Volume 1 Issue 24
December 16, 2002
Everyone's Quitting (Or Being Forced To)
Gore Gored, Lott Lollygagging, and Reindeer Reproducing (sort of)
Sorry this is a tad late today...some Monday business to attend to. Actually having to work! Huh!
*Sigh*. People are really quite dumb. Yesterday I was too busy preparing to host a Christmas party to pay attention to the goings on, but when I read the papers today, I'll tell you, its a screwed up world. First, let's deal with the Gore announcement, this is quite simple, and involves few dumb people. I think everyone had realized it was coming, but it was surprising coming with so little notice. This opens the field for the Dems wide, it seems that there really isn't much of a "front-runner" despite the media trying to crown one. Also, this may open up the field for those on the fence to get in, like Joe Biden and General Wesley Clark, and that could change the dynamic of the race. Oh, and the quote of the day from the Gore news? A "senior advisor" to another candidate when asked about the withdrawal: "I'm going to go have another beer now."
Now...Trent Lott, my candidate for idiot of the year. OK, so he knows he is in trouble, and that whole "I'm the son of a sharecropper" speech on Friday didn't help things much. BUT! Bush and most other folks were probably willing to give him a pass, but it was the Republicans who have since torn him a new one. I think Bob Novak has actually called it a situation of "Republican's eating their own." Then on Sunday, the wolves came hunting, as Lott was attacked by his own on the talk shows, and Don Nickles all but announced he was challenging him. So what does Lott do? Sources say Lott is planning a counterattack, saying Nickles is a racist as well, and giving examples of his "intolerance." Oh, yeah, that's a smart move, just portray the whole party as a bunch of Southern racists. Good move, Trent, that will really increase your support in the White House...what a idiot. Frist is the best bet for the GOP, he's more moderate and would not provide a good attack target for the Dems like Nickles would. Late word is that there will be a caucus meeting on January 6 (the day before the 108th convenes) to shed the blood. Worst case scenario for the GOP? Rick Santorum as your new majority leader. The most interesting thing in all of this is how it will play out, since there are 3 weeks until this meeting. Will the controversy cool? We'll see. One final thing on this issue is that it was kept up not by the "liberal" media, but rather by conservative commentators, mostly through internet columns. New media? We'll see.
Oh, finally...I have to pitch the stupid article in the 3rd section about the coming GOP tax plan. These people must be trying to lose the election in 2004. At least Trent Lott won't have to figure out how to pitch this...ok, let's start the insanity...
The End of the Resurgence: No Gore in 2004!? Al, we hardly knew ye...-
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/politics/16GORE.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59498-2002Dec15.html
I agree that while watching Gore host Saturday Night Live, it became very clear that he had no intention of running again -
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/politics/16QUIT.html
From the Et Tu Brute dept, otherwise known as "I fully support having Senator Lott's Head on a Platter": It's actually the Republican's who have their knives out -
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/politics/16LOTT.html
Here's some profiles of the "contenders". -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59200-2002Dec15.html
Oh yeah, and like there's any chance in Hell of getting the Pickering nomination through now -
http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/12/news1216a.html
In an interesting take on the whole fiasco, the NY Times discusses what a Thrumond presidency may have looked like -
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/weekinreview/15CLYM.html?8 hpib
What the Hell!?!?! The Bush administration is putting its final touches on its new tax plan, which will raise taxes substantially on the poor, claiming they pay too little in taxes. This is a plan so stupid that even some (but not all) folks at the Heritage Foundation think its a bad idea. And they aren't exactly liberals. Plus, while the Bushies are trying to find interesting ways to make it look like the poor aren't paying much in taxes (i.e. the poor pay very little of the taxes, no shit! their income is smaller? Didn't Bush make the same damn argument in his tax cut? "Those who make more and pay more will save more" or something to that effect), they are conveniently not putting out charts showing tax burden as a proportion of their income, which is still heavily focused on the poor. Argh! Two questions. What the Hell are these people smoking? And...why is this hidden on an inside page of the paper, in a story that jumped 3 times!?!? -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59577-2002Dec15.html
The Other War: The Korea problem continues to accelerate...today North Korea said in its view war on the peninsula was inevitable. Does it bother anyone else that this does not get covered, especially while we're currently engaging or about to engage 2 wars at the same time? -
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/15/nkorea.us/i ndex.html
http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/14/korea.nu kes/index.html
But we're still Couping it up: Venezuela continues to be rocked by demonstrations as President Chavez tries to hold on to power. This is remarkable, because if he succeeds (and its looking more and more like he will) he will have resisted 2 coup attempts backed by the US in as many years. Is he the Fidel of the future? Probably not, because he was democratically elected and all, but that doesn't keep us from trying to over throw people...but, this has already had some effect on oil (Venezuela is the largest non-Arab producer), so look for higher gas prices over the holidays -
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-venezuela-usa.html
Jeb's Problem: As predicted by me, the class size amendment has caused major problems in Florida, which may eventually cause real trouble for Florida Governor and Heir Apparent Jeb Bush -
http://www.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/12/16/class.size.ap/index. html
Senate TV Getting Higher Ratings: The U.S. Senate TV system showed a porn movie over one of its more popular channels a few weeks ago. The station usually shows replays of the previous nights news programs or important Senate events. -
http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/12/news1216d.html
Oh, Canada! There is reaction from Americans to the Toronto Star's editorial last week claming that Canadians were morally superior to Americans. And, as you can judge from normal American comments, it really doesn't help the American case much -
Party Time? Apparently the scrooges of the accounting department have curtailed most businesses from holding holiday parties anymore. Fortunately, my place still does, and the Swamp will not publish on Wednesday due to the celebration -
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-venezuela-usa.html
Crime Fighter of the Week: Don't go robbing houses in German Twp., Ohio...I'm not quite sure what they're feeding the kids out there. And how would you like to be this girl's date to the prom now? -
http://www.coxnews.com/newsservice/stories/2002/1213-HOGTIED.html
Re-admit Pete? Turning to sports, former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent says that Pete Rose should remain banned from baseball -
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/opinion/16VINC.html
The Worst Stadium in Professional Sports...how we will miss it so: For those of you from outside of Philadelphia looking for a list of "infractions" people have committed at the vet, this Phila Daily News article sums them up nicely -
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/nfl/philade lphia_eagles/4747372.htm
An SI reporter offers his eulogy of the Vet, and how it may be missed. He also was interviewing Eagles coach Andy Reid, but couldn't hear him over the empty beer kegs being rolled over their heads. -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/peter_king/news /2002/12/16/mmqb/
College Basketball Box Score of the Week: Yeah, it's a Division I school playing a DIII school, but what the hell...Drake 162 , Grinnell 110 -
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=223452181
Christmas Gift of the Day: Why wouldn't someone love reindeer DNA in a vial?
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/16/offbeat.rei ndeer.dna.reut/index.html
Have a great day!
Gregory S. Gadren
