(Actually, I threw in an aside yesterday about "President Gore," but no one picked up on it.)

I'd wager we all saw it, and couldn't think of anythign clever to say. Funny thing about all this: In a recent Newsweek a former Congressman who just got out of jail was talking about how he was disgusted byt the current Congress. *ALL* they do is posture, they don't even bother going through the motions of passing legislation. The Congress of the 80s at least *did* something. (Okay, so it wasn't very useful, or good, but a Congress that does nothign can't be changed with any effect, one that actually gets things done once in a while, if persuaded to change a little, might be a benefit...) If anyone cares, I might still have that one, I can look up who it was...

Personally, I think having a crippled and ineffective President is better than having an activist bozo President Gore, so I'm kind of hoping this whole affairs takes several more months to unwind.

--Tim May

The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^2,976,221 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

Ryan Anderson - Alpha Geek PGP fp: 7E 8E C6 54 96 AC D9 57 E4 F8 AE 9C 10 7E 78 C9 print pack"C*",split/\D+/,`echo "16iII*o\U@{$/=$z;[(pop,pop,unpack"H*",<> )]}\EsMsKsN0[lN*1lK[d2%Sa2/d0<X+d*lMLa^*lN%0]dsXx++lMlN/dsM0<J]dsJxp"|dc`

At 1:13 AM -0800 1/24/98, Anonymous wrote:

The more important silence is about the instant sentencing of the Unabomber compared to Jim Bell's sentencing. What _is_ happening with Jim?

Because it was so utterly obvious that Kaczynski _was_ the Unabomber, through diaries, physical evidence, his plea bargaining discussions, and confessions in his other writings, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. (I thought all the foofaw about whether Kaczynski was the Unabomber or not was fatuous nonsense...in my world, when you find bomb materials in a home, with no evidence they were planted there by the FBI or BATF, and you find diaries and papers and bomb plans, and travel documents match the dates in question, and on and on, then it is impossible with a straight face to talk about the issue of guilt still be up in the air....I guess this is why I'll never be a juror.) I generally favor having very, very few things made criminal, but having very, very fast and efficient trials. E.g., a court date set for several weeks after an arrest, a week-long trial, and execution (if decided upon) a few weeks later. So, Kaczynski, O.J., the Menendez brothers, and their ilk would have gotten fast trials and quick trips to the wall. (For those who think this is inconsistent with anarchist or crypto anarchist views, reread the sections of "The Diamond Age" where the mugger was dispatched off the end of the pier. Polycentric law doesn't mean charade trials which last for a year, with appeals and delays lasting another 10 years.) BTW, Kaczynski is apparently no crazier that any number of Cypherpunks I have met, including myself. Recall that a leading Cypherpunk was suspected for a while as being the Unabomber.

I saw that. There are rumors floating about that they have the goods on Gore too, his hands are certainly as dirty as Slick Willie's. I'd

Yeah I've read reports that the FBI has surveillance tapes of him taking bribes ("campaign contributions") from Asian and other donors. With him implicating the Administration directly. It could well be that this is what has kept both Louis Freeh and Janet Reno in office: they have the goods on Clinton and Gore. I'll say this about Janet Reno: she certainly acted swifty. (Which probably shows the 20 hours of taped conversations and other evidence is overwhelming, for Reno to so quickly authorize the attempt to sting the President.) Though it was too bad she didn't use Waco tactics and send the tanks in to send incendiary materials through windows of the White House. --Tim May The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^2,976,221 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

[TCM]

BTW, Kaczynski is apparently no crazier that any number of Cypherpunks I have met, including myself.

hee, hee.

Recall that a leading Cypherpunk was suspected for a while as being the Unabomber.

whoa, are you being facetious here or what? would you care to elaborate on that little tidbit?

AP, Washington. President Clinton today announced his "Blowjobs for Jobs" program, open to young interns, wealthy socialites, and Hollywood actresses. Clinton denied that this would be either improper behavior, adultery, or abuse of his official powers. "Hell, it ain't adultery, as Hillary would rather have me gettin' my oil changed in the Oval Office bathroom than do it herself, and it ain't abuse, cuz that's why I'm havin' these young thangs do it instead of it doin' it myself. I ain't no prevert." ... At 11:35 AM -0800 1/24/98, Declan McCullagh wrote:

Tim is right to bring this up. It will have immense impact on the issues the cypherpunks care about. How can Clinton talk about policy proposals (crypto, Net-taxes, etc.) when his presidency is spiraling away?

Well, actually it was Jonathan Wienke who brought it up...I just commented on it. I suppose one reason I hadn't attempted to write anything on it is that there was just SO MUCH STUFF on it. New details are emerging hourly, and we haven't even heard what's on the 20 hours of tape. Yes, it's a massively covered story. Is it overcovered? I don't think so. After all, the election campaign will generate 15 minutes of news coverage on the network news shows each and every day for almost 10 months, so why not this level of coverage for what looks to be the end of Clinton's Presidency? (With all that that implies for further loss of confidence in the democratic system (yay!).) There are some who are steadfastly saying "But Clinton has denied these charges." and "Let's wait until all the details come out." These folks appear to be either in denial or are just going through the motions. A vast amount of interesting evidence is accumulating, giving support to various serious charges. If they are roughly as we are hearing, modulo some possibly miscommunicated details, then Clinton and others are in deep shit. (Perjury, subornation of perjury, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and possibly offering Lewinsky and others jobs if they'll lie, itself a misuse of office.) I could go on, mentioning all the various news items. (I get CNN, CNBC, all the usual networks, MSNBC, Fox News, and so on, so there is a vast amount of news and analysis I hear.)

At the daily press briefing yesterday, McCurry tried to talk about some welfare plan or something. Whatever. Doesn't matter what it was; I don't remember -- point is you don't see it on the front page of newspapers today.

I watched this live. McCurry is clearly not being informed on details. (Which he's probably just as happy about, as elsewise he could be subpoenaed as a material witness.)

Note the grand jury is set to meet next Tues, not coincidentally, the day of the SoUA. A week ago everyone was scrambling to find out what was going to be in it. Nobody cares anymore. I may sit in on it in the press gallery just to see the dynamic and hear the catcalls.

It is a feeding frenzy, that much is for sure. But it's having the effect of triggering more revelations...like the oral sex. phone sex, four other women, etc. revelations. (Hey, when those tapes of Clinton having phone sex with Lewinsky come out...no pun intended...those will be heady times, snicker snicker.)

Where I work, most of the folks are liberals. Before this week, they lent scant credence to Paula Jones etc. -- the previous Bimbo Eruptions. This time is different. This time there is serious talk of impeachment: what the legal standards are, what the Republicans are doing on the Hill, what this means for Gore.

This time, it's for real. Yep. He's going down.

(No pun intended, as it appears the "servicing" of him in the White House was strictly in the other direction. Clinton and his "Blowjobs for Jobs" program.) --Tim May The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^2,976,221 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."