POLITICAL NOTES
> For all the talk of California Governor Ronald Reagan's ascendant star in the Republican Party, the Gallup poll last week suggested he still had far to climb. The poll showed Richard Nix on maintaining a commanding lead among the Republican rank and file as a presidential preference. Nixon was the choice of 39% of Republicans polled, trailed by Michigan's Governor George Romney with 25%. But both have slipped a bit since the last sampling in May, while Reagan, who came in third, has increased his support from 7% to 11%. That places him one point ahead of New...