TERRORIST AT DUKE: On March 3, a terrorist plans to infiltrate the Duke University campus-at Duke’s invitation. "Laura Whitehorn is scheduled to speak for the African and African-American studies program at Duke University in North Carolina," reported Chuck Muth’s "News and Views" January 17. The university itself says, "Laura Whitehorn is a revolutionary anti-imperialist who spent over 14 years in federal prison as a political prisoner. An out lesbian, she initiated and worked in HIV peer education and support projects in each of the three federal prisons in which she did time." The reality is that Whitehorn in the 1970s helped lead a building occupation at Harvard, and then in 1983 was convicted as part of a conspiracy to attack the U.S. Capitol, the Navy War College, and other government and corporate targets. Said Muth, "To be fair, it’s quite possible-maybe even probable-that the university president, Nannerl O. Keohane, knew nothing about this woman’s true past and identity. Nevertheless, [she] knows now."
SCALIA OUT: There may be more to the decision of Eugene Scalia to leave as solicitor at the Department of Labor after a year’s recess appointment than just a desire to re-enter private law practice. According to the Wall Street Journal, the son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was miffed that the administration will not take up the cause of dissidents within the Carpenters and Joiners Union, who say the election of President Douglas McCarron, a top Bush labor pal, was corrupt and fraudulent. "Mr. Scalia and others at Labor felt that the law was clear and the department’s defense of the Carpenters’ regional councils untenable," reported the Journal, adding that Scalia, "who was about to be renominated, promptly resigned" and cited the nebulous personal reasons. Scalia is declining all comments on his exit.
DARKEST HORSE: Although he is largely unknown to the public, his views on virtually every issue unrelated to the military are a mystery, and he has yet to even declare his party affiliation, retired Gen. Wesley Clark continues to act and sound like a Democratic presidential hopeful in ’04. Last week, the former supreme commander of NATO (and close associate of fellow Arkansas native Bill Clinton) had a private meeting with Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe and, late last year, Clark met with potential major contributors in Manhattan. Also working against Clark is history: The last former general to be nominated for President by the Democratic Party was Winfield Scott Hancock in 1880.
ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE: The United States is already suffering an environmental catastrophe. "Environmental organizations have played a very prominent role in creating and propelling a vast body of environmental regulations that perhaps have been the most costly and productivity sapping of all the regulations in effect in the United States in the last 30 years," writes Craig S. Marxsen in the Winter 2003 Independent Review. Take American manufacturing, the decline of which many people attribute to free trade. Says Marxsen, "James Robinson (1995) found convincing evidence that environmental regulations account for the bulk of the slowdown in productivity growth that plagued the U.S. manufacturing sector between 1974 and 1986."
GRAHAM’S PARACHUTE: Florida Sen. Bob Graham, believed to be a likely Democratic Presidential hopeful, will have to decide whether to give up his Senate seat (which, under state law, Graham cannot run for at the same time he is on his party’s national ticket next year). But most Florida Republicans believe the 64-year-old Graham is using a possible White House bid as a swan song from the Senate and, already, at least three well-known GOPers are actively exploring or at least eyeing the Senate race: Rep. Mark Foley; former Rep. Bill McCollum, who was the GOP’s 2000 Senate nominee; and Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan.
UNRULY FLOCK: The Vatican has issued a document reminding Roman Catholic politicians to heed their church’s "non-negotiable" teachings on several key issues. But the new guidelines did not instruct bishops to reprimand the growing number of Catholic politicians-with names such as Celucci, Landrieu, Ridge, Kennedy, Murray, Leahy, Kerry, Harkin and Daschle-who flaunt their opposition to many if not all of their church’s teachings on abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage and other issues. According to the Associated Press, the Vatican noted with dismay the "emergence of ambiguities or questionable positions in recent times." The document was released in time for the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
