The Fine Print
Katherine Harris, who offended many a Democrat by reading Florida's election statutes as she saw fit during the 2000 recount, now finds herself in the embarrassing position of having run afoul of those same laws.
She resigned this week as Florida's Secretary of State when someone pointed out that Florida election law, for reasons too complex to recite here, required her to file a letter of resignation. Harris says the gaffe won't affect her bid to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, but at least one Democratic contender plans to take her to court over the matter.
On the Firing Line?
Bill Clinton, speaking to a Jewish group this week in Toronto, Canada declared:
"The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or Iranian Army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch and fight and die," whereupon the crowd showered him with delirious applause.
Veterans groups, recalling Clinton's avoidance of duty in Vietnam and Canada's role as a new home for draft-dodgers, aren't so happy. Earl Murray, a vice-commander of a Harlem American Legion post says, "He had his chance to serve his country, and avoided it."
Money Talks
Representative Cynthia McKinney, who has accused President Bush of deliberately refusing to prevent the September 11 attacks because it would be good for friends' businesses, now has some explaining to do herself.
McKinney received a flood of donations September 11 from some controversial contributors. They include Abdurahman Alamoudi, who has openly supported Hamas and Hezbollah; six men under federal investigation for terrorist ties and a professor jailed for refusing to answer questions about a Hamas money-laundering operation.
A McKinney aide says the contributions were collected several days earlier at a fundraiser, but federal election law stipulates that candidates post donations the day of their arrival.
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