AFTERMATH

AFTERMATH
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher

November 8, 2002

With the historic 2002 midterm elections now in the books and a big win for the Republicans at that, we have the totally clueless Democrats scratching their collective heads wondering just what the hell happened.

WTC Tower #2 on Impact (AP) Let me give you a clue, boys and girls: 9-11 (right) - that's what happened. With the events of that horrific day, America had its first chance to hold a referendum on its leadership of the 1990's (can you say Bill Clinton and rudderless, bleeding heart liberals?), and they voted out those whose policies and decision-making skills - or rather lack of them, allowed the national security of our nation to deteriorate to such an extent that an event of this magnitude was not only allowed to happen, but in fact begging to.

In 1996, the Sudanese government offered to turn over to the United States Public Enemy #1 - Usama bin Laden. Rather than assist our intelligence community in capturing a known and much-wanted terrorist, Clinton not only chose to take a pass, but to add insult to injury, chose to bomb an aspirin factory in said same country in order to divert attention from the fact that he was in the "Oral Office" allowing Monica Lewinsky the opportunity to earn her presidential kneepads - all on the taxpayers' dime.

Fast-forward and we have Clinton on trial for his perjury over the Lewinsky matter among other things. We have a Chief Executive that lied to the nation and sent a message to the world that lying is permissible and that he doesn't know what the meaning of the word "is" is. During this time - where Clinton was called to testify before the grand jury, I was featured as a guest on Toronto's CFRB 1010-AM on a call-in show, where one listener actively sought to excuse and in fact validate his behavior. When I called her on it by likening Clinton to her own husband by asking her if it was all right for her husband to diddle a 20-year-old in his office while on the clock, she immediately became defensive, testy, and in a huff, hung up the phone. Next to me was the host, who was struggling to keep from laughing out loud, I was having a hard time keeping it in myself, and the sound guy in the next room was rolling on the floor.

Contrary to the so-called 'wisdom' of liberal press pundits, Tuesday's election results were in fact predictable - except to them, as theirs were not predictions, but rather (pun intended), the dream wishes of those firmly planted in the forefront of their altered states. Must have been too many of those drugs taken in college back in the 1960's.

The aftermath of Tuesday's elections should send a message to the Democrats LOUD AND CLEAR, and that message is this: We are sick and tired of fearmongering tactics; we look for leadership that brings out the best in the American people and not the worst; we seek a party that trusts Americans to keep more of their paychecks and to decide for themselves how they are going to spend it and not some government leviathan, and lastly, we need a party that is with the times, and not caught in a time warp from another era long ago gone.

Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) (RNC) Will the Democrats listen to the American people and get it through their thick skulls? Other than Gephardt (left), who fell on his own sword the way Gingrich did in 1998, will Daschle follow his lead? Highly doubtful at best - after all, it's all about Tommy and being King of the Hill. However, Tommy is now the Senate MINORITY Leader now, given that the GOP has taken back the Senate with the election of Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to fill the unexpired portion of the late Mel Carnahan's term - with Talent having been sworn in immediately, the GOP now controls both houses, and the obstructionist tactics of the Democrats are now over, Jim Jeffords notwithstanding. Only thing now is, there are reports that Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) is looking at bolting from the Democrats and sitting as an Independent and voting with the Republicans, thus allowing him to keep his committee chairmanship - in other words, a Jim Jeffords in reverse. Kinda cool, huh? A chance for Tom Daschle to see that what goes around comes around. Things don't get much better that that.

As I said in a conversation with my colleague Jennifer King a couple of days ago, "The 1960's ended the day the Towers fell." ***

Photo of Timothy Rollins courtesy of staff files
Photo of World Trade Center Tower #2 courtesy of the Associated Press
Photo of Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO) courtesy of the Republican National Committee