are counted this fall.

Traveler : That says absolutely nothing.

Bates: Precisely, my man. Precisely.

Last week a resounding Baker broad side raked the full length of official Washington: WASHINGTON — A first reader on Washington for children of the space age: Look, Jerry, look. See the New Frontiersman run. He is running to the Capitol to save the program . . . But what is this? Senator Robert S. Kerr is throwing the program out the window. See the medicare bill fly away. See the tax bill fly away. See the trade bill scattered in the air. This will make the New Frontiersman very cross, will it not? Look, the New Frontiersman is advancing. Why is the Senator not running? Look, he is giving the New Frontiersman a new program. It is the Senator Robert S. Kerr program.

The New Frontiersman is accepting it..

He is smiling at the Senator and shaking the Senator's hand. What a splendid sight. This is democracy in action.

Run, Alice, run. Run and see the Sen ate. See Senator Goldwater. Do you see Senator Goldwater running? No. Senator Goldwater is talking. Do not be deceived.

He is running very hard toward the White House.

Jump, Sport, jump. Jump for the gentlemen of the Democratic National Com mittee. See how miserable they look.

They are unhappy because they do not have enough Democrats at the Capitol to save the program. They have only two Democrats for each Republican. Will the program be saved if more Democrats come to the Capitol next year? No one can tell.

Democrats are strange creatures. Often they are Republicans wearing Democratic false faces. Is Washington not a wonderful place?