A Manic-Depressive Six Months

For the eager freshmen Democrats who took office in January, the failure of Congress has been disillusioning and frustrating, particularly since many argue that the President lacks a real legislative program of his own. "He just keeps saying, 'No, no, no,' "declares New Jersey's Andrew Maguire. Last week TIME correspondents followed four of the chastened freshmen Congressmen as they toured their districts and tried to explain to their voters--and themselves--what went wrong during their first six months in Washington. The reports:

GEORGIA'S ELLIOTT LEVITAS. When Levitas, 44, went to Washington last January, he was not as optimistic or naive as many members of his entering class. For nearly a decade, Levitas had been in and around the state legislature, learning that lawmaking, like politics, is the art of the possible.

Levitas is less willing than many of his classmates to put the blame for Congress's failures on the shoulders of the Democratic leadership, but even he criticizes the top echelons for not heeding the advice of their troops. "One of my children could have told them that the 23-c- gas tax would be beaten 4 to 1," he says. "Leadership was told there was no way, but it wouldn't listen."

Levitas also strongly feels that Congress gives itself far too many recesses and vacations at a time when there are pressing problems to be solved. "If we want to restore the confidence of people in government, we've got to stop that." As he roamed his district, Levitas also reported that people were fed up with both the executive and legislative sides playing partisan politics. Says he: "They perceive a great deal of contrived confrontation on both sides."

MASSACHUSETTS' PAUL TSONGAS. He campaigned on the slogan "This Democrat can make a big difference in Congress." Today, a half-year into his term, Tsongas, 34, is hard pressed to pinpoint what he has been able to do that has made any real difference to anyone. He admits: "This has been a manic-depressive six months."

Tsongas' disillusionment began when 22 Democrats voted with the Republicans to sustain President Ford's veto of the jobs bill. For the first time, he realized the extent of power wielded by a President in league with a disciplined, albeit minority party, v. a mammoth but unruly majority in Congress. Advocating stronger party discipline, Tsongas became the spokesman for a group of dissident Democratic freshmen that last month persuaded Speaker Albert and Majority Leader O'Neill to sit down and discuss the problems of leadership. (To date, nothing but some good will has come out of the meeting.)

The lesson that the Congressman from Lowell has learned is that "Congress is gun-shy about being ahead of the country. It wants to be damn sure there is consensus before it sticks its neck out. The freshmen don't see themselves in this role. We want to be the action. Given the fact that there is nothing going on in the White House, we would like to lead, not just act like the recorder writing down what the latest poll confirms."

Since Tsongas has concluded that the White House will win every confrontation over a veto, he thinks the most helpful thing the freshmen might do would be to take an active role in choosing the next Democratic nominee for President. Says he: "Perhaps we can act as a sounding board for presidential candidates, asking them to appear before us and coming to some conclusion as to who is acceptable and who is not."

MICHIGAN'S ROBERT CARR. A 32-year-old lawyer exuding energy and nerve, Carr was elected last fall by railing against the old-fashioned Congress where one got along by going along. No sooner had he arrived in Washington than Carr began a slow burn over the Democratic leadership, which culminated in his appearing on the Today television show last month and calling for the resignation of Speaker Carl Albert. "My constituents aren't blaming me for Congress's failures," says Carr. "In fact my mail has been overwhelmingly favorable."

As he whizzed about his district last week or held court in a newly carpeted office in the old Federal Building in Lansing, Carr promised that he would keep on trying to stir up the House's aging and somnolent tigers. Said he: "You hope that the Speaker and the majority leader ["Tip" O'Neill] are looking out and getting an idea of where America is and where it is going in 1975. But we're not getting that kind of vision."

CALIFORNIA'S NORMAN MINETA. "People are unhappy about our performance," admits Mineta, 43, who represents the San Jose area. "They keep saying, 'Cripes, why don't you guys do something?' "

The newly elected chairman of the Freshman Democratic Caucus, Mineta has often been appalled by the bumbling leadership of the Democrats. While a reformer himself, Mineta thinks party discipline should be enforced more rigorously, particularly on attempts to override presidential vetoes. Mineta also confesses that he and his fellow freshmen have often been outmaneuvered by the party's veterans. "We're young bucks, and we don't yet know the ins and outs."

Meeting the voters 18 hours a day last week, Mineta found Congress under sharp attack for what seemed to be all the nation's ills, nor did Mineta get off easily. "Half the people here are worried about inflation," he explained later, "and the other half are worried about unemployment. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."

Facing up to the situation--and the likelihood of a tough election fight in 1976--Mineta says, "There's not much in terms of legislative substance that we can point to. The electorate deserves better than it's been getting. We've got to press."

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