09-30-2000

POLITICS: Hotline Extra For September 30, 2000

Urban Legends


Finally, some excitement? Tongues have been wagging on the subject of how
George W. Bush's debate prep tape found its way into the mailbox of Al
Gore adviser Tom Downey. And the intrigue level was turned up a notch when
Texas Democratic Chairwoman Molly Beth Malcolm "offered up" the
scenario that Bush strategist Karl Rove "manufactured the incident to
create a distraction from a campaign struggling to regain its
footing." Malcolm asserted that the mailing of the tape "has
Karl Rove's fingerprints written all over it." (Fort Worth
Star-Telegram, 9/26)


A Cox News account notes that in the 1986 governor's race, "crucial
information seemed to be leaking from the Republican camp to the
Democratic camp." Rove was the strategist for GOP nominee Bill
Clements, and current Bush media consultant Mark McKinnon was working for
Democratic Gov. Mark White. As the campaign's lone debate "drew near,
word got out that a private eye hired by Rove found an electronic
transmitter hidden behind a red, white, and blue elephant needlepoint
framed and hung behind Rove's desk." Investigation of the finding
"played out to no conclusion," and McKinnon now works for the
GOP candidate. Bush aides "acknowledge" that McKinnon
"quickly pops up as a suspect," but they "insist the tape
and related documents were accessible only to trusted, top-level
staffers," and they "do not suspect McKinnon." One Bush
"confidant": "We are absolutely confident it's not anyone
within the Bush organization." (The Austin American-Statesman,
9/26)


Retro Campaign


What's next, a disco debate? Reacting to high crude oil prices, Al Gore
and George W. Bush have used "rhetoric not heard in America since the
1970s oil crisis." And "despite the heated words, both
candidates are ducking the fact that U.S. dependency on foreign oil has
increased." Gore "wants to reduce energy consumption [and]
stimulate production of natural gas and renewable energy sources such as
wind, solar, and bio-fuels." Bush, meanwhile, "wants to unleash
domestic oil production from environmental restrictions and aggressively
pressure OPEC to increase its production and lower prices." (San
Francisco Chronicle, 9/26) Oil prices dropped following the release from
America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (The Baltimore Sun, 9/26)
Meanwhile, Fox News Channel's Dick Morris had this strategy suggestion for
the Texas governor: "Bush can propose and should propose a suspension
of the federal and state gas tax.... Bush could rack up a 10-point lead
right now if he proposed it." (O'Reilly Factor, 9/25)


Porn Again


This is probably not the endorsement to write home about-especially if
Tipper Gore is at your home. According to a Reuters report, Al Gore
"got an unusual-and probably unwelcome-endorsement" at a trade
gathering of the Internet adult entertainment industry. Convention
keynoter Paul Cambria "called on operators of X-rated Web sites to
use their sites to promote Gore's candidacy," saying: "I urge
you all to use the powers that you have, because this is the first
election where the Web can make a vast difference." (Reuters, 9/24)
Cambria added: "The Web as we know it, if the wrong party is elected,
will come under the most severe scrutiny," which would lead to
"a political regime designed to eliminate the transmission of adult
material to adults."


In National Review Online, Kathryn Jean Lopez observes that the pornsters
had perhaps "tried to do their man a favor by not having Vice
President Gore or Sen. [Joe] Lieberman headline their convention this past
weekend, but they might as well have. The message was clear."
(9/25)


Don't Try This at Home


For some, television coverage of the presidential campaigns is as much a
news story as the campaigns themselves. The Hartford [Conn.] Courant's
David Lightman notes that in this year's race for the White House,
"making the talk and prime-time circuit is as crucial as a position
paper." This time around, the candidates are "making the
rounds" and acting "like stars promoting their new situation
comedies." (The Hartford Courant, 9/26) So has it at least been good
TV? Well, Adam Goodheart, a member of the USA Today board of contributors,
shares this anecdote about his recent attempt to watch the Olympics:
"I suddenly remembered the last time I'd felt this way. The
restlessness, the boredom, the vague guilt and embarrassment, the sense
that somehow this enormous event-so freighted with expected
significance-just didn't matter: It was exactly how I felt, not many weeks
before, when I'd tried to watch the television coverage of the national
political conventions." (USA Today, 9/26)


