Trading places?

To the San Francisco Bay Times:

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has been taking noisy public stands lately on California state and local issues. Why bother? Isn't she quite busy enough with national and world issues? Or is she "thinking locally" because she's considering a run for Governor?

"DiFi" could beat any California Democrat, and ALMOST any Republican --
with the unique exception of Arnold.

In parallel, will Arnold tire of the Sacramento blame-game? He's been having a rough ride during budget season, which has repeatedly caused him to violate his own campaign promises. The legislature is a four-ring circus of hardball players who pride themselves on hugging in public and knifing in private. They may be unable to govern effectively, but they're experts at klepto-tricknology. Nobody since Willie Brown has been able to herd these wildcats. Certainly Arnold can't.
And elected officials are just the visible tip of the Sacto iceberg. As for the permanent rulers, below the radar -- the bureaucrats and the lobbyists who seduce them -- they can often do as they please, without any fear of punishment by voters.

Feinstein's 6-year Senate term ends on 3 January 2007, so she must run in November 2006 if she wants to re-up as an Honorary Patriarch -- a rare female member of America's most exclusive men's club.

Meanwhile, Arnold is serving out the remainder of hapless Gray Davis's 4-year term, which also ends in January 2007. If he really wants four more years as Governator, then he too must run in November 2006. By the intersection of a six-year cycle with a four-year cycle, an auspicious window opens.

If Arnold and Dianne both run for the same office, Arnold will probably win --
but only after a bloody and costly civil war,
leaving the victor to harvest a crop of bi-partisan bitterness.

But if he and she run for two different offices, they'll both win, with almost no sweat.
As centrists, each can draw votes from both major parties.

So your undersigned girly-man asks, "Will Mr. RINO and Ms. DINO scratch each other's backs?
Will they cut a win-win deal, painlessly trading places?"



Aunti Tortuga Bi LIBERTY,
San Francisco
Sunday, 22 August 2004

...........
P.S. Here's a
CALENDAR 4 FREEDOM-SEEKERS
( compiled by SUN; plus info from HTC ):
........
For more queer events in the SF Gay Area,
please visit Larry-bob at HTC:

[ http://www.holytitclamps.com/ ]
...........
Please FORWARD freely, as appropriate.
...........


CAL-SF: 22 August, Sunday, 7pm:
Bayview-Hunters Point community
vigil for a murdered transgender woman,
Ms. Tony ("Delicious") Green, 46.

For details, please see San Francisco Chronicle:
[ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/21/BAGRU8C9NL1.DTL ]

...........

MASS.: 25-29 Aug.: 2nd LGBTI Health Summit, in liberal Cambridge.
[ http://www.healthSummit2004.org ]
.........

NEW YORK: circa Aug. 27 - Sept. 4: NYC: RNC and protests.
For info, please see:
[ http://www.counterConvention.org ]

Republican National Convention will attempt to
exploit a nation's traumatic memories of 9-11-2001, by portraying the
Bush regime as effectively "fighting terror". Some protesters will claim that Iraq War
has drained resources away from fighting Al Qaeda and similar groups.
Others will raise many issues, including equal marriage rights.
......
Meanwhile, Cheney decides whether to seek a second term as veep.
[ His poor health allows him to retire, without much embarrassment,
at any moment. ]
.......

NEW YORK city: Aug. 29, Sunday, AM:
CodePink participates in big anti-war demo.
For info, please see:
[ http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/07/1688689.php ]
..........................................................

SEPTEMBER 2004:

USA: (NYC?): Sept. 1: Mass PANTY-FLASHING by "the Axis of Eve":
at 3pm, one hundred women in trench-coats will perform a group flashing
of their slogan-bearing panties, to protest against the Bush regime.
For details of event, and to buy protest panties, please visit website
[ http://www.AxisOfEve.org ]
..........

CAL-SF: thru Sept. 5:
Margo Gomez
presents
INTIMATE DETAILS:
[ http://www.theRhino.org ]
.........

USA: 4-5-6 Sept: Labor Day weekend.
Visit your local nude beach,
or Burning Man.
........

CAL: Sept 5: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.
.......

CAL: SF: Sept. 8 thru 19:
Fringe Festival.
[ http://www.sfFringe.org ]

.........


**CAL-SF: 13 Sept, Monday, 7pm:
listen to Carol Leigh (Scarlot Harlot), the UNREPENTANT WHORE,
at A Different Light bookshop, 489 Castro St (near 18th St). Free.
[ http://www.ADLbooks.com ]

..........

