November 28, 1995

Faced with a tight budget squeeze, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority named Marc V. Shaw, New York City's budget director, as its chief executive yesterday. Mr. Shaw, 41, has 15 years' experience as a financial analyst and manager for the city and for New York State, and has developed a reputation for creative fiscal management at a time of seemingly intractable budgetary challenges.

A Federal judge in Brooklyn yesterday struck down the Republican Party's rules for New York State's Presidential primary, saying they set unfair hurdles for candidates to gather enough signatures on petitions to put their names on ballots in some areas of the state. If it withstands appeals to higher courts, the ruling by Judge Edward R. Korman of Federal District Court would be a significant setback to the state party and its choice for President, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. Because Mr. Dole has the backing of the state party, whose legions of volunteers can help him distribute petitions, he is likely to have a much easier time than other candidates collecting the tens of thousands of signatures needed to get on the ballot.

Gov. Christine Todd Whitman says she's a little confused about why New York's Governor, George E. Pataki, has not yet agreed to her selection of Lewis M. Eisenberg to bechairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. After all, she said yesterday at a State House news conference, Mr. Pataki invited Mr. Eisenberg to serve on his transition team, so "I know Mr. Pataki obviously has regard for him."

Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the majority leader, chose not to make a formal, nationally televised response to President Clinton's Bosnia speech tonight, though he agreed to do two brief interviews. He did not have a Republican position to present, and he had no incentive to offer his own opinions even though no other Congressional view matters as much as his. As Senate leader, Mr. Dole controls the calendar. As a wounded World War II veteran, he commands respect on issues of war and peace in the Senate, where the old-fashioned internationalism that spread from Wall Street Republicans in the late 1930's to Main Street in the 1950's is still alive, and NATO remains a concept of consequence.

Four boys got handshakes from the Governor and an ovation from investigators yesterday for helping catch a sex offender last year. When the man approached the boys, they declined his offer of a ride and wrote down his license plate number, Bob O'Leary, an assistant Union County prosecutor, said. The man, who had been on parole after serving time for the sexual assault and slaying of another child, is back in prison for eight more years.