CNN moderator predicts larger government ahead

With his political wit and humor, Mark Shields captivated a crowd of more than 100 people at Whittenberger Auditorium Monday night. \nShields, moderator of CNN's "The Capital Gang," was this year's Roy W. Howard lecturer at the National Reporting Convention at IU.\nEntitling his lecture "The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Shields," Shields addressed the state of American politics before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.\n"The 2000 election was a humdrum election," Shields said. "There was no passion about either candidate because people had grave doubts about both men."\nCalling the elections of 1980 and 1992 "change in direction elections," Shields compared the 2000 election as merely a change in leadership.\n"In 2000, the American people were tired of the leadership," Shields said. "They did not want to be embarrassed by the president any longer."\nBut pondering a "what if," Shields acknowledged the possibilities of a different election outcome had the attacks of Sept. 11 happen one year earlier.\n"If the attacks happened on Sept. 11, 2000, Al Gore would have won the election," Shields said. "But the attacks have managed to help President George W. Bush close the stature gap."\nIn other words Shields said, Bush is now president "hands down."\n"Anti-government rhetoric is gone and the presidency is now stronger," Shields said. "The presidency always gets stronger in times of crisis."\nBut nearing the end of his lecture, Shields crept away from his trademark wit that Americans know from his Washington Post column and his CNN talk show "The Capital Gang" and talked frankly about the near future of American politics.\n"We're going to see a bigger government, a more expensive government," Shields said.\nShields said the American government needs to have a free debate about what is involved in the war on terrorism. He warned that Americans must understand the costs of the conflict and should ask each other if they are willing to pay.\n"There is no question about it," Shields said. "There will be casualties -- both civilians and soldiers."\nThe shock of September's attacks has revived American patriotism, Sheilds said. He compared the morale of the U.S. to that of the country's attitude during World War II, noting people are feeling "total communal participation and support."\nNonetheless, Shields warned the American government cannot afford to venture into another conflict like Vietnam.\n"An army should never be sent to fight a war unless the nation supports it," Shields said. "An army doesn't fight a war -- a nation fights a war."\nThe Roy W. Howard lecture is the culmination of events from the annual National Reporting Competition.\nIU's School of Journalism houses the Roy W. Howard Archive, which contains about 14,000 letters and memorabilia on Howard -- an accomplished journalist, the general manager and president of United Press and chairman of Scripps Howard Newspapers.\nThe competition is sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation, which provides numerous contests, scholarships, and possibilities for aspiring journalists.\nTrevor Brown, dean of IU's School of Journalism, commended the competition for making a positive impact on future journalists.\n"Instead of having an awards ceremony, the students come to Bloomington and get to discuss their stories with the judges," Brown said. "It really creates a positive-impact mentoring system and promotes instructional exchanges."\nThe seminar with the judges was helpful to students, but the time with Shields was particularly enjoyable, said contestant Tim Higgins, a senior from the University of Missouri at Columbia.\n"He was just a down to earth and funny guy," Higgins said. "He was very grounded"