The Week November 6-12

By Kathleen Adams, Lina Lofaro, Lawrence Mondi, Michael Quinn, Alain L. Sanders and Sidney Urquhart

NATION

Wipe-Out

Despite furious last-minute campaigning, the Comeback Kid failed this time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Weary of the ways of Washington, frustrated voters ejected President Clinton's Democratic majorities from the halls of Congress, handing control of both houses to the G.O.P. for the first time in 40 years. In all, not a single incumbent Republican Senator, Representative or Governor lost. Jubilant party leaders reveled in the political revolution -- on the one hand openly stretching out an arm of cooperation to the President, on the other eagerly preparing to flex their invigorated conservative muscles. Following the devastating-to-Democ rats results, a humbled and reflective President gladly took up the offer of cooperation on issues like welfare reform and streamlining government but promised to stand firm and fight on matters of "conviction" like education, gun control and jobs.

The Senate

Republicans won eight seats and got a bonus ninth when Richard Shelby, Democrat of Alabama, switched parties, bringing the new G.O.P. majority to 53 to 47. Among the big-name Democrats felled by voters were Tennessee's Jim Sasser and Pennsylvania's Harris Wofford. A number of struggling Democrats survived: Massachusetts' Ted Kennedy, New Jersey's Frank Lautenberg, Virginia's Charles Robb (who beat out controversial Iran-contra figure Oliver North) and, apparently, California's Dianne Feinstein. Kansas' Bob Dole, a possible presidential contender, will become the new Senate majority leader. Colleagues in line to head key committees include Strom Thurmond at Armed Services, Jesse Helms at Foreign Relations, Orrin Hatch at Judiciary and Alfonse D'Amato at Banking.

The House

Republicans have their first shot at running the House of Representatives since 1954. The shift is expected to produce a series of political tremors for the next two years as the Speaker's chair is transferred to the often corrosively partisan Newt Gingrich. The Speaker-in-waiting sent only a limited peace signal to the Clinton Administration -- "Cooperation, yes; compromise, no," -- and wasted little time in blasting "counterculture McGovernicks" and "left-wing elitists" at the White House. Among the Democratic war-horses sent out to pasture by the electorate: Illinois' Dan Rostenkowski, Texas' Jack Brooks and Washington's Tom Foley, the current Speaker.

The Governors

One of the Democratic Party's most eloquent voices was silenced: New York Governor Mario Cuomo lost to G.O.P. challenger George Pataki. In Texas, George W. Bush, the former President's eldest son, beat Democratic incumbent Ann Richards. But in Florida, Jeb Bush, the other Bush son running this year, lost to Lawton Chiles -- handing him the distinction of being the only big-state Democratic Governor left in the nation. California stayed Republican, re- electing Pete Wilson.

Ballot Measures

With the votes barely counted, the heated battle over California's Proposition 187 promptly shifted to the courts, following the measure's approval by a 3- to-2 ratio. Pending hearings, two judges temporarily blocked enforcement of the measure, which would deny most public services to illegal aliens and their children. All sides expect the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately to decide the initiative's constitutionality. Elsewhere, the electorate in seven states voted in favor of term limits for members of Congress. And in a groundbreaking vote, Oregonians approved a measure that will allow doctors in the state to help some terminally ill patients end their life.

Child-Pornography Reversal

It may or may not have been a sign of the Clinton Administration's reaction to the week's conservative election results, but the Justice Department reversed its position in a child-pornography case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney General Janet Reno said the department now believes that a federal obscenity law can be applied to photos of clothed children if the images are lascivious.

Tears, Anger in Union County

In an emotional farewell, the shocked residents of Union County, South Carolina, joined the family of 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander Smith to bury the two children whose mother has confessed to drowning them. Meanwhile, Susan Smith, who originally claimed the boys had disappeared in a carjacking, sat in jail under a suicide watch. Scott Vaughan, her brother, apologized to the community's black residents for his sister's fabrication of a black carjacker-kidnapper and for the ensuing racial tensions the story fostered.

