By AMY GREEN, Associated Press Writer SUMMERTOWN, Tenn. (AP) - Korean War veteran. Hippie commune founder. Published author. Drug convict. Stephen Gaskin has accomplished much in his 65 years, but there's still one more goal: U.S. president. Like other political renegades, Gaskin knows his chances are slim against the big party candidates, but the election gives him an opportunity to voice his message for peace, social consciousness and the legalization of marijuana. The self-described ``hippie priest and free-lance rabble-rouser'' says that as a Green Party candidate, he offers an alternative to the other guy from Tennessee - likely Democratic nominee Vice President Al Gore - and Gore's rival Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Gaskin's got competition within the Green Party from consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the party's perennial candidate, and former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra. The Greens select their candidates at a nominating convention June 24-25 in Denver. If he loses the nomination, Gaskin says he will just take his $400 war chest and start the Outlaw Party - a group with the same beliefs as the Green Party but with a focus on legalizing marijuana. ``If you want to throw some seeds in your garden and grow some pot and smoke it yourself, I don't think it's anybody else's business. And I don't think that the Constitution thinks that it's anybody else's business,'' Gaskin says. This is not someone who fears the question: Did you inhale? ``I didn't exhale,'' he says. Gaskin, with his shoulder-length gray braids and tie-dyed T-shirts, envisions a country where affluence isn't viewed as a right but a privilege that is shared with the less fortunate. Eliminating corporate donations and soft money to political campaigns will restore integrity to political office, and the government should foot the bill for the nation's health care and educate its people through junior college, he says. Where would the money come from? ``For a couple of B-2 bombers you could pay for all the education in the United States,'' he says. Gaskin was a writing instructor at San Francisco State College - now San Francisco State University - following a two-year combat stint in Korea that ended in 1954. Social consciousness is the reason Gaskin withdrew from society and founded his own community 58 miles southwest of Nashville in the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. His commune - a 1,000-acre spot in Summertown called The Farm - prospered at first but soon fell $800,000 into debt and in 1983 its leaders were forced to start charging dues. Today, some 250 people live there and pay about $100 monthly. Gaskin went to prison in 1974 for marijuana possession. He served one year of a three-year sentence and says he learned that ``the difference between who went to jail and who didn't ... was politics.'' He later helped win voting rights for felons convicted in Tennessee before 1981 when he discovered that he had lost his own voting rights and appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court struck down a 1981 law that, in tandem with another law, denied voting rights to all felons rather than those of specific crimes. Gaskin has spent $800 traveling to speaking engagements and Green Party meetings. He already is on the November ballot in a few states, including New York and New Mexico. When not on the campaign trail, Gaskin works on his vintage Volvos, teaches at the commune's school and writes. He already has published 10 books on politics and spirituality. Gaskin's wife, Ina May, says she is proud of her husband's campaign, win or lose. ``He shows that a little guy still can have a voice,'' she says. ``That's one of the sad things about the country today - so many people don't have a voice.'' - On the Net: Gaskin's campaign: http://www.steph�sonsofliberty2000

I got this from the Sons Of Liberty in my email...Please do not interpret this as an endorsement...I just thought scribbled posts were not the way to view the upcoming presidential race for the most powerful position on earth. Wish this guy would exhale!

The link does not work - I'll see what else might work if anyone is really interested.

