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Mullings by Rich Galen�
A Political Cyber-Column By Rich Galen
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    Iraq and Roll

    Friday September 13, 2002

      NOTE: Here is a link to a page of MullPhotos taken at the ceremony commemorating the September 11 attacks at the Pentagon. Be warned - it has 13 photos and will take some time to load on a dial-up line.

                            Click here for an Easy Print Version

    • The President went to the United Nations and laid out the case against Iraq. The BBC's Paul Reynolds described the President's speech thus: "To the United Nations he was in effect saying 'You want me to be a multilaterist? Give me some multilateralism.'"

    • The White House released a 22-page package detailing the sixteen - SIXTEEN - United Nations resolutions which have been ignored by Iraq over the past ten years.

    • Speaker Dennis Hastert's office said yesterday a vote on a resolution regarding Iraq would occur "most likely sometime around mid-October." Inasmuch as the Congress has a target date for adjournment of October 4, this is (how to put this?) an interesting bit of scheduling.

    • The British may be better allies to President Bush than the U.S. Congress. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is planning to recall Parliament for a special session on September 24 to debate the issue.

    • Article 5 of the NATO charter contains the following:
      The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all ...

    • Article 13 says:
      After the Treaty has been in force for twenty years, any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of denunciation.

    • If our allies don't support us in the United Nations here's the Mullings Big Idea du Jour:
      MEMORANDUM
      To: The Government of the United States of America
      From: The Government of the United States of America
      Re: Denunciation of NATO Membership
      Body: Start the clock.

    • In Florida, the Democrats have, again, allowed technology to get the better of the voting system where, in spite of over $30 million being spent, Broward and Dade counties still screwed it up.

    • Democrats - especially DNC Chairman Terrance "I-Used-To-Be-Just-Plain-Terry-When-I-Was-Selling-Lincoln-Bedroom-Sleepovers" McAuliffe, immediately tried to put the blame on Governor Jeb Bush.

    • Not surprisingly Ole Ter chose to ignore several important points:
      The Bush campaign wanted Janet Reno to win the Democratic primary. Why would they allow her two best counties - Broward and Dade - to wallow in electoral inefficiency?

      AP's Senior Correspondent, Dave Espo, reported that the Florida Secretary of State had met with both the GOP and the Democratic state chairman weeks BEFORE the election and (according to the Republican chairman) warned the Democratic chair that, "You've got major problems in Broward County and you've got to figure out ways to help ... or you're going to have a disaster on your hands."

      Under Florida law, county Boards of Elections have almost total control over voting operations in their jurisdictions. The two counties in question are controlled by, of course, Democrats.

    • Here's the Mullings SECOND Big Idea du Jour:
      Print paper ballots.
      Hand out pencils.
      Have people mark their ballot.
      At the end of the day, collect the ballots.
      Count them.

    • The only really good reason for all of this technology is to be able to get results to the news media zippy-quick so they can tell us who won just seconds after the polls close.

    • I may be wrong, but this doesn't seem to be working.

    • The World is a Circle, Dept.: Rep. John Sununu (R-NH) defeated Sen. Bob Smith (R-NH) in their primary. Here's what I wrote about Senator Smith after Attorney General Janet Reno authorized the snatching of Elian Gonzales:
      The only Washington person who was seen [in Florida] was New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith who last year: Resigned from the Republican Party to run for President as an independent; Did a focus group in his living room; Found out that among his immediate family members three were undecided and one was voting for McCain, and; Limped back to the Senate with those memorable words, "Um, never mind."

      ----

    • On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to that 22-page indictment, Dave Espo's Florida story, and that page of photos from the Pentagon commemoration.

      --END --
      Copyright © 2002 Richard A. Galen

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