Both the Iraq debacle and the ugly CIA crack story add yet more examples--as if we needed them after the garish farces in San Diego and Chicago--of the essentially indistinguishable nature of the two major political parties and their current candidates for President. Other examples include, but are not limited to: free trade; trashing the environment; attacking civil liberties; slashing welfare and food stamps; scapegoating youth, minorities and immigrants; lavishing excess billions on the Pentagon; expanding the death penalty; tripling the prison population; queer-bashing; conservative court appointments; hostility to campaign reform; rolling back affirmative action; and, of course, an obsessive love of corporate welfare. Indeed, meaningful differences between Democrat and Republican seem to occur these days only when no significant money is involved.

Clinton will be in Seattle next week (Wednesday the 18th) to accept bribes--er, raise money--and campaign. There will be a $10,000 a plate dinner at Columbia Tower, and an evening fundraiser at the Paramount. And, a Citizens-Against-Tweedledum event is being organized by a number of local activist groups to draw attention to our one-party corporate state and urge people to reclaim a political process that's supposed to belong to us. Spread the word! There's a planning meeting Thursday evening at Central Area Motivation Project (722 18th Ave. in the C.D.) at 7:00 PM; there are flyers available and much work to be done. To plug in call 547-0952.

On the 18th, gather at 6:00 P.M. at Westlake Park downtown, and be prepared to make a lot of noise. The real spectrum in U.S. politics is not the meaningless pseudo- debates between left and right; it is the chasm between the wealthy and all the rest of us. They've got the money, but we've got the numbers; let's use those numbers. Be there!