Bush and Gore Make Me Wanna Ralph A Letter from Michael Moore to the Non-Voters of America Dear friends, DISCLAIMER: If you are planning to vote for Al Gore in November, good for you. Don't let what I'm about to say change your mind because I've been told by all the experts that if you do change your mind based on what I'm about to say, George W. Bush might win the election and I certainly couldn't live with myself if that connoisseur of pharmaceuticals (the kind you snort up your nose or the kind you inject on death row) won, in part, because of a letter I spit out over the Internet. So let's review -- you like Gore, you vote for Gore. He's a decent guy. I met him last year at some benefit, he came up to me, big hug -- whoa, this veep is no stiff, I thought -- and thanked me for this and that. He even quoted lines from "The Awful Truth" - whoa, scary, I thought, what's he doing watching cable channels above 40 on the box...not much to do on this veep gig, eh? I told him I admired what he did when he came home to America as a Vietnam Vet and spoke out against the war. That took a lot of courage, I said (his dad lost his Senate seat for being an early opponent of the war). So, if Al Gore is your man, go for it. In fact, I insist on it, even if you are just throwing your vote away. What I am about to say, though, is not intended for any Al Gore (or George W.) voters. If you are one, please click off now. To Whom It May Concern: I address this letter to the largest political party in the United States - the 55% of you in the voting public who are so disillusioned with politics and politicians, so sick and tired of all the broken promises, so disgusted with all the b.s. that you have absolutely no intention of voting in November. You know who you are. AND YOU ARE THE MAJORITY! You rule. You are the Non-Voters, all 100 million of you! Until now, you have been the subject of scorn and ridicule. You've been called apathetic, lazy, ignorant. Your actions have been viewed as unAmerican (I mean, what kind of citizen in the World's Greatest Democracy would not exercise his or her most important and cherished right - the right to freely choose your leader!). Well, may I be the first to tell you that, not only are you NOT stupid and apathetic, I believe you are smarter than all the rest of us combined. YOU figured it out. YOU uncovered the scam. And YOU had the guts to no longer participate in a lie. Way to go! In 1996, you helped set the all-time American record for lowest turnout ever at a presidential election. The reason you, the majority, no longer vote in America is because you, the majority, realize there is no real choice on the ballot. The "two" parties both do the bidding of the wealthy and agree with each other on 90% of the issues. They take 90% of their money from people who make over a hundred-grand a year, and then enact over 90% of the laws those contributors want passed. On the ballot this November, you already know there is no contest. The independent Cook Political Report in D.C. last week announced that, out of 435 House seats up for election in November, there are only 47 seats where there is a "true race" between opponents - and, of those, only 14 seats have a race that is even "close" between the two candidates. 14 out of 435! "Ninety-seven to ninety-nine percent of incumbents running for re-election will be returned to Congress in November," according to the Cook Report. The Non-Voters already understand this. And they are not going to waste one iota of their day on November 7 driving to some smelly elementary school gymnasium to participate in a Soviet-style election with no friggin' choice on the ballot. So, to you brave voter-resisters, I say congratulations on your act of civic disobedience! I joined you this primary season and refused to go along with this charade of "choice." Nearly 80% of those of us of voting age - over 160 million Americans - staged a sit-in on our living room couches during this year's primaries. THAT is the great untold story of this election year. How much longer will the punditocracy be able to get away with dismissing this massive no-show as "a sign Americans are content with the booming economy?" Now that we have made our presence known (you all don't mind me speaking for us, do you? Good. In fact, I'll just assume the currently-vacant mantle of this majority party and serve as your leader until you say otherwise...), it is time to find a way that says, loudly and clearly, just how mad as hell we are and how we are not going to take it anymore. We need to find a way where our vote screams "None of the Above!" A chance to act, like that Chinese guy in Tieneman Square, standing in front of a moving tank and stopping it in its path. In November, we should find a way to follow in the footsteps of those intelligent Minnesotans who, even thought they could care less about professional wrestling (and even less, I'm sure, for Jesse "The Body"), proved to the world that they not only have a sense of humor, but they know how to stick it to the whole bloody system. Think of just how high their level of anger must have been against the One-Party-With-Two-Heads monopoly! I mean, state government is no joke - somebody's gotta build the roads, run the schools, catch the criminals. You don't want to turn the asylum over to the chief lunatic but, damn it, that's what the people of Minnesota did - just to send a message! Wow. That took some guts. So, for those of you who weren't going to vote anyway, well...what if you actually did? What if you drove down to that stinky gym where the little shell game behind the pretend curtains is taking place ("Pay no attention to the voters behind the curtains!"), walk in, sign in, take the ballot they hand you, and toss yourselves inside the booth like a political molotov cocktail. Boom! "You wanna tell me there's a choice here between two guys who both support NAFTA, WTO, the death penalty, the Cuban embargo, increased Pentagon spending, sleazy HMOs, greedy hospital chains, 250 million guns in our homes, more bombing of Iraq, the rich getting richer and the rest of us declaring bankruptcy?" Boom! Not me. Boom! I'm voting for Ralph Nader. KAAAABOOM! Friends, we are losing our democratic control over our country. We may have already lost it. I hope not. But in the last 20 years of the Reagan administration, Corporate America has merged and morphed itself to such an extent that just a handful of companies now call all the shots. They own Congress. They own us. In order to work for them, we have to take urine tests and lie detectors and wear bar codes on chains around our necks. In order to keep our jobs we have had to give up decent health care, the 8-hour day (and time with our kids), the security that we'll even have a job next year, and any unwillingness we may have to compete with a 14-year old Indonesian girl who gets a dollar a day. And how frightening (and great) is it that the last place we can freely try to inform and communicate with each other is on this very Web? Six companies run by six men control the majority of the news we now get from newspapers, television, radio and the Internet. One out of every two books is bought at a bookstore owned by one of only two companies. Is it safe in a "free society" to have the sources of our information and mass communication in the hands of just a few wealthy men who have a VESTED interest in keeping us as stupid as possible - or at least in keeping us thinking like them so that we vote for THEIR candidates? I fear the cement on this new oligarchy of power is quickly drying, and when it is finished hardening, we are finished. The democracy, the one that's supposed to be of, by, and for the people, will cease to exist. We must not let this happen, no matter how cynical and disgusted we've become at the whole electoral process. Ralph Nader, to me, represents a chance for us to at least temporarily stop the cement from drying. We need him in there kicking things up, stirring the pot and forcing a real debate about the issues. Whether it's Ralph as Candidate or Ralph as President, he may represent our last hope to get our country back from the clutches of the powerful few. I am not writing these words lightly. I am hoping to sound a siren and rally the majority who, for good reason, have given up - but might just have it in them to find the will for one last fight against the bastards. Can Ralph win? Well, stranger things have happened in the past decade. C'mon, think about it, not a single one of us ever thought we'd see the Berlin Wall come down or Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa. After those two things happened, I joined a new school of thought that said ANYTHING was possible. Jesse Ventura started with 3% in the polls and won. Ross Perot in '92 started with 6% and, after proving to everyone that he was certifiably insane, still got nearly 20% of the vote. Ralph already has between 7% and 10% in the polls - before he's done any serious campaigning. He's gone from 3% to 8% in my home state of Michigan. These are amazing numbers and the pundits and lobbyists and Republicrats are running scared. Hey, you like to watch scared Republicrats running? Tell a pollster you're voting for Ralph. Now, look, before you all send me a lot of mail about how weird Ralph is 'cause he doesn't own a car or is a "sell-out" 'cause he's got a few million dollars, let me say this: I used to work out of his office, and Ralph is definitely one of a kind. In a future letter I will write of those experiences but, for now, let's just agree that Ralph is at least half as crazy as Jesse Ventura - and about a hundred times as smart. I'd say he's also saved about a million or so lives, thanks to the consumer and environmental legislation he has devoted his life to. And between Gore, Bush, and himself, he's the only person running who would guarantee universal health care for all, the only candidate who would raise the minimum wage to a decent level, the only one who would get up each morning asking himself the question, "What can I do today to serve all the people of this country?" The list goes on and on. You can read more about what Ralph stands for by going to his website (http://www.votenader.org). You'll agree, I'm sure, there's lots of common sense there, regardless of what political stripe you are. But remember. If you are even THINKING of voting for Al Gore, vote for Al Gore. Ralph Nader does not need a single Gore vote. There are a hundred million of us out there who are uncommitted and currently not voting. Right now, Gore and Bush are each hoping to win by getting only 40 million votes. If you are in the Non-Voting majority and want to let 'em all have it, if you want to get our country back in our hands...well, if even half of you show up and vote November 7 then you won't be held responsible for Bush winning the White House. In fact, you won't be held responsible for putting Gore in the White House, either. Rather, you will have made history by putting a true American hero at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And you will have given every company, every boss who's done ya wrong, the worst nightmare of their lives. November 7. Payback Time. The revenge of the Non-Voters! So sayeth their unappointed leader, yours truly, Michael Moore mmflint@aol.com http://www.theawfultruth.com http://www.michaelmoore.com PS. Come to think of it, Democrats should be on their knees thanking Ralph for running. Rather than taking votes from Gore, Ralph's going to be the one responsible for turning the House back over to the Democrats. When millions of these Non-Voters enter that booth to vote for Ralph, and they come across their local race for Congress, they will find no Green Party candidate in most of the 435 Congressional districts. So who do you think Ralph's army of Non-Voters will plunk down for Congress? The Republican? I don't think so. The Democrats are only six seats short of regaining control of the House. Ralph Nader will be the reason the Democrats get the House back for the first time since Newt's Contract on America in 1994. Democrats should send their checks to Nader 2000, P.O. Box 18002, Washington, DC 20035. (Or, better yet, let's try to elect enough Greens to Congress -- a dozen or so -- and they'll hold the deciding votes because neither the Democrats nor the Republicans will have the majority. It'll be a friggin' Knesset!) PPS. If you're still worried this letter might convince a weak-kneed Gore voter to flip over to Nader - and thus lead to President George W. stacking the Supreme Court to make abortion illegal, well, it's all a bunch of hooey. Please read my latest grassroots.com column entitled, "I Ain't Fallin for That One Again" at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/aint.html PLEASE PASS THIS LETTER ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRINT ANYWHERE.

