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Welcome to the BACKROOM ... WorldNetDaily's "insider" forum for behind-the-scenes news, tips, insights, predictions and other great and sometimes hilarious stuff -- available exclusively by subscribing (FREE!) to WorldNetDaily's News Alerts. http://worldnetdaily.com/resources/mailingList.asp And without further ado, here we go … COUNT THE SILVERWARE, INDEED In the wake of reports that the Clintons and their staff pillaged the people's house upon exiting, FreeRepublic.com wins the prize for the most aptly named inaugural ball: "The Count the White House Silverware Party." (See gala graphic at http://www.freerepublic.com/) The group, which had a turnout of about 1,000 for its Washington gala, came up with ...

No partisans are more eager to derail the Bush nomination of John Ashcroft than high officials of the Clinton Justice Department. They much prefer someone who will not flip over the flat rock of the blocked prosecution of heavy Clinton contributors. Janet Reno is reluctant to be remembered for aborting the potential prosecution of James Riady and other sources of illegal funds. Nervous Justice officials are hoping a Senate confirmation delay will bring about the naming of a malleable careerist as interim AG. He could then shut off investigations into political influence within Justice before "an incorruptible stiff" like Ashcroft ...

Television treated this year's election campaign as if it were merely a game, and covered this year's Summer Olympics as if it were an election campaign. "Rather than reporting on what the candidates stand for and providing analyses of the relative merits of their positions, network news is far more likely to reduce an election to a game -- more likely to tell voters why candidates said something than what they said," concluded the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, which studied the networks' coverage of the presidential primaries. And at the Olympic games in Sydney, rather ...

Western News Briefs The Nevada State Rifle and Pistol Association (NSRPA) has sent a "letter of censure" to the National Rifle Association (NRA) protesting its conduct during the 2000 election in Nevada. The Nevada pro Second Amendment group through its political arm, the Nevada Victory Fund, accuses the national giant of supporting anti-gun incumbents in the last election in at least 5 Nevada elections. Picked for censure was NRA endorsement of candidates in Assembly 3, 23, 31, 40 and 41. The NRA not only endorsed the anti-gun incumbents, but actually sent out reminder cards to voters in these districts asking ...

UAW Local 652 member Nick Henry usually works at his job as a repairman at BOC Chasis Division in Lansing, Mich., on Election Day. But because Election Day this year was a negotiated day off for him, he decided to spend part of that day as a UAW election volunteer. "We've got to have someone who's working for us in the White House," said Henry as he handed out election information outside a polling place in Lansing. Henry added that negotiating Election Day off "gave us the opportunity to get out and move the election in our favor." All the ...

It's Time for Condescending Whites to Drop the Guilt The headline announced the latest disaster: "State Justices Deal New Setback to Affirmative Action." In California, voters passed Proposition 209, a ballot initiative to end race- and gender-based preferences in the areas of government contracting, hiring and admissions into state colleges and universities. The California Supreme Court recently applied 209 and unanimously struck down the so-called outreach program of San Jose. The city required contractors to demonstrate an attempt to recruit and use female and minority-owned subcontractors. Justice Janice Rogers Brown, an appointee by a Republican governor, wrote, "A participation goal ...

It is never difficult to ascertain what liberals want. The Democrats have never met a victim they couldn't anguish over, and now that they perceive themselves to be the victims, they're falling all over themselves to get to a microphone and herald their despair to the four winds and the evening news. The three biggest weepers are House Minority Leader Dick Gephart, Senator Tom Daschle and the Self-Appointed National Bleeding Heart Conscience, Jesse Jackson. They haven't quite been able to bring themselves to say the words "George W. Bush is the president-elect" yet. One gets the feeling that they'd rather ...

I just heard announcement on CNN that Linda Tripp will be on Talkback Live today, 3pm ET... call-in show...

With Christmas upon us, some of us might wish to be mindful of who we patronize relative to their 2000 Election Cycle political donations, as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics. Shopping? Price Club/Costco donated $225K, of which 99% went to democrats; WalMart, $467K, 97% to republicans; K-Mart, $524K, 86% to republicans; Home Depot, $298K, 89% to republicans; Target, $226K, 70% to republicans; Circuit City Stores, $261K, 95% to republicans; Rite Aid, $517K, 60% to democrats; Magla Products (Stanley tools, Mr. Clean), $22K, 100% to democrats; 3M Co., $281K, 87% to republicans; Hallmark Cards, $319K, 92% to republicans; Amway, ...

