The fortnight that wasn’t
Tom Keane’s humor column
AFTER A new national poll showed Mitt Romney stuck in fourth place, the former Massachusetts governor vowed to shake up his campaign by taking new positions on hot-button issues on which he had previously taken new positions. “Abortion, gay rights, immigration - you name it. I’m ready to be firm, resolute, and unwavering on whatever you want,” Romney told audiences.
Meanwhile, the same poll showed over 50 percent of Democrats now support Hillary Clinton for president, attracted to the former first lady largely because of her warmth, compassion, and sense of humor.
President Bush met in the Oval Office with the Dalai Lama for a private conversation about peace, love, and understanding. Bush said he had enjoyed the respite from his daily affairs as he turned his attention afterward to sustaining his veto of a children’s healthcare program and circumventing congressional restrictions on torture.
Archaeologists discovered an 11,000-year-old wall painting in an underground cave dwelling in northern Syria. The scientists said only a portion of the drawing had been preserved as it appeared that much of it had been erased by an irate mother upset at her child for defacing the family’s home.
French citizens were upset after President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was divorcing his wife, Cecilia. “This has never happened before,” said one observer. “Our leaders are supposed to take lovers, not split up.” Commentators said Sarkozy’s refusal to honor the French tradition of maîtresse en titre showed he really was far too beholden to Americans. [more]