I think I will dig a hole and pull it in on me after I hide inside. There is also a remote cave in Spain with a warm and loving person awaiting my arrival. I think anything would be better than having to choose amongst the current candidates!

From: Trebby@my-deja.com (Trebor) Subject: Bush Launches Another 'October Surprise' Date: 27 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: References: X-Complaints-To: abuse@earthlink.net X-Trace: newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net 970088148 209.179.40.33 (Wed, 27 Sep 2000 13:55:48 PDT) Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 13:55:48 PDT Newsgroups: alt.politics.usa.republican,alt.politics.bush,talk.politics.misc,alt.fan.rus h-limbaugh,alt.conspiracy,alt.current- events.clinton.whitewater,alt.society.liberalism The facts: 1) Bush Sr. is a former CIA chief who knows the ins and outs of a succesful covert operation. 2) Both Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. have extensive ties to the oil industry. Bush Jr.has raised 15 times more money from oil and gas interests than Vice President Al Gore; he has personal ties to the oil industry and middle-east oil producers, his biggest lifetime patrons are employees of the Enron Oil Company, and at least 25 of his top fund-raisers, the Pioneers, are connected to the oil business. 3) Bush Jr. unexpectedly picks Dick Cheney as his VP candidate, yet another top'level oil tycoon with worldwide ties to oil producers. 3) Bush Sr. has already been traced to another election year 'October Surprise' in 1980, when he negotiated with the Iranians in Paris to keep the hostages until after Reagan was elected. 4) Bush SR. knows it will be next to impossible to get his son elected in such a strong economy. 5) Bush Sr also knows it was a recession that booted him out of the White House in '92. 6) Bush knows that about the only thing that could spark a recession at this point are high oil and gas prices, which would help spark the stock market downturn and recession they sorely need, not to mention consumer outrage at high prices. 7) OPEC ultimately controls oil prices 8) The Kuwaitis love George Bush Sr. for saving their butts from Saddam. 9) The Kuwaitis would do anything for Bush Sr. 10) Bush Sr and Dick Cehney meet with the Kuwait leaders on a supposed 'good-will' mission. 11) The Kuwaitis become the primary instigators in OPEC to cut back on oil production and raise prices which led to current prices. 12) The price of oil goes up from about $11 a barrel to over $34. The economy begins slowing, and new polls show consumer confidence is shaken. 12) Using high oil prices as a cover, the oil companies also initiate a program of gas price gouging centered primarily in the midwest, the most critical election-year battleground. 13) Bush and the Republicans would do absolutely ANYTHING to regain the presidency. You do the math. I can think of a dozen ways that Bush and the Republicans could have set this thing up. They have the motive, the means, and the opportunity. All that's missing at this point is the smoking gun. After all, we're not talking about the boy scouts here - we're talking about the same sort of thugs who set-up the president in the Paula Jones case. We're talking about the same guy who slandered John McCain's wife and daughter in order to win the Republican primary. When is America going to wake up and realize that we don't have a two party system anymore? We have one party, and a group of political gangsters calling themselves the Republicans. cheers, Trebor

Wednesday, October 18, as previously announced, Ralph Nader, consumer crusader and Green Party candidate for President, will be speaking at the Tony Burger Center, between West Gate and Brodie off of 290 West, south of Austin. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the event starts at 7:00 pm. Jim Hightower and a musical act will open for Nader. Tickets are available at the Nader 2000 Office, (512) 472-6074 2932 East 12th from 11:00 am-8:00 pm or at www.votenader.org by credit card. They cost $10,.

and what is very droll is that there will be seven podiums on stage, and one will be vacant unless bush participants, or at least it will be more vacant if he doesnt attend. " Subject: Nader & Gore to Debate, along with other 3rd party candidates Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 08:39:40 -0600 On Friday, October 20, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, Judicial Watch will host a nationally televised presidential debate featuring six of the seven qualified presidential candidates. John Hagelin, Al Gore, Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, Harry Browne, and Howard Phillips have all accepted --only George W. Bush has declined. C-SPAN has committed to televising the debate, and Fox TV and American Voice Radio are considering coverage. The debate will be moderated by a highly respected journalist, and the panel will be composed of other journalists from well-known national newspapers--both liberal and conservative. Seven lecterns will be set up on stage--no matter who attends the debate. Each candidate will give an opening and closing statement and will be asked questions by the panel in rotating order. The questions, while not set in advance, will reflect Judicial Watch concerns about ethics in politics--bribery laws, corporate control of government, independent counsel issues, etc. About 600 people have been invited to the debate and to a reception immediately following, including over 30 Ambassadors and their seconds-in-command, as well as the entire Washington press corps. We urge everyone to watch this debate, which certainly promises to be the most interesting and representative presidential debate of the season. As always, please check your local listings for up-to-the-minute scheduling; TV and radio news stations reserve the right to make last-minute changes. This is the gpty-rn-m@greens.org mailing list.