Liberal House Republicans are not waiting until January to see what they can do to affect even more than they have the congressional agenda in the narrowly divided House. Four Republicans have joined with four Democrats to create a bipartisan group that, despite its "moderate" claim, will push for an agenda far to the left of what the GOP rank and file would like. Republicans Mike Castle (Del.), Jim Greenwood, (Pa.), Amo Houghton (N.Y.), and Fred Upton (Mich.) have joined with Democrats Jim Davis (Fla.), Harold Ford Jr. (Tenn.), Ron Kind (Wis.), and Tim Roemer (Ind.). First, they say they ...

"While political campaigns are now year-around, few thought that elections might become nonstop, too. So, it's not too early to begin thinking about the next election in 2002 and the presidential race in 2004 and decide what the current electoral gridlock has taught us. While the federal government should not standardize ballots because such prerogatives are reserved for the states by the Tenth Amendment, it might be helpful to establish a commission to study ways to make voting less confusing and the tabulation less chaotic. Many state legislatures vote electronically. Citizens might do so, too. Whether we use the Internet ...

Do not be deceived, and do not despair. Despite the closeness of the popular vote, and even if Al Gore were to succeed in stealing this election, the results still confirm that the Republican Party can put a long-term lock on the Electoral College - if the GOP can only overcome its irrational fear of social issues. Cultural conservatives are the key to a GOP Electoral College majority. Texas Gov. George W. Bush won their votes on November 7. But he should have won them by a larger margin. To put it bluntly, cultural conservatives should be to the Republican ...

Although the temperature was in the 40's, the driving north wind was bone-chilling, indeed! However, 175-200 enthusiastic supporters turned out (although it was difficult to get an accurate total count, as due to the cold, people stayed as long as they could, then left, especially those with children, but more continued to arrive right up until the end). At the peak, we stretched along the sidewalk from the 59th Street parking lot all the way to the 61st & Yale intersection and around the corner. And, again, the passerbys in cars overwhelmingly supported us, with honking and thumbs up! One ...

We will rally again on December 2, 2000, 1PM Meet at LaFortune Park Basefall Field parking lot, 61st & Yale. Much like last week's highly successful rally, informal, grassroots, impromptu speakers, much enthusiasm!

Tulsa Rally, November 25, 2000, 1 P.M. Meet in the Civic Center Plaza (between 4th and 7th St. on Denver Avenue), at 1PM. Free parking available under the plaza, accessible from 7th street or through Library parking lot, walk up stairs to Plaza. Dress warm, bring signs! (Please either email or freepmail me if you will definitely be there, so we can anticipate how many we will be.)

Debating the Electoral College Bruce Bartlett, November 20, 2000 "Whatever the ultimate outcome of the presidential election, it is safe to assume that there is going to be a serious debate next year on replacing the Electoral College. It will pit those supporting simple majority rule against those favoring retention of a presidential election system that the American Bar Association once called "archaic, undemocratic, complex, ambiguous, indirect and dangerous." Defenders of the status quo will have their work cut out for them. Polls have consistently shown large majorities of Americans favoring direct election of the president over the Electoral College. ...

INS Document Confirms Juarez Cartel Offers Prize for Murder of U.S. Officers No Evidence of Administration Response By Joseph A. D'Agostino "One of the world's most powerful drug cartels, operating just across the Southern border of the United States, has issued a terroristic threat against U.S. law enforcement officers, but the Clinton Administration's only apparent step to counter the threat has been to notify officers in the field they have been targeted for murder. A U.S. Justice Department document obtained by Human Events confirms that the FBI became convinced as early as January that a Mexican drug cartel had promised ...

Tax Cuts, Family Values, Highlight GOP Platform (Actual Title) With George W. Bush at the head of the GOP ticket, Republicans are poised to take over the Oklahoma Legislature for the first time in state history, party Chairman Steve Edwards said Friday. Edwards led a group of first-time Republican candidates in a Tulsa press conference to promote a platform of lower taxes, better schools and family values. One of the candidates Edwards brought to Tulsa was Sapulpa City Councilor Lou Martin, 50, who said he would not support any tax increase if elected House representative for District 30. "I think ...

I'm a teacher - "Mr. Rossiter" - at my local junior high, but I don't educate. Instead, I watch helplessly as a small group of students wreaks havoc. This damage is the result of two well-intentioned federal laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975. IDEA seeks to incorporate disabled students into the regular curriculum. Section 504 expands the traditional definition of "disabled". In combination, these laws create a reaction more explosive than anything ever seen in chemistry class. Suddenly, students with a very loosely defined set of "behavioral ...

"It had to happen. British politicians are now calling for all air rifles to be licensed, and children under 14 will be prohibited from handling them. Owners of air rifles will have to prove they are fit to own a gun, have a safe place to store it and good reasons for keeping it. Parliament's Home Affairs Committee said there are 4 million low-powered air guns circulating in Britain and evidence suggests there is a growing trend for criminals to use them. The lawmakers also called on the government to set up a computer database with details of all air ...