A Record of Achievement

THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT problems head-on and deal with them effectively is the hallmark of a president who deserves the support of his party. In both foreign and domestic policy, President Carter has offered and fought for solid and specific programs, with some notable achievements. He deserves re-election.

President Carter's accomplishments in foreign affairs are striking: he led the nation in returning the Panama Canal, re-establishing relations with China, and in achieving a landmark peace treaty in the Middle East. More recently, he has demonstrated firmness and resolve in dealing with Iran and the Soviet Union, yet his firmness has always been tempered by restraint.

Domestically, he was the first major national figure to seek aggressively a sound program of energy independence, including a substantial windfall profits tax. Furthermore, he has deregulated the airlines, increased federal spending on education by 60 per cent, extended food stamp eligibility to an additional two million Americans, bolstered Head Start and programs for the handicapped, and appointed more women and minorities to significant positions than any other president in history. His has been a presidency of quiet achievement.

Certainly our support for Carter is not unqualified. He needed too much on-the-job training. He has not been able to control inflation. His relations with Congress have been poor, often hampering passage of his more important legislative proposals.

But there is no indication that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54 (D-Mass.) would do any better. One must distinguish between Kennedy's liberal voting record and his unimpressive list of legislative achievements. It is naive to believe that Kennedy, who is far more liberal than Congress, would actually see many of his proposals become law.

Carter has learned and improved during his first term, he has demonstrated leadership and held fast to his liberal ideals, and he deserves the support of New England Democrats.