THE AL GORE STORY Good afternoon all. I'm Al Gore, and I'd like to tell you a little about myself. I know a lot about hardship, because I came into this world as a poor black child in a tiny town in the backwoods of Tennessee. I was born in a log cabin that I built with my own hands. I taught myself to read by candlelight and helped support my 16 brothers and sisters by working summers as a deck hand on a Mississippi River steamboat. Frequently we would stop the ship and I would cut and split five cords of wood for fuel overnight for the steam engines. My mother taught me the value of education, so every day, I would walk 5 miles to a one-room schoolhouse. I was a mischievous, fun loving scamp, though I never dreamed that one day, my youthful escapades would serve as the inspiration for "Huckleberry Finn." Back then, we Jewish black folks in the south were second-class citizens. One day, a traveling minister came through town, and I asked him if anyone was ever going to do something to guarantee civil rights for all Americans. Well, I guess I made an impression. You see, the minister's name was Martin Luther King, Jr. My father was a United States Senator. He once perched me on his knee and said, "Son, if you work hard and listen to your mama, someday you can live in a hotel in Washington, D.C., and go to an exclusive prep school." As a young Hindu boy, these were very valuable lessons. But life of privilege was not for me. Being Chinese, after getting my high school diploma, I took a job in a hot, dirty textile mill. I was so appalled at the treatment of the workers there that I organized a union. Later, that experience inspired a movie - which is why, to this day, my close friends at the AFL-CIO call me "Norma Rae." When word got out what an 18 year old factory worker had done, Harvard University called and offered me a scholarship. I captained the hockey team to four consecutive national championships, but I also played football and was good enough to win the Heisman Trophy. During my college years, I lived in a housing project and moonlighted writing songs and playing lead guitar for a little rock band. You may have heard of us - The Rolling Stones. I'm the one with the lips. But there was a war going on, and I felt I had to serve my country. So I enlisted in the U. S. Army and went to Vietnam. I was deeply opposed to the war, but I did my duty as a soldier and came back home with the Medal of Honor and the Croix de Guerre. My battlefield expertise is current requisite reading material for Officers Candidates to this very day. My being a wounded female officer serving in disguise as a journalist was a full time project, but my military knowledge helped save tens of thousands of lives. Many cities in Southeast Asia are named after me to this very day. Statues of me are still commonplace in many official Government buildings in Viet Nam. When I got back, I took a long journey across this great land of ours. I've crossed the deserts bare, man, I've breathed the mountain air, man, I've traveled, I've done my share, man, I've been everywhere. I've hunted all the dangerous species of big game in five continents using only a handmade spear or my handmade lasersighted compound bow. And the people I met at truckstops and campgrounds and homeless shelters on that journey all said the same thing: "Al, we need you in Washington." I knew they were right, but first I had to take care of some other business---building the World Trade Center, finding a low cost, more reliable nuclear weapon trigger design, founding the Audubon Society, doing the clinical research that proved smoking caused cancer, and coming up with the recipe for Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies. I was, in fact, the third (still silent) partner of Ben & Jerry with over half of the flavors personally developed by Tipper and me in our own kitchen. My extensive knowledge of Arctic Sea life keeps me busy in the research laboratory, but those endangered species need love too! Translating the dead sea scrolls is one of my favorite hobbies, and my current volume is in print in over 73 languages and is being studied in Seminaries worldwide. Being Indian, both Native American and the Mid East kind, this is valuable experience for me. Have towel and Tee Pee, will travel. Finally, I deferred to the demands of the people of Tennessee and allowed them to elect me to the House of Representatives and the Senate. And then one winter day nearly nine years ago, for no particular reason, I answered the call of the people once again and took the oath of office as Vice President of the United States. I also invented the Internet. Since then, I've been part of the most successful administration in American history. My friend, Bill Gates has asked me many times why I gave him the ideas of software development and asked for no money. Gosh, it just wouldn't be right! Many times President Bill Clinton has been pondering some grave decision and has asked me what to do. And when I would give him my thoughts, he would invariable say, "Of course. That's brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?" During the darkest days of the impeachment battles, the President told me he only wished he had listened when I told him to stay away form that dark-haired intern with the big hooters. So after I decided to run for president, I sat down with him and asked if he had any suggestions about how to conduct my campaign. And Bill Clinton gave me a few simple words of advice-words I'll never forget. He looked me in the eye and he said, "Al, just tell the truth, it's always worked well for me." Thanks, I'm Al Gore and I want to be your next President. You can trust and believe me.

In case you missed it... Presidential Debate Transcript Jim Lehrer: Welcome to the second presidential debate between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush. The candidates have agreed on these rules: I will ask a question. The candidate will ignore the question and deliver rehearsed remarks designed to appeal to undecided women voters. The opponent will then have one minute to respond by trying to frighten senior citizens into voting for him. When a speaker's time has expired, I will whimper softly while he continues to spew incomprehensible statistics for three more minutes. Let's start with the vice president. Mr. Gore, can you give us the name of a downtrodden citizen and then tell us his or her story in a way that strains the bounds of common sense? Gore: As I was saying to Tipper last night after we tenderly made love the way we have so often during the 30 years of our rock-solid marriage, the downtrodden have a clear choice in this election. My opponent wants to cut taxes for the richest 1 percent of Americans. I, on the other hand, want to put the richest 1 percent in an iron clad lockbox so they can't hurt old people like Roberta Frampinhamper, who is here tonight. Mrs. Frampinhamper has been selling her internal organs, one by one, to pay for gas so that she can travel to these debates and personify problems for me. Also, her poodle has arthritis. Lehrer: Gov. Bush, your rebuttal. Bush: Governors are on the front lines every day, hugging people, crying with them, relieving suffering anywhere a photo opportunity exists. I want to empower those crying people to make their own decisions, unlike my opponent, whose mother is not Barbara Bush. Lehrer: Let's turn to foreign affairs. Gov. Bush, if Slobodan Milosevic were to launch a bid to return to power in Yugoslavia, would you be able to pronounce his name? Bush: The current administration had eight years to deal with that guy and didn't get it done. If I'm elected, the first thing I would do about that guy is have Dick Cheney confer with our allies. And then Dick would present me several options for dealing with that guy. And then Dick would tell me which one to choose. You know, as governor of Texas, I have to make tough foreign policy decisions every day about how we're going to deal with New Mexico. Lehrer: Mr. Gore, your rebuttal. Gore: Foreign policy is something I've always been keenly interested in. I served my country in Vietnam. I had an uncle who was a victim of poison gas in World War I. I myself lost a leg in the Franco-Prussian War. And when that war was over, I came home and tenderly made love to Tipper in a way that any undecided woman voter would find romantic. If I'm entrusted with the office of president, I pledge to deal knowledgeably with any threat, foreign or domestic, by putting it in an iron clad lockbox. Because the American people deserve a president who can comfort them with simple metaphors. Lehrer: Vice President Gore, how would you reform the Social Security system? Gore: It's a vital issue, Jim. That's why Joe Lieberman and I have proposed changing the laws of mathematics to allow us to give $50,000 to every senior citizen without having it cost the federal treasury a single penny until the year 2250. In addition, my budget commits $60 trillion over the next 10 years to guarantee that all senior citizens can have drugs delivered free to their homes every Monday by a federal employee who will also help them with the child-proof cap. Lehrer: Gov. Bush? Bush: That's fuzzy math. I know, because as governor of Texas, I have to do math every day. I have to add up the numbers and decide whether I'm going to fill potholes out on Rt. 36 east of Abilene or commit funds to reroof the sheep barn at the Texas state fairgrounds. Lehrer: It's time for closing statements. Gore: I'm my own man. I may not be the most exciting politician, but I will fight for the working families of America, in addition to turning the White House into a lusty pit of marital love for Tipper and me. Bush: It's time to put aside the partisanship of the past by electing no one but Republicans. Lehrer: Thank you and good night.

