Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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For Want of a Nail...

Friday, January 12, 2001

This week's situation regarding Linda Chavez' nomination to be a Cabinet Officer sent us to a wide variety of Internet search engines, to find the following:

March 9, 1989: The Senate [today] rejected the nomination of John Tower as defense secretary 53-47, handing President Bush a major defeat in his first high-stakes showdown with the Democratic-controlled Congress. - Donna Cassata, Associated Press

March 10, 1989: The President. Well, good afternoon. I am happy to be here this afternoon to present my nominee to be Secretary of Defense, Congressman [and House Republican Whip] Dick Cheney of Wyoming. - The White House

March 11, 1989: [Gingrich] heard about the Cheney appointment on a Saturday, and immediately got on the telephone, rounding up support for his candidacy [to replace Cheney.] -- PBS "Frontline"

March 21, 1989: Richard B. Cheney sworn in as 17th Secretary of Defense. - DoD Biography.

March 26, 1989: Gingrich defeats Illinois Congressman Ed Madigan by two votes for GOP House Whip.

August 10, 1989: The President. Ladies and gentlemen I am most pleased to introduce the man that I have selected to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin L. Powell - The White House.

January 16, 1991: Desert Storm begins at 7 pm EST (3 am 1/17/91 Iraq time) with massive air and missile attacks on targets in Iraq and Kuwait - USA Today.

February 7, 1991: President Bush's top two war advisors - Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell leave for Gulf to assess war - USA Today.

February 27, 1991: Coalition forces enter Kuwait City. President Bush declares Kuwait liberated. - Fox News

July 3, 1991: Dick Cheney awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "preserving America's defenses at a time of great change around the world." -- The Aspen Institute.

November 8, 1994: For the first time in 40 years, Republicans take control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

January 3, 1995: Newt Gingrich sworn in as Speaker of the House.

July, 2000: Governor George W. Bush announces Dick Cheney his pick to be his Vice Presidential running-mate.

December, 2000: President-Elect George W. Bush announces retired General Colin L. Powell to be his Secretary of State-designate.

If John Tower had been confirmed by the United States Senate way back in 1989, Dick Cheney would probably not be eight days away from being sworn in as the 47th Vice President of the United States.

Also, Gingrich would not have been Speaker, because the GOP would likely not have taken over the House if the Cheney nomination to the Defense post had not allowed Gingrich to leap-frog into the Republican House Leadership.

General Colin Powell, who had already been a powerful force in his own right, might well have suffered the fate of most of the Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who preceded and followed him: Anonymity. Instead he will be the nation's next Secretary of State.

But, John Tower was not confirmed in a bitter defeat for George H.W. Bush. But that vote in the Senate set in motion a series of events which will lead, in a direct line, to the events here in Your Nation's Capital next Saturday.

Speaking of which �

The number of people now - officially and unofficially - working on that inaugural, now exceeds 13 billion. All of whom, despite my clear statements to the contrary, judging from my e-mail traffic believe I can get them any ticket to any event they want.

I couldn't. I still can't. I won't be able to.

Because most of the people in the building come in before eight in the morning and leave well after nine at night, lunches and dinners are served buffet style. The floor on which I work, therefore, always smells like every grammar school lunch room in the nation.

Except for last night when they served curried chicken� [The next line, which was very, VERY funny, has been, unfortunately, excised by the Mullings Director of Standards and Practices.]
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Copyright © 2001 Richard A. Galen

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