And the Philadelphia Daily News' Sandy Grady had this to say about the
impact of some of the season's high-profile TV events: "Let me get
this straight. Al Gore got a boost in the polls because he gave Tipper an
X-rated smooch? And George W. Bush surged back because he roguishly gave
Oprah Winfrey a televised kiss on the cheek? What is this, a national game
of spin the bottle?" (Philadelphia Daily News, 9/26)


Bushy Tales


Ever hear the expression, "make like a library and book"? That's
just what Baylor University President Robert B. Sloan is trying to do-book
his site for the George W. Bush presidential library. He has already
"begun plans for a library to house the papers and mementos" for
the library. Said Sloan: "You have to take a few risks in life to be
on the cutting edge." Bush spokesperson Mindy Tucker called the talk
of a presidential library "very premature," adding: "We're
glad that people are excited about it, but we've got to get there
first." Meanwhile, Baylor's "board of regents have yet to see a
proposal and have no money earmarked for a library." (Associated
Press, 9/25)


In other unique Bush news, James E. Fete Jr. of Ohio made an
"unconventional request" regarding the obituary of his father,
James Fete Sr. in The [Canton, Ohio] Repository. "The obit listed the
retired telephone repairman's accomplishments: Korean War service and 39
years with Ohio Bell." But the last line read: "In lieu of
flowers, Vote Bush." Fete Jr. said his father was "anti-Gore and
really anti-Clinton." He added: "Instead of a bouquet of
flowers, he would rather have a vote for Bush. He would also have liked to
have got the last word-and he did." (Fort Worth Texas Star-Telegram,
9/25)


Staying on Massage


What are the odds of lightning striking twice? Joe Menichini, the owner of
the Keystone Massage Therapy Center in Kingston, Pa., "was standing
in his center during the first day of business on Sept. 5," when he
was approached by Secret Service agents from the campaign of George W.
Bush, who was in town that day. Menichini said he was then introduced to
Bush, "who inquired about the possibility of receiving massage
therapy." Menichini: "He usually gets one once a week. He was on
the treadmill when I walked in. He's in good shape." Menichini was
"nervous" while giving Bush a massage, but he said that Bush was
"really nice" and had a "fantastic sense of humor."
Menichini: "He said the massage was unbelievable and made him feel
like a million dollars. I told him that he was my first client and he said
he was always happy to contribute to a new enterprise."


Then, on the "very next day," Al Gore received a massage from
Menichini's therapy center. The Gore campaign had "booked an
appointment weeks before." Menichini said that Gore received the
"massage in his suite at the hotel shortly after his plane
landed." Gore, Menichini said, "talked for the first five
minutes, but he was really tired and just relaxed because it was
late." Menichini: "We did them on back-to-back days and it was
definitely an honor." (The [Wilkes-Barre, Pa.] Citizens' Voice,
9/26)


Quotables


"Oh, God. I'd better ... work on that one." -Al Gore, asked
before an MTV appearance whether he was ready to answer the  "Boxers
or briefs?" question that Bill Clinton once tackled. (Associated
Press, 9/26)


"That's an interesting description." -George W. Bush, on being
told by a 5th-grade student that "frogs eat their guts as
tadpoles" (Associated Press, 9/25)


"I suppose I could go do stupid pet tricks or something." -Dick
Cheney, on the possibility of a late-night TV appearance (Fox News Sunday,
9/24)


"Please be good to my son!" -Marcia Lieberman, in a note
enclosed in a care package sent to reporters covering her son, Joe (The
New York Times, 9/26)


Danielle Decker Jones

National Journal