Today's the day, and it's still tight, tight, tight. The Capital grounds and Congress Avenue will be packed tonight.

LOL....Terry...We can tell Spring originates from Austin, Texas!!

10 matters that should be beyond dispute November 13, 2000 BY ROGER EBERT Ten things that should be obvious about the current situation: 1. There is no occasion for either side to concede (or claim victory) until Nov. 17, because until the overseas and absentee ballots are counted, a winner cannot be certified in Florida. 2. In the meantime, the hand count should proceed. The count of the first 1 percent of the Palm Beach County ballots suggested that a full recount could tilt the election. To know that much, and stop now, and never know for sure, would be intolerable. Florida law provides the right to request a manual recount. 3. Bush's stand against hand counts is further weakened by Saturday's Associated Press report that the governor signed Texas legislation three years ago that preferred manual recounts to electronic machine recounts. 4. The now-legendary "little old ladies" who say they voted mistakenly for Buchanan have been backed up by a mathematician who calculated for CNN that the odds against the Buchanan anomaly in Palm Beach County are "a trillion to one." It is unseemly for Baker's staffers to continue their flapdoodle that the Reform Party has turned Palm Beach County into a stronghold. They should be honest and say what they really think, that the Gore voters made stupid mistakes--and so, tough luck. 5. Yes, the same bad ballot caused problems four years ago. Therefore, it should have been fixed at the time. Since it was not, redress is now due, when the bad ballot may actually subvert the outcome of a presidential election. The Bush-Baker position is like saying, "Firestone tires killed people four years ago and there was no outcry then, so why are you complaining this year?" 6. If Bush has indeed won, as Baker asserts, then that fact will be revealed in an orderly manner, and need not be asserted prematurely. By going through the motions of picking a cabinet and forming a government, Bush seems hasty and greedy. With less than 300 votes now separating the candidates, with Gore the winner of the popular vote, with the hand recount indicating still more changes, with thousands of absentee ballots still on the way, Bush looks like the kid who grabbed his football and ran home when it looked as if the other team might win. 7. What if Gore conceded? Should Bush even want to take office under that circumstance? His "victory" would always have an asterisk next to it, like Roger Maris' home run record. Bush would be president, but without a popular majority, with grave doubts about Florida, and with the cries of those little old ladies ringing in his ears. 8. There is pressure in some quarters for a "speedy resolution." R.W. Apple of the New York Times wrote a front-page piece Sunday saying the matter MUST be decided by the coming weekend. To rush to a conclusion would forever leave a cloud over the election. Weekend polls show that the public is wiser than the pundits, and would rather settle the election clearly than to hurry because of artificial deadlines. 9. By claiming victory while the process is still under way, Bush gives the appearance of wanting to frustrate what may be the will of the voters. By filing a lawsuit to stop a legal recount provided for in Florida law, Bush and Baker do not look like statesmen, but usurpers. They want to win in court when they are not sure they won at the ballot box. 10. Those who call for a Gore concession say it would be "for the good of the nation." What will be good for the nation is if the legal winner of the presidential election is sworn in as president. (thought this was excellently done... and as an aside, george jr. really is a weiner)

(Did you intend to put mustard on him or decant the whine into a goblet?) Good points, Nick! Thanks.

Wow, Nick is back! Great to hear from you, hope you stick around to talk some post election politics. I agree with all of Eberts points, I guess this movie reviewer is foraying into politics now. Today's flap is over pregnant and bulging chads, those little pieces of paper that you punch out of the ballot. Yesterday's Court decision to give the Republican leaning Election Commissioner lady "discretion" leaves an opening for both sides. This election is still very much alive.

i'm here every now and again... usually don't have much or anything to say, or in a hurry... but this situation... is unique, to say the least... this whole thing is surreal... every aspect... and i still haven't totally reconciled myself to it's most ridiculous aspect... that a draft-avoiding coke-snorting cheerleading half-witted... son-of-a-bush... represents himself to the nation as a texan... and is accepted, as such... and... even more inexplicably... is accepted by TEXANS, as being such... (sigh) HOW IN THE HELL CAN THIS BE???

I posed the question how he managed to be elected Governor of Texas if all Texans loathe him. No answer as yet... Welcome to the Third World Country, The USA...

This Florida saga changes faster than you can blink. First Gore is on the news at prime time, then Bush races in from his country retreat to retort in prime time. And in between this the Florida Sec of State tries to put the brakes on teh recount. And today Microsoft's ace lawyer is in defending the Democrats. This is all happening very fast and it's still a Presidency up for grabs.

Which is the best team in Florida? Florida Florida St. Miami Ballot is too confusing Pat Buchanan (thanks Barbara!) What happened to the vote I cast??!!

