A THRU G
The names Arafat and Gore have been noticeably lacking in the news of late.
It used to be that we could depend on one or the other, and often both at the same time, to keep the news wires warm when real news was running low.
We hear that Yasher Arafat has been scheduled for export if Mr. N. gets named as Prime Minister in Israel and that would seem to be one way of getting rid of this gnat-like nuisance who has plagued Prime Ministers of Israel for some years. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to pack Arafat and his mini-burnoose headpiece collection off somewhere - possibly to Paris to join his wife and daughter - if an when he become the next Prime Minister. I found it to be surprising to find that the present P.M. Ariel Sharon has opposed such an idea and objected to such treatment of Arafat. It may be that Arafat-Head of The Palestinian Liberation Organization has more positive things going for him than we know about. While often cast in the role of a political clown, he may be far easier to get along with than whomever might rise to the surface of the constantly fermenting pool of potential Arabic leadership.
There might be some wisdom in that stand, too. I think so many Americans seem to think of Arafat as oft-times welcome sort of comic-relief personality in today's problems. His Houdini-like escapes from entrapment over the years have been almost farcical at times including his two recent total isolations at his desk with tanks at the ready awaiting he word – but the command never came and Arafat goes on-and-on like some batteries are said to do. If he should be set aside I, for one, would miss him in the news, I'm sure, as I have for he past six weeks or so.
Not a word from either Albert or Tipper Gore following the recent election. I fully expected some: “See! I-told-you-so!” comments when the new voting machines starting acting up a bit in parts of Florida. It seemed a good time to do some re-runs of the one-time Florida flap, but not a word did I hear. So, I asked around.
The Gores are traveling, I understand, at the present time, doing autograph signings to push the sale of their new books. Both Gores have new books on the market. I have forgotten which one wrote a book on the importance of family life and which one wrote one on raising children, but they are both new authors now. They have been quoted as saying they “suddenly found themselves with nothing to do” – so they dashed off a pair of books. They are doing a book-signing tour of major cities.
It just doesn't seem right that people should just drop out of the news like that, does it?
A.L.M. November 15, 2002 [c473wds]
