Registered: Jul 2001
Location: China
Posts: 11795

quote:

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Ex-Sen. Jesse Helms wants your help stopping Bill and Hillary Clinton from taking over the world.
In a testament to his enduring power as a hate object for the radical right, the former President has Helms worried that he might become secretary-general of the United Nations when Kofi Annan retires next year. So far, Clinton's interest in the job has been nothing more than a rumor. Plus, it's highly unlikely that President Bush would ever support the nomination of his White House predecessor.

But that hasn't stopped the 83-year-old Helms from invoking the idea of a Secretary-General Clinton as a goblin to raise money for his senatorial library.

"I'm sure you might agree that putting a left-wing, undisciplined and ethically challenged former President of the United States into a position of such power would be a tragic mistake," Helms writes in a letter seeking donations for the Jesse Helms Center in North Carolina.

Helms goes on: "With Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton already serving the interests of the socialist-dominated U.N., conservatives like you and I cannot afford to sit back and allow Bill Clinton the chance to corrupt the rest of the world and impose 'global taxation' on our families."

One Clinton friend finds it "amazing that [Helms would] would take such a partisan swipe to encourage tax-deductible contributions to a center that brags about being 'nonpartisan' on its Web site. Talk about wasteful government tax policies!"

Meanwhile, Clinton defenders are taking aim at claims that attendance at his presidential library in Little Rock, Ark., has been disappointing.

The Clinton library drew more than 120,000 visitors in the first six weeks - a number far inferior to the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush libraries, according to one report.

But a Bush library spokesman told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that 41's library drew 67,677 visitors in 1997 during the same time period. A Reagan library rep said Ronnie's place pulled in 96,577 visitors.

One thing seems clear: The Clintons are still stars in New York. On Sunday, Bill, Hillary and daughter Chelsea won a standing ovation from fellow audience members when they took their seats at the Brooklyn Academy of Music performance of "As You Like It."

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

Ludicrous. The UNSG has always been selected based on a specific geographical rotation, and it ain't North America's turn. Also, in virtually every instance, the UNSG has been chosen from within the UN organization, and as a representative of a non-superpower nation.

Bill has the same chance of being UNSG that Hillary does of becoming President. Which is sad, because frankly, given recent precedent, we would be a lot better off with a UNSG as proactive and ethical as Bill Clinton.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35763

When it doesn't happen, Helms can doubtless claim credit for preventing it. He has already prevented Castro from taking over the world.

The attraction of Clinton as Secretary-General is, in part, that most nations respect his foreign policy credentials, even if they didn't agree with his actions. Part of that might just be that they think that, good or not, he was at least aware of the complexities of international issues, although that is just a guess on my part.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35763

He might well be, actually, a very effective Secretary-General, I think. But I agree with Jr that it isn't going to happen. Even if it was likely, Helms' opposition to it should perhaps be a recommendation, for the man isn't sane when he is obsessed (at least if his Cuban embargo enthusiasm is anything to go by).

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
Posts: 11596

"You know that when Jesse Helms finally dies, he's gonna commit suicide first of all in a washtub outside, underneath a pecan tree. He's gonna slash his wrists and write in blood, "I've been a bad boy." But you know they're going to find the skins of young children drying in his attic, swarms of horseflies going in and out of the eaves, and on CNN over and over, his wife going, "I always wondered about Jesse's collection of little shoes."

Unfortunately, he outlived Bill Hicks.

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Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Here
Posts: 181

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/un/life/job.html#1

No permanent security council member nation can be nominated, and it rotates Africa, Asia, Latin america, E Europe, other.

Except everyone ignored that to get kofi anaan in a second term, so Clinton is not totally out. I suspect if he wants it he stands a good chance.
I mean name one other UN senior politico...

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: China
Posts: 11795

Hans Blix

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Registered: Aug 2001
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Originally posted by lifeisgood

Except everyone ignored that to get kofi anaan in a second term, so Clinton is not totally out. I suspect if he wants it he stands a good chance.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35763

quote:

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Originally posted by Aydin
Hans Blix

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

quote:

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Originally posted by lifeisgood
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/un/life/job.html#1

No permanent security council member nation can be nominated

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35763

Did she have to be 'from' New York? Surely she just had to be resident in New York?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10477

quote:

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Originally posted by lifeisgood
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/un/life/job.html#1Except everyone ignored that to get kofi anaan in a second term, so Clinton is not totally out. I suspect if he wants it he stands a good chance.
I mean name one other UN senior politico...

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