21 Rules For Being A Good Republican: 1) You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but that yesterday's gas prices are all Clinton's fault. 2) You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own. 3) You have to be against government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time. 4) You have to believe that government should stay out of people's lives, yet you want government to regulate only opposite-gender marriages and what your official language should be. 5) You have to believe that pollution is okay, so long as it makes a profit. 6) You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha. 7) You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins. 8) You have to believe that a woman cannot be trusted with decisions about her own body, but that large multi-national corporations should have no regulation or interference whatsoever. 9) You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred of AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton. 10) You have to believe that society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes. 11) You have to believe that it was wise to allow Ken Starr to spend $50 million dollars to attack Clinton because no other U.S. presidents have ever been unfaithful to their wives. 12) You have to believe that a waiting period for purchasing a handgun is bad because quick access to a new firearm is an important concern for all Americans. 13) You have to believe it is wise to keep condoms out of schools, because we all know if teenagers don't have condoms they won't have sex. 14) You have to believe that the ACLU is bad because they defend the Constitution, while the NRA is good because they defend the Constitution. 15) You have to believe that socialism hasn't worked anywhere, and that Europe doesn't exist. 16) You have to believe the AIDS virus is not important enough to deserve federal funding proportionate to the resulting death rate and that the public doesn't need to be educated about it, because if we just ignore it, it will go away. 17) You have to believe that biology teachers are corrupting the morals of 6th graders if they teach them the basics of human sexuality, but the Bible, which is full of sex and violence, is good reading. 18) You have to believe that Chinese communist missiles have killed more Americans than handguns, alcohol, and tobacco. 19) You have to believe that even though governments have supported the arts for 5000 years and that most of the great works of Renaissance art were paid for by governments, our government should shun any such support. After all, the rich can afford to buy their own and the poor don't need any. 20) You have to believe that the lumber from the last one percent of old growth U.S. forests is well worth the destruction of those forests and the extinction of the several species of plants and animals therein. 21) You have to believe that we should forgive and pray for Newt Gingrich, Henry Hyde, and Bob Livingston for their marital infidelities, but that that bastard Clinton should be impeached. (The above does not necessarily reflect the opinion of th lady doing the posting)

Quotes about elections by Joseph Stalin: "It doesn't matter who the people voted for; they always vote for us". It_s not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes. "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything."

Here's the most important news development of the Florida election so far and it's being overlooked by the media so far. "With 428 of Broward County's 609 precincts manually counted by tonight, Mr. Gore had a net gain of 108 votes over the official tallies sent to the secretary of state on Tuesday. In Palm Beach County, workers have completed 31 of the 531 precincts and have come up with a net gain of 12 votes for Mr. Bush." http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/20/politics/20COUN.html The votes just may not be there. Meanwhile, Alan Dershowitz may win his case and the election may be voided after all. So look for a revote around December 5th. The Bush camp tactic of stalling the recounts may backfire on them and give these other court efforts some momentum, at least some time to get off the ground. And the basis of this is the "Beckstrom test" from Florida legal statutes, quote: [T]he real parties in interest here, not in the legal sense but in realistic terms, are the voters. They are possessed of the ultimate interest and it is they whom we must give primary consideration. The contestants have direct interests certainly, but the office they seek is one of high public service and utmost importance to the people, thus subordinating their interests to that of the people. Ours is a government of, by and for the people. Our federal and state institutions guarantee the right of the people to take an active part in the process of that government, which for most of our citizens means participation via the election process. The right to vote is the right to participate; it is also the right to speak, but more importantly the right to be heard. We must tread carefully on that right or we risk the unnecessary and unjustified muting of the public voice. By refusing to recognize an otherwise valid exercise of the right of a citizen to vote for the sake of sacred, unyielding adherence to statutory scripture, we would in effect nullify that right.

..stay tuned... how embarrassing. How appalling... How American!!! The lawyers are hogging the cameras and our votes mean nothing. I am so disgusted!!!

*our votes* Marcia? Did you vote in Florida? Now, I understand the problem. ;-D

I'm here, I'm there I'm everywhere... but I only voted in Hawaii where my vote doesnot count anyway...*SIGH*

I voted in FL and voted correctly. The right to vote is the right to participate; it is also the right to speak, but more importantly the right to be heard. We must tread carefully on that right or we risk the unnecessary and unjustified muting of the public voice. By refusing to recognize an otherwise valid exercise of the right of a citizen to vote for the sake of sacred, unyielding adherence to statutory scripture, we would in effect nullify that right. So many rights have obviously defeated the left. ;-)

Right does not always mean might and vice versa - too bad they had to use the word for such diverse meanings...!

Before we hear more from across the pond about our stupid politicians... Britain Says Soldier Murderers Can Stay in Army BELFAST (Reuters) - Britain on Friday allowed two convicted army murderers to stay in uniform and sparked uproar among the victim's family and Northern Irish nationalists. Acknowledging the sensitivity of the move, Britain said the soldiers would not be sent back to serve in the volatile province. They were released early in 1998 after serving three years of life sentences for killing Peter McBride, an 18-year-old unarmed Roman Catholic. "The army has today informed Guardsmen James Fisher and Mark Wright that they are to be retained in the army," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Sinn Fein, the political ally of the IRA guerrilla group, branded the decision to allow them to stay in the army as "a slap in the face not only for the McBride family but also for the nationalist people as a whole." The victim's mother Jean, who has waged a campaign to have them dismissed from the army, said in a statement that she was "completely devastated." "We will fight on until these two murderers are kicked out... (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair should be ashamed of himself," Jean McBride said in a statement issued through the Pat Finucane Centre, a Northern Irish human rights lobby group. The defense ministry said the decision allowing them to resume their careers was taken by a "newly-constituted army board" -- an adjudication panel. It was created after a Northern Ireland judge, who was petitioned by the McBride family, quashed an earlier decision by the military to let them stay in the army.

Whilst I've no intention of getting into a lengthy discussion on the subject of Ireland, I would suggest that you go and read something about the situation there. The above extract is pathetic propoganda, extolled by those who either sympathise with terrorists or have not even a basic grasp of Anglo-Irish politics. Sad.

