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 Fungible Fungi
* David Rogers’ WSJ piece on the politics of mushrooms
contained as much humor as the editors of that stately – if
not to say, staid – newspaper ever allow. The only thing
David missed was suggesting Congressmen and Senators should actually be allowed to eat
certain wild mushrooms which, if it doesn’t make the budget balance, will certainly make it seem
less important.
* New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman bowed out of the race for U.S. Senate to replace retiring
Democrat Frank Lautenberg. But don’t put the seat back in the “D” column just yet. My personal
favorite for the race is now Congressman Bob Franks who represents North Central New Jersey.
* Franks is in his fourth term having beaten back ferocious Democratic opposition; previously
managed two other successful Congressional races and, most importantly; was GOP state
chairman for three terms. Other than a sitting Governor, no one knows a state’s political nooks
and crannies like a state chairman.
* I hereby volunteer to chair the West Orange Mountain High School Alumni For Franks
Committee. Our theme song will be “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” The high school (which doesn’t
exist anymore) was located on Pleasant Valley Way (which does).
* Won’t it be ironic if the Republicans go plus-two in the Senate races in those bastions of
conservatism – New York and New Jersey?
* Hillary Rodham Clinton Rodham said she opposed the clemency Bill Rodham Clinton offered the
Puerto Rican terrorists which (a) got her in big trouble with the Puerto Rican Congressional
delegation from New York, and (b) beat the terrorists’ acceptance of the offer by about two days.
* Hillary claimed she knew nothing about the clemency offer. Here we have Bill Clinton with a
scarlet “A” – for “Apology”– tattooed on his forehead, yet they would have us believe he would
have done something with this much potential for impacting her campaign without checking with
her first?
* Former prosecutor Cynthia Alksne said on CNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, “I bet all those
people I put in jail would love to be able to simply sign a form that said ‘I promise I won’t rape
anybody any more and I won’t beat up anybody any more if you let me out.’”
* On the Presidential front, here’s a statistical oddity: In the ABC/Washington Post poll released
on Wednesday, George W leads Al Gore in the general election horse race with 56 percent of the
vote. He leads second place Elizabeth Dole in the primary election horse race with 60 percent of
the vote.
* George W is, therefore, within his own margin of error in both the primary and general elections.
* While all that political stuff is going on, the Congress returned to work last night with the
expected Presidential veto of the tax cut bill on everyone’s lips, none of which are enunciating a
next move.
* The two schools of thought in the Congress are: (1) Let the President veto the bill and make it
an election issue next year, or (2) Negotiate a smaller tax cut package and send that back to the
President.
* One of the world’s smartest people, Jim Pinkerton, pointed out that Clinton does not seem to be
as fully engaged in the tax battle as he has been in years past. It’s possible that Clinton Fatigue
has reached the Oval Office.
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