The Simpson Case

Judge Lance Ito backed off from his threat to pull the plug on TV coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder case and ruled that a camera will be allowed to broadcast the trial. The judge also refined the list of materials jurors can read or watch: TV-news programs and talk shows are off limits, as are print articles about the case, but entertainment shows are O.K. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County district attorney Gil Garcetti announced that no charges would be brought against Simpson's close friend Al Cowlings, who drove the Ford Bronco during the memorable freeway chase with police. Garcetti said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Sex and the Navy, Again

Still reeling from the Tailhook sex scandal, the Navy was hit again with sexual-harassment charges. Officials revealed they were looking into the complaints of 16 female students at a naval training facility in San Diego who said they had been verbally harassed and, in some cases, groped by instructors. The Navy, hoping to demonstrate its new sensitivity, said an investigation had begun "immediately."

WORLD

Iraq Recognizes Kuwait

Seeking to bring an end to trade sanctions that have destroyed its economy, Iraq officially abandoned its territorial claims against Kuwait. The announcement, signed by President Saddam Hussein, said Iraq accepted "the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait, its territorial integrity and political independence." Although Washington welcomed the recognition as "positive," the U.S. and fellow U.N. Security Council members noted that it was just one step toward compliance with U.N. resolutions. "There is a very long list of things Iraq has to do to get sanctions lifted," said Sir David Hannay, Britain's chief U.N. delegate.

Quitting the Arms Embargo

The Clinton Administration ordered its military to stop enforcing the arms embargo against Bosnia and said the Pentagon would no longer share intelligence reports on arms shipments with its European allies. The move, Administration officials said, was in response to congressional orders, and is expected to have little military impact. But it is certain to strain relations within NATO, where enforcing the embargo now falls entirely to the Europeans, who have long argued that permitting the Bosnians to arm themselves will only escalate the war and put thousands of U.N. peacekeepers at risk. In Bosnia fighting heated up as a Serb warplane fired a rocket into the Muslim- controlled town of Bihac. Ten people were reported killed in the attack. Artillery and sniper fire are increasing in Sarajevo as well.

A Welcome Visit

Seventeen years after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's historic journey, King Hussein of Jordan became the second Arab leader to pay a public visit to Israel. "The Israeli and Jordanian people are on the threshold of a peace that I hope generations to come will cherish, protect and enjoy," said His Majesty after nearly three hours of discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in northern Galilee.

And Yet Another Bombing

In Gaza a Palestinian suicide bomber destroyed an Israeli army checkpoint, killing three soldiers, injuring passersby and prompting Palestinian police to detain dozens of activists from Islamic Jihad, the militant group that quickly claimed responsibility.

A Shrine Reopened

Israelis and Muslims are once again able to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, where nine months ago an Israeli zealot killed 29 Palestinian worshippers. But the new prayer arrangements -- including a strict division of the shrine into Jewish and Muslim areas and limitations on the number of worshippers -- are resented by both Jews and Arabs.

Haitian Cabinet Sworn In

After weeks of closed-door politicking, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide finally has a full Cabinet. In a ceremony attended by Haitian politicians, foreign diplomats and officers in the U.S. military command, Prime Minister-designate Smarck Michel pledged to tackle the job of rebuilding his devastated country. U.S. Ambassador William Swing praised the new Cabinet as a "good, strong group of people."

A Woman for Sri Lanka

Campaigning hard against her country's "culture of assassination" (her husband and father were both murdered by political extremists), Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga won a landslide victory to become Sri Lanka's first female President.

Disturbing the Peace

Two members of a gang with links to the Irish Republican Army were being held in connection with a killing that took place during a robbery of a post office facility in Newry, 30 miles south of Belfast. The murder of a postal clerk was the first since the I.R.A. announced a cease-fire in September. It caused the Irish government to rescind plans for the early release of I.R.A. prisoners. Sinn Fein said the killing was tragic and wrong.

BUSINESS

A Big Blue-Apple Deal?

IBM and Apple agreed to produce a personal computer that would operate the software of either company, but industry analysts were skeptical, noting that a common software system had yet to be approved.

Back to Basics for Sears

Returning to its retailing roots, Sears, Roebuck announced it would spin off its $9 billion stake in Allstate, the nation's second largest insurer of homes and autos.