Salon.com hit it on the head about Gore's speech last night. "But Gore is completely overmatched by his opponents. His condescending, sing-song delivery of a bland speech Monday night was so inadequate to the gravity of the moment it was almost insulting. He lacks President Clinton's ability to connect deeply with his audience and remind them what's at stake. He's said to want the presidency desperately, but no yearning came through, and no outrage either, when his electoral predicament truly is outrageous. " America is getting what it asked for, a seriously deadlocked election and no clear leader is emerging. Bush is even worse the way he's wedded to his teleprompter. If Gore would only wake up and be himself.

Salon.com hit it on the head about this: Bush is even worse the way he's wedded to his teleprompter. and this: If Gore would only wake up and be himself. Too bad, people are hung up on style vs. substance.

The Salon piece is good, very good, read it if you get a chance: http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/28/gore/print.html

And, from the same piece, ther's this comment: This Groundhog Day interregnum has been tough on the country but instructive, even entertaining. We've learned so much about the men who would be our president. Bush is a sore maybe-winner who breaks out in boils from stress, sulks in private about losing the popular vote and blames his brother Jeb for making a mess of Florida. In a pinch, he turns to Daddy's fixers, Dick Cheney and James Baker and other retreads, who look none the better for the passage of time since the first Bush presidency.

This buried story may be the trump card for Al Gore (from CNN): � Despite Republican challenges, a lawsuit over disputed absentee ballots in Seminole County is still on track for trial Monday in circuit court In Tallahassee. The suit from a Democratic activist seeks to have 15,000 absentee ballots thrown out, alleging Republican Party workers tampered with absentee ballot applications. The loss of those ballots would cost Bush nearly 5,000 votes. Republicans say no laws were broken.

Michael Moore has some interesting ideas: Delivered-To: michaelmoore-l-outgoing@cloud9.net Delivered-To: michaelmoore-l@cloud9.net Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 15:05:22 -0500 Subject: [Mike's Message] A Christmas Appeal to President Clinton -- A Message from Michael Moore From: "Mike's Message" To: Sender: owner-michaelmoore-l@cloud9.net Reply-To: mikemail@cloud9.net Status: December 21, 2000 Dear President Clinton: Today, you begin your last month in office. There are many things my Friends and I wish you could have accomplished in these last eight years. I'm sure you feel the same way. There are a few things, though, you could do in the next 30 days that Would bring freedom to just three people. I am asking you to be a hero to three individuals who continue to experience a profound injustice. You, as President, can correct the suffering they have had to endure. In the Spirit of the season, I am hoping you will consider my appeal... 1. Pardon Leonard Peltier. Mr. Peltier, a leader of the American Indian Movement, has been in prison for over two decades. Amnesty International and every other human rights organization in the world considers him to be a political prisoner. The evidence is clear he did not commit the crime he is in prison for (the killing of a federal agent during an uprising at the Wounded Knee reservation... see http://www.freepeltier.org/). Native Americans have barely survived the genocide that white Americans began over 400 years ago. That we would imprison just one innocent Native American is not only abhorrent, it is a continuation of that genocide. This man was punished for his political beliefs. He has suffered enough. Sign the pardon today. 2. Pardon Howard Mechanic. Howard, like yourself, was an anti-war protester at Washington U in St. Louis. His crime: he threw a cherry bomb. No one was harmed, no property was damaged, but Howard was given a five year sentence. After loosing the appeal, he ran. For the past 30 years, he lived a quiet life in Arizona, raised a family, did charity work, and fought for the underdog. Until he was caught. Now he is in prison. He never committed a crime. The New York Times magazine ran an incredible story on him earlier this year. Not only is this man no threat, he is an asset to our society, actively involved in his community. (See http://www.howardmechanic.org/) The Vietnam War is over. Why are we still fighting it by persecuting People like Howard Mechanic? This could have been you, Mr. President when you were at an anti-war rally. Release him from prison immediately. 3. Tell Peru to Return Lori Berenson. Lori has been in a Peruvian prison for over 5 years. They accused her of conspiring to help a rebel group there. She was in Peru working as a freelance journalist . She never got a real trial (see http://www.freelori.org/). This could be your daughter, Mr. President -- a young, idealistic girl, traveling to a foreign country to shed light on the way people are treated, and because she was seen talking to or hanging out with the wrong people, she is imprisoned for life! In fact, this could have been YOU, Mr. Clinton. What if during your college travels to the U.K. or the Soviet Union you were seen chumming with IRA people or Soviet dissidents? What if the secret police just whisked you away without a trial? This is an outrage. I know you have asked the Peruvian officials about Her well-being, but enough is enough. They now claim they will give her a new "trial." No way. NO more Peruvian "justice" for one of our young citizens. Demand that they return her now or Peru will face harsh sanctions from the United States. All you really need to do is just pick up the phone and make a call. You don't even have to tell us what you say to them. Just do it. Now, that's not a lot to ask of you, is it? Three of our fellow humans languishing unjustly in prison. There are many, many more. I suppose if you really wanted to go down in the history books, you could reduce everyone's federal sentence on death row to life imprisonment. Better yet, you could issue orders to stop arresting our black and Hispanic citizens at such a disproportional rate in your "War on Drugs." THAT would be an act of courage. I ask all who read this to join me in this appeal. Write to President Clinton at: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov Phone: 202-456-1414 Fax: 202-456-2461 And just for fun, just to make a final point about the sacredness of everyone's vote, you could make Al Gore -- not George W. Bush -- the 43rd president of the United States! That's right, you can make the will of the people a reality. And it's legal. Just resign a couple days early. Al, according to the Constitution, automatically becomes president. As I have said for years, it matters little which one of you Republicrats is in the Oval Office, so what the heck! Actually, the one thing we will miss about you is your sense of humor. Give us all a good laugh and force Baby Bush into having to succeed Al Gore. Make him have to physically take the legitimate reigns of power from the actual winner of the election into his illegitimate hands! And -- think of how much the Republicans and the Inauguration Committee will have to spend changing all the pre-printed banners and napkins that say "George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States of America." It'll drive them crazy. Yours, Michael Moore mmflint@aol.com www.michaelmoore.com

And, it is my right as an Americal Citizen to be repelled by his rude comments.

