Time again for
Off the Radar
Fear and loathing in Pennsylvania...Palace coup at the FRC?...GOP race in West Virginia turns into The Fight Club...and family values at Operation Rescue
by Dave "Doctor" Gonzo

February 11, 2000 -- NEW YORK (AmpolNS) -- Okay, okay, it's pretty obvious that the media has one political news story these days: the three current major political campaigns (Gore vs. Bradley, Bush vs. McCain, Rudy vs. Hillary) having gone negative in a major way.

The press also remains obsessed with the insurgent campaign of "J.J." McCain.

And Al Gore was on The Tonight Show.  He was pretty funny, too.

Well, sports fans, that's not all that's been going on in the world.  And The Doc knows that all of you political junkies are sick of seeing the same recycled "top stories" on MSNBCBSFOXABCNN

So here are a few "red meat" stories that missed the big media radar to satiate your appetite--even the vegetarian readers.

Dateline: PENNSYLVANIA -- This sort of qualifies as a follow-up to our ongoing GOP Brush Fires Becoming Meltdowns series.  In one installment, this writer made mention of an upcoming Republican policy retreat in Pennsylvania.

Well, it's come and gone.  And there was no pun intended in the word "retreat"--but it sure applies.  The Reeps should have called it the "Fear and Loathing Fest 2000."

According to an anonymous source quoted in Roll Call, topic one--not on the agenda--was the faltering presidential campaign of George Shrubya Bush.  And according to one of our sources, Roll Call underplayed the panic, anger and futility expressed by many party stalwarts in betting the house (and the Senate and the Oval Office) on the now-vulnerable Texas Governor.

The story also noted that "[t]here was even some speculation that McCain might be the better choice for the party leading into November."

Speculation?  Try cries of "Iceberg!  Dead ahead!"

And let's just say that DumBellyou is no diCaprio.

The Roll Call article featured some predictably daffy spin from Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK): "'Members are not willing to go jump off a bridge just yet.... You have to keep it all in perspective. All suffering is not defeat. Just because you lose doesn't mean you're a loser.'"

Well, that's a new one on us!  We always thought that the only poll that counted was the one on the day citizens voted--and that means that Bush lost in New Hampshire.

Hey, J.C., you sound like you did worse in PoliSci than Bush Baby did at Yale!

But I digress.

The article also featured portions of a grim "pep talk" from highly vulnerable House Mangler Jim Rogan (R-CA): "'They had power for 40 years,' pointed out Rep. James Rogan (R-Calif.), who issued a stern warning to his fellow Republicans.... 'They will do everything they can to destroy our ability to make war if they win back the House.'"

Um... Jimmy, you're supposed to be on Capitol Hill to legislate, not to "make war," be it in the form of specious and spurious committee "investigations" or abuse of the impeachment process.

You've tipped your hand on the real GOP agenda--and opened your mouth once too often for your own political good.

Look for that quote to be pinned on your back like a big "Kick Me!" sign in day-glo letters once a Democrat challenger is finally decided on.

Dateline: Washington, DC -- You've dropped out of the GOP presidential race.  You'd hoped that your high profile during your campaign would boost your speaking fees among evangelicals, social conservatives, and others who view Ronald Reagan as the Messiah.  You might even have entertained the notion of becoming a Christian Taliban leader again.

But you can pretty well write off getting back that cushy job at the extremist think tank you once held!  Oh, how our heart bleeds for you!

It seems that the Family Research Council isn't exactly eager to welcome back failed Presidential wannabe Gary Bauer.

In an exclusive article on the christianitytoday.com web site, it seems that Bauer has become a pariah in his own house, a prodigal son facing a door he knows is bolted shut.  According to the article, "[s]ome critics cite an organizational confusion Bauer left behind. Others, more sympathetic to Bauer, demur on his return because they believe his Republican identity would clash with the nonprofit organization’s nonpartisan stance."

According to the article, the hard-right activist organization surveyed their staff last fall, and over 60 percent answered that a politically partisan high profile individual should lead the FRC.  Interestingly, the survey was taken shortly after some of Bauer's top campaign aides quit over allegations that the well-known anti-abortion munchkin was having "improper" private meetings behind closed doors with Melissa McClard, a then-26-year-old campaign aide.

Hmmm... this looks and smells like a palace coup, and Bauer sure wasn't around to step in it.

According to the article, the overriding concern at the organization was " to avoid the appearance of favoring the Republicans over the Democrats"--even though the organization does in fact favor Republicans politically, and that "appearance" can get pretty blatant.

This leaves the FRC as a sort of "mini-Cerberus" with two heads: acting president Chuck Donovan and spokesperson Janet Parshall.  This arrangement has been the target of criticism within the organization, according to the christianitytoday.com article.

Meanwhile, Bauer dropped hints in his withdrawal speech that he was looking for something else to do with all the spare time on his hands, perhaps continuing in the political arena--or starting a new organization.

That just warms the hearts of our entire staff--for a minute, we almost though we wouldn't have Bauer to kick around anymore.

DATELINE: West Virginia -- Is the gubernatorial race going to turn into The Fight Club?

Probably not, but we were amused by the news that GOP Gubernatorial candidate Joseph Oliverio decided to beat his opposition to the punch Monday and admit he's been arrested.

In fact, he's been arrested some 150 times-- for fighting. He's also snagged 60 speeding tickets, admitted he has "inhaled," and even lost his driver's license for a time.

His spin on his past: "I just feel it's made me a stronger person. These guys want to make it out like I'm some real bad individual."

Oliverio said he decided to reveal his record after a threat from an anonymous caller claiming to be from a GOP rival's campaign to expose Oliverio.

"Nobody threatens me," Oliverio said.

Huh? Then why all the fights?  Well, that sort of makes sense -- Oliverio is probably a "Rogan Reep," a disciple of the "make war" doctrine.

DATELINE: Dallas -- Oh, my!

Randall Terry, founder of the controversial anti-abortion organization once known as Operation Rescue, has been censured by his own church congregation!

Terry reportedly abandoned his wife, Cindy A. Terry, according to Rev. Flip Benham, head of the organization's "new," reconfigured offshoot, Operation Save America.

Glad to see those healthy family values in action, Randy!

'Nuff said.