July 7, 1999

Article in The Contenders series profiles Sen John McCain, maverick Arizona Republican who has made his fight against the ways of Washington into the theme of his long-short bid for Presidency in 2000; even though he voted with Republican colleagues 81 percent of time in 1998, he alienated powerful constituencies on number of high-profile issues, prominently campaign finance; is trying to force his campaign-finance reform bill to floor for a debate that party leaders do not want; is playing off Gov George Bush's close embrace by Republican establishment and his extraordinary $36.3 million war chest; says his own campaign, which has raised $6.1 million, a distant second to Bush among Republicans, adheres to letter and spirit of his bill, which would ban unlimited and unregulated donations to political parties known as soft money--category in which Republicans have historically held edge; photos (L)

Soaring cost of prescription drugs for aging auto workers and retirees is top health care issue in national labor talks pitting United Auto Workers union against General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler AG; Ford's expense for pharmaceutical benefits, which includes cost of covering retirees and their spouses, is approaching $2,800 annually for each active hourly worker; that is roughly six times typical cost in large companies; auto makers' costs for prescription benefits are also rising 10 percent to 18 percent a year; union opposes broad changes in its members' health plan when current labor contracts with auto makers expires on Sept 14 (M)

Tens of thousands of insurance policyholders in Mississippi and neighboring states are wondering how badly they are going to be hurt by huge fraud that authorities say was pulled off by Martin R Frankel; several hundred million dollars is missing from insurers controlled by Frankel; George Dale, Insurance Commissioner in Mississippi, whose staff first discovered irregularities at Frankel's companies in state--Franklin Protective Life Insurance Co, Family Guaranty Life Insurance Co and First National Life Insurance Co of America--has some reservations, saying he is '99 percent certain' that policyholders will be made whole; Gordon Rusty Haydel, executive director of Mississippi Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association, is preparing to put levy on more than 640 life insurers doing business in state to make up losses of Frankel companies, which have beeen seized by regulators; Haydel says as many as 300 policyolders may have died in Mississippi since three companies were seized in early May and stopped paying claims (M)

New York City restaurants seek new lures to attract lunchtime crowds; as lunch has come under increasing pressures of time, budgets and health concerns, many restaurants realize they must adapt or face empty tables; they have chosen to give customers what they want, like two appetizers and a beverage in 45 minutes, or a meal ready to go in a container; they are having some success; examples cited; photos (M)

Lakeside, Conn, guitar teacher David Smolover has created rock-and-roll day camp for children 10 to 15 years old; weeklong sessions are called Day Jams; camp, in its first year, is taking place at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY, and at private schools in Ann Arbor, Mich, Towson, Md, and Alexandria, Va; photos (M)