Corporate Democracy; Civic Disrespect John K. Galbraith With the events of late in the year 2000, the United States left behind constitutional republicanism, and turned to a different form of government. It is not, however, a new form. It is, rather, a transplant, highly familiar from a different arena of advanced capitalism. This is corporate democracy. It is a system whereby a Board of Directors-- read Supreme Court -- selects the Chief Executive Officer. The CEO in turn appoints new members of the Board. The shareholders, owners in title only, are invited to cast their votes in periodic referenda. But their franchise is only symbolic, for management holds a majority of the proxies. On no important issue do the CEO and the Board ever permit themselves to lose. The Supreme Court clarified this in a way that the Florida courts could not have. The media have accepted it, for it is the form of government to which they are already professionally accustomed. And the shameless attitude of the George W. Bush high command merely illustrates, in unusually visible fashion, the prevalent ethical system of corporate life. Al Gore's concession speech was justly praised for grace and humor. It paid due deference to the triumph of corporate political ethics, but did>not embrace them. It thus preserved Gore for another political day -- the obvious intention. But Gore also sent an unmistakable message to American democrats: Do not forget. It was an important warning, for almost immediately forgetting became the media order of the day. Overnight, it became almost un-American not to accept the diktat of the Court. Or to be precise, Gore's own distinction became holy writ: One might disagree with the Court, but not with the legitimacy of its decision. Press references from that moment forward were to President-elect Bush, an unofficial title and something that the Governor from Texas (President-select? President-designate?) manifestly is not. The key to dealing with the Bush people, however, is precisely not to accept them. Like most Americans, I have nothing personal against Bush, Dick Cheney, nor against Colin Powell and the others now surfacing as members of the new administration. But I will not reconcile myself to them. They lost the election. Then they arranged to obstruct the count of the vote. They don't deserve to be there, and that changes everything. They have earned our civic disrespect, and that is what we, the people, should accord them. In social terms, civic disrespect means that the illegitimacy of this administration must not be allowed to fade from view. The conventions of politics remain: Bush will be president; Congress must work with him. But those of us outside that process are not bound by those conventions, and to the extent that we have a voice, we should use it. In political practice, civic disrespect means drawing lines around the freedom of maneuver of the incoming administration. In many areas,>including foreign policy, there will be few major changes; in others such as annual budgets and appropriations, compromises will have to be reached. But Bush should be opposed on actions whose reach will extend beyond his actual term. First, the new president should be allowed lifetime appointments only by consensus. The public should oppose -- and 50 Senate Democrats should freely block -- judicial nominations whenever they carry even the slightest ideological taint. That may mean most of them, but no matter. And as for the Supreme Court especially, vacancies need not be filled. Second, the Democrats should advise Bush not to introduce any legislation to cut or privatize any part of Social Security or Medicare. Third, Democrats should furiously oppose elimination of the estate tax a social incentive for recycling wealth to the non-profit sector, to foundations and universities, that has had a uniquely powerful effect on the form of American society. Once gone, this ingenious device will never be reenacted. Fourth, the people must unite to oppose the global dangers of National Missile Defense -- a strategic nightmare on which Bush campaigned -- that threatens for all time the security of us all. Fifth, Congress should enact a New Voting Rights Act, targeted precisely at the Florida abuses. This should stipulate: mandatory adoption of best-practice technology in all federal elections; a 24-hour voting day; a ban on private contractors to aid in purging voter rolls; and mandatory immediate hand count of all under-votes in federal elections. With those steps taken, Democrats must also recognize and adapt to the new political landscape that emerged from this election. Outside of Florida, Democrats are finished in the South. But they have excellent prospects of consolidating a narrow majority of the Electoral College -- so long as, in the next election, there is no Ralph Nader defection. What can prevent such a thing? Only a move away from the main Clinton compromises that so infuriated the progressive left. Nader's voters were motivated passionately by issues like the drug war, the death penalty, consumer protection and national missile defense -- issues where New Democrats took Republican positions in their effort to woo the South. Clinton the Southerner succeeded at this -- but against Republicans who were only weakly "Southern" at best. Gore, on the other hand, was principally a Northern candidate, strongly backed by the core Democrats, who ran against, and defeated so far as ballots were concerned, a wholly Southern Republican. Future Republicans almost surely also be "Southern,"; for that is where the base of the party now lies. And future Democrats, if they are Northern candidates too, can beat them -- all the more so if they bring the Greens back into the Democratic fold. In short, Al Gore's campaign proved that there is an electoral majority in the United States for a government that is truly a progressive coalition, and not merely an assemblage of sympathetic lawyers, professors and investment bankers. Rather, Americans will elect a government that firmly includes and effectively represents labor, women, minorities -- and Greens. This is the government we must seek to elect -- if we get another chance. And for that, the first task is to assure that the information ministries of our new corporate republic do not successfully cast a fog of forgetting over the crime that we have all just witnessed, with our own eyes. This article will appear in the Texas Observer. Topic 122 [pub]: John Kenneth Galbraith on the recent election #2 of 3: Pegleg (mmc) Wed Jan 3 '01 (20:12) 45 lines This is what I wrote to Larry in reply: Dear Larry, Thanks for sending that. What a pleasure to read such clear prose, and ideas that I agree with so wholeheartedly. If you'll indulge me for a moment, I'll explain why I found it particularly apropos. George W. Bush was a classmate of mine at Andover. I knew him quite well for three years. I never much liked him--as my dentist, a classmate of his at Yale, remarked once, "For George his ends, and those who didn't exist." We both fell in the latter category. For several years, I'd been maintaining a web page listing the e-mail addresses of members of Andover's 1964 class. So when the class secretary approached me a year or so ago about setting up a mailing list so classmates could send mail to the whole clas at once, I acquiesced, knowing that he had ulterior motives of wanting to mobilize the class for GWB, but figuring I could get my licks in, as well. That played out about as one would expect, with the vast majority of people on the list wildly supportive of GWB, and the few democrats in the crowd making frequent lucid points but not much noise. When George won, people on the list started planning an Andover inaugural ball--black tie, of course, with a visit from the new President. I declined to attend. Today, one of the organizers contacted me to ask if it would help if my expenses were covered--an all- expense-paid trip to Washington to meet the President for my wife and me. I declined again. Then I read JKG's article that you sent. I felt vindicated. Civic disrespect, indeed. Love, Matthew