Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Jesse Helms Makes Like Howler Monkey

At almost precisely the same moment that I see the item in Liz Smith's gossip column today in the New York Post, that Bill Clinton is angling for Kofi Annan's job at the United Nations, I get a four-page letter from Jesse Helms, United States Senator (Ret.), marked "Confidential ... Personal Attention ... Reply Requested" that finally, on page 2, gets around to the subject that -- gasp! -- "Bill Clinton is actively seeking to head one of the most well-financed and influential world bodies ever created by man"!!!!

The United Nations, incidentally and also according to ex-Senator Helms, is "socialist-dominated," so why Senator Helms wouldn't want a big-business suck-up like Bill Clinton in charge of it I can't say.

Sen. Helms SAYS the purpose of his letter is to get me to sign a petition (enclosed) addressed to President George Bush imploring him "to IGNORE the pleas from the liberal media to support Bill Clinton's quest," which is a low enough threshold for a petition to reach: "Dear Pres. Bush: Please ignore the liberal press!" Pres. Bush to Helms' toadies: "Done, good buddies!"

Since George Bush doesn't appoint the Secretary General of the United Nations, what particular good does this petition do? Oh, silly us. It really isn't the petition we're supposed to sign so much as it's the $1,000 personal check, which is also (incidentally) requested, to support the Jesse Helms Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational foundation, which would appear to have just violated its IRS tax-exemption status by sending out such a politically charged fund-raising letter.

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