MASS: 14 Sept., Tuesday: state primary election, in which candidates' chances
may (or may not) be affected by the MA same-sex marriage controversy.
........

USA: circa 15 Sept. to 15 Oct: Hispanic Heritage Month.
........

MEXICO and USA: Sept. 16: Mexican Independence Day.
........
***CAL, northern: 17-19 Sept.: NUDESTOCK:
annual clothing-optional music weekend.
Advance registration required.
[ http://www.NudestockFestival.com ]


LOUISIANA: 18 Sept., Saturday: state primary election;
including vote on anti-marriage amendment to state constitution.
........

CAL, northern: circa 19 Sept., Sunday (?): Berkeley:
Will X-plicit Players again hold
a clothing-optional event in Peoples Park ?
......

*** CAL: SF: Sept. 26, Sunday, 11AM to 6PM:
Demonstrate nude for peace at clothing-optional FOLSOM STREET FAIR!
Distribute leaflets against circumcision of infants.
[ http://FolsomStreetEvents.org/ ]
In SF's SoMa district, on Folsom St, from 7th St to 12th St.
Always on last Sunday of each September.
Expect around 400,000 leatherfolk, friends, and fans.
Please donate when you enter.

............................

OCTOBER 2004:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month,
Breast Cancer Awareness Month;
Hispanic Heritage Month (until Oct. 15).
.......

CAL: SF: Love Parade ???
...........

USA: Will Bush, and/or terrorists, stage another "October Surprise" ?
.......
NEW YORK: October 1st, Friday morning, early:
Spencer Tunick's next Naked Pavement photo-shoot will take place 1 October at 6:45 AM,
in New York City on 13th Street between Washington Street and the West Side Highway.
All are welcome to pose.
The shoot is part of Extremely Refrigerated, a two-week art and performance installation taking place in New York's meat-market district and on the Internet. It's being produced by the Floating Point Unit transmedia art collective.
More info at HotWired: Retina - Naked City:
[ http://hotwired.wired.com/retina/95/33/naked/ ]
........

CAL: SF: circa 2-3 Oct. (first weekend): "Strictly Bluegrass" festival, in Golden Gate Park. Free.
.........

USA: 4-11 October:
" Marriage Equality California Caravan
and National Rally in Washington D.C.
From October 4-11, 2004, marriage activists will leave San Francisco and cross the
country to Washington D.C. on the Marriage Equality Express, making 14 stops to
network with local marriage activists and spread the fire for marriage equality
nation-wide.
EQCA and MECA will post daily blogs from the riders.
Consider going to Washington D.C. for the
National Marriage Equality Rally
on National Coming Out Day
in the Upper Senate Park -
hear Barney Frank, Mabel Teng, marriage plaintiffs,
civil rights advocates, Tuck and Patti and more.
To learn more about supporting the marriage caravan and rally go to

( http://www.marriageequalityca.org/events/2004/national-rally/index.php ).

+ [....] Register Absentee to Vote
Statistics show that registered voters are five times more likely to actually vote,
when they vote by mail.
To register to vote absentee go to

( http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm ). "
[-- MECA]
.........

CAL: SF: early Oct. (Oct. 3 ??): Castro Street Fair.
Top-optional; but genitals are banned.
..........
CAL: Oct 3: SF, Cable 29: "Outlook" [queer news], first Sunday, 5pm.
.........
USA: early October: U.S. Supreme Court starts 2004-2005 term.
......
CA: SF: 9 October 2004:
first annual Nude Peace Day at Baker Beach:

*** N U D E PEACE DAY: You're invited to bodypaint and get bodypainted, for peace and freedom, on N u d e Peace Day, the second Saturday of each October, at Baker Beach, San Francisco. Free. Adults of all genders and orientations are welcome. Take #29 Muni bus to Baker Beach (either of two stops; ask driver); or bike there; or walk from Geary Blvd. and 25th Ave. Walk to northern parking lot, which has water fountain & toilets. From parking lot, walk north on beach (toward Golden Gate Bridge), thru prude zone and into clothing-optional zone. Then visually follow the cable fence (separating usable beach from protected vegetation) until you see a Leather Pride Flag (bearing a red heart, with stripes of black, blue, and white). If you don't see the flag yet, just enjoy the beach on your own. Look again for flag, or bodypainters, each hour, especially near the log stairway. Since organizers must carry supplies on bus, no reliable time can be guaranteed. We hope to be there by 2PM, possibly earlier. Rain cancels.
For details or last-minute changes, please see SUN [ http://pages.prodigy.net/seniornude ]
.............