Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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Margaritaville, ME

Friday November 3, 2000

I read the news today, oh boy... The phone lines were humming last night. George W. Bush, it turns out, drank too much when he was younger. Stop the presses.

He has been talking about that for a year and a half. He has said he drank too much. It was beginning to impact his life. So, he quit.

According to a Reuters report, "Bush talked about his decision to quit drinking just this week, during a visit to a drug rehabilitation center in San Jose, California. 'I quit drinking in 1986. I have not had a drop since then,' he said. 'It wasn't because of a government program in my case. I heard a higher calling.'"

Everyone in the audience who is shocked that a 24-year-old DWI police report showed up in reporters' e-mail boxes five days before the election raise your hands. I didn't think so.

Speaking of Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett is one of a host of millionaire singers, songwriters, and actors who have joined Al "I'm-fightin'-for-the-common-people" Gore to try and drum up support at his rallies.

Over the past few days Gore has had Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Hootie and the Blowfish, as well as Buffett on stage with him. Everyone in the audience who thinks any one of those people rode public transportation to be with the common people raise hands, again. I didn't think so.

George W. Bush is getting crowds in the 10,000 range to his rallies. And the draw is � George W.

NBC's Today show conducted an interview with Phil Donahue recently in which Phil declared his support for Ralph Nader. Yesterday, Katie had an interview with Marlo Thomas, wife of, who supports - guess who? - Al Gore.

What, is there some FCC regulation that family members of differing political views have to be given equal time? Maybe NBC can find a cousin who supports Pat Buchanan and get him on Monday.

ABC is weighing in on the scales of balanced programming by scheduling an interview with Barbra Streisand tonight with Barbara Walters. Streisand is a huge, HUGE fund raiser for Democrats, which is all right, but everyone in the audience who thinks ABC just happened to randomly choose a night four days before an election � Oh, never mind.

For Part 2 of my report on my Excellent Adventure to MSNBC earlier this week, go here.

Every poll continues to show Bush with a lead. To see the summary go here. Remember this is updated every day, throughout the day as polls are posted.

With more and more pundits clicking on interactive maps to figure out how this election can end up in a 269-269 tie in the electoral college, good old Mullings has come to the rescue again.

After fully confusing myself with that business about the 12th and 20th Amendments, the other day, I implored friend Larry Halloran, to get some informed info as to just how the process in the House and Senate would work.

The result is available here in a Library of Congress document.

Travel Alert: Mullings will be moving its North American headquarters to Austin on Monday to report from the filing center on election night.

Some fools at People Magazine have chosen Brad Pitt as the "world's sexiest man." I demand a recount. Pitt may have won the popular vote, but I would be the clear winner in the electoral college - or, at least, at Marietta College. Go here and judge for yourself.

I live for this stuff. Outside my bank in the People's Republic of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia today there was a police car with a sign proclaiming it was a "Child Automobile Restraint Education Services" vehicle.

It was parked, illegally, at a corner covering two-thirds of the crosswalk. A woman pushing a child in a stroller had to swerve out into the main drag of Old Town - King Street - to get around the car. I couldn't tell if the child was properly restrained in the stroller.

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Copyright © 2000 Richard A. Galen

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