◆ SpookStack

SoMa A eee and even New Jersey can then be con- ceded to the Democrats. Says a staffer: “Some people around here ure kidding themselves about carrying New York on the basis that Jim Buckley won and Rocky's our friend now. The basic strat- egy has got to be to take the states you took last time.” The White House is in no danger of ig- . noring the issues that appeal to its con- _stituency, even if the President sticks _ to a relatively nonpartisan route. As il- lustration, word was passed to schedule the arrests of mobsters to inflate the an- ticrime record in 1972. Quotas, in fact, ihave been established, though_neither ‘the"TUStice“Department nor the FBL will ‘take credit for them. In the first two ‘months of next year, 1.000 hoodlums ‘are to be arrested. For example, New ‘York City has a quota of 200; Phil- adeiphia has 60: Columbia, 5.C.. rates -only five. In the meantime, arrests are being delayed so that future quotas can be filled. Granted an unexpected breath- er, some crime bosses have even of- ‘fered to cooperate. One mobster told an FB! man last week: “How many gam- blers do you need for your quota? If iyou're short, I'li give you some names.” The agent said thanks anyway, but he thad his own list. The White House is openly disdainful of the opposition. It pretends scarcely to notice the candidacy of rebel Re- publican Pete McCloskey in the New Hampshire primary. He is airily dis- i missed as a “media creation.” The Dem- ocratic possibilities are not regarded much more highly. “{ almost feel sorry for them.” chortles Harry Dent. - “But it's a wonderful sorrow. Muskie is fading. Humphrey is like driving a used car. Kennedy excites too muck ‘emotion one way or another in peo- ple. The public is looking for some- body in the middle, and Nixon has : that middle pre-empted.” The G.O.P. is obviously going to spare no pains —or expense—to see that the middie » stays pul —_—— neat nt ete ee