Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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Hearts on Sleeves

Friday, December 22, 2000

(Go to the Mullings Update page for the
latest political news)

Yesterday morning President-elect George W. Bush picked up another hyphen by becoming ex- Governor George W. Bush as he resigned his office at a ceremony at the State House in Austin.

At the end of the speech, President-elect Bush got choked up as he looked around the Texas House Chamber and spoke of having moved out of his office but not the Governor's Mansion. Bush said he hoped the family of new Governor Rick Perry would enjoy living in the Mansion as much as the Bush's had. "It won't be our home [anymore]," he said, "but Texas always will be."

It was not clear, as of last night, whether that was the end of his text, or whether he simply couldn't continue because of the emotion of the moment.

As one who has previously admitted to crying at coffee commercials during the Christmas season, and has been known to sob all the way through favorite MASH episodes because I knew I was going to cry at the end; I liked it.

It will be an interesting change of pace to have a President who, when he is looks sad, IS sad; and when he looks happy, IS happy, and when he looks angry - stay out of his line of fire.

Meanwhile, in Your Nation's Capital, the Presidential Inaugural Committee - known here as "PIC" - has moved in and turned on its phones. It is another transition effort which will have to be designed, organized, and implemented in about half the normal amount of available time.

The Executive Director of the PIC is Jeanne Johnson Phillips, a woman of whom you've read here before. If anyone can pull together a $30 million, thousand person, week-long event in half the normal time; J.J. is the one

Here is a mildly interesting historical fact: In 1991 former Congressman Steve Bartlett was running for Mayor of Dallas. The finance director of that campaign was the same Jeanne Johnson Phillips. The communications director was Karen Hughes, the same Karen Hughes who was recently designated to be Counselor to the President. The press secretary on that campaign? The Mullmeister.

In spite of that last, Bartlett won, served as Mayor, and now runs the Financial Services Roundtable here in Washington.

The issue of whether Bill Clinton should issue end-of-term pardons to various and sundry lawbreakers is in the news this week. A President has the absolute power to grant clemency which can range from a full pardon to a commutation of sentence.

I think Clinton should pardon the people who got washed into the ditch as the result of Whitewater. Susan McDougal and Web Hubble should not spend any more time or money as the result of their actions. Whether they would have been caught in their misdeeds had the Clintons involvement in that land deal become a national issue, is not important

What IS important is Bill Clinton will never be indicted, much less convicted of anything leading out of the Whitewater investigation so he should let them off the hook.

Even though Clinton has said he wouldn't accept a pardon, and Bush spokesmen have said they are taking him at his word, the reality is a pardon is either given or not given. It is not offered awaiting an acceptance.

I think - May the e-mail gods pardon ME - that Bush should pardon Clinton as soon as practicable. If we are serious about wanting a cleansing breeze to flow through the corridors of our national institutions, then removing that particular source of pollution makes sense.

Keep up with the lastest wire and newspaper stories on the transition, the inaugural, and other stuff: //www.mullings.com/update.htm

Lead from a Reuters story: "Former Beatle George Harrison is so concerned about the state of the world that he's jokingly thinking of calling his next album 'Your Planet is Doomed, Volume One.'"

First of all, notwithstanding how high he and his brethren got during the sixties, he never actually has left the Earth so this is his planet, too. Second, if he is so sure the planet is doomed, why the implication it will be around long enough for a Volume Two?

Reporters in Washington are receiving Christmas cards from ... Governor and Mrs. Gray Davis of California. And so begins the Presidential campaign of 2004.

No Mullings Monday.

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