-Caveat Lector- http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/010423/23pol.htm DRUDGE Headline: MAG: STREISAND WANTS TO BUY CABLE NEWS NET... U.S. News 4/23/01 A diva for Democrats The gospel according to Streisand-get with it, fellas By Gloria Borger Picture this: It's a Saturday in April in Southern California. Barbra "I'm Mad as Hell" Streisand is having a political meeting at her home. Warren and Annette are there, as are producer Norman Lear and other Hollywood libs. House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt attends, too. The topic: Barbra's recent essay on the Democrats, "Nice Guys Finish Last." First comes the diva's dramatic reading of her three-page memo (in which she refers to the "Supreme Coup" at the high court and exhorts Democrats to filibuster future "right wing" nominees, to "rock the boat," and to "talk about Republican pardons" since Clinton's pardons "have no impact on the health and welfare of the American people"). This, it turns out, is the sanitized Streisand. A careful textual analysis reveals that this memo has been edited from an original version, in which Streisand told Democrats they seemed "paralyzed, demoralized, and depressed." Or maybe bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. But I digress. In addition to the memo, Streisand also lets it be known that she's mad at (a) Georgia Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, who voted for the Bush tax cut, (b) the eight Democrats who voted for John Ashcroft for attorney general, and (c) all Democrats who refused to defend Bill Clinton. She's so mad, in fact, that sources tell me she wants to put together a group of Democrats to buy a cable-TV network so they don't have to watch Republican talking heads. "Everybody told her it was nuts," says one well-informed source. Too bad. Because it's truly an inspired idea-a Coffee Tawk network à la Saturday Night Live. (Today's topic: The Democrats and The Way We Were. Better? Or worse? Discuss amongst yourselves.) Bill O'Reilly, eat your heart out. Golden girl. Anyway, aside from the fact that this is Babs, what makes Gephardt-who wants to be either speaker or president-attend a Hollywood gripe session? One answer: money. She's a big Democratic contributor. But, you ask, won't campaign finance reform reduce the influence of big givers like Streisand? No way, says one party fundraiser. "If you pass reform, people like Streisand become huge." Why? Concerts-and the ability to gather huge crowds and collect huge sums in small amounts. "Her name is even more golden." But what about the Streisand critique, such as it is? Are the Democrats dead, as Streisand and some others seem to think? Are they under the spell of the Bushies? Are they timid? "Democrats don't have to be ruthless like the Republicans," Streisand advises. "They just have to be strong. . . . Just being nice doesn't work. Democrats should fight before it's too late! There's not a moment to lose." Last time I checked, the Democrats weren't exactly losing much time bashing President Bush or his tax cut or his decision not to lower the amount of arsenic in drinking water. "I've never seen an administration in all my years more unwilling to work with Democrats," huffed Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. "It is breathtaking how remarkably unwilling they are to sit down and try to find common ground." How nice is that? In fact, the Democrats are more united than is usually the case at the onset of a GOP presidency. In 1981 (Streisand's pre-Yentl period), the Democrats couldn't run for the tall grass fast enough. In 1989 (pre-Prince of Tides), "there was a lot of friction in the party even though Democrats controlled the Congress," recalls ex-Clinton aide Mike McCurry. "Our ability to muster an opposition message was limited." Not anymore. In fact, Daschle told me, "we're pretty happy." And why not? Their message seems to be sinking in: Recent polls show that voters believe the Bush tax cut benefits the wealthy, and they oppose his decision not to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, a recent Democratic poll by Celinda Lake caught Daschle's eye: Eight in 10 voters say that environmental issues will be a more important factor in future presidential elections. As for the midterm elections in 2002, Democrats will make the case that Bush needs to be "balanced out" in Congress, says pollster Geoffrey Garin. So far, Garin's polls show the voters want that balance-by 15-to-20-point margins. The Bushies understand this. One senior Bush adviser tells me that Bush will be praised by the environmental angels as early as this week, when he could decide to approve President Clinton's regulations on reporting lead emissions. "What is the one consistent thing Democrats do about George Bush?" he asks. "They underestimate him." Not Barbra. She will never relax. "How could such a destructive man be so popular with the American people?" she writes. ". . . We cannot trust George W. Bush." He "stole the presidency through family ties, arrogance, and intimidation." As for Americans, they're being "fooled" because they are "not sufficiently informed to protect their own self-interests." Today's Coffee Tawk: The American people. Fools? Or uninformed? Discuss amongst yourselves. Gloria Borger is also a CBS News special correspondent. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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