From:   Top5 Productions
Date:   November 19, 1999 10:44 PST
Subject:   The Daily Probe -- November 19, 1999

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    [ Copyright 1999 by Chris White     in-@dailyprobe.com ]
        

                         November 19, 1999

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[                          DOMESTIC NEWS                          ]
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              BUT DOES *ANYTHING* GROW WHEN HE LIES?

WASHINGTON DC (DPI) - As the race for the Democratic presidential
nomination thundered into the second furlong, diminutive former
Secretary of Labor Robert Reich today announced his support for the
candidacy of former senator Bill Bradley (Long Drink of Water - NJ).
Reich, the son of an immigrant puppet maker from some nameless
European fairy-tale-looking town, said in his announcement, "I felt
some residual loyalty to Mr. Gore since he was my vice-boss, so to
speak, but he just seemed too wooden. I have a thing about that.
In the end, as always, I let my conscience be my guide." Since his
resignation following the first Clinton term, Mr. Reich has been a
college professor at Nehigh University. He also wrote a book,
"Locked in the Cabinet," detailing the cruel jokes that government
colleagues had played on him. Before his career in academia and
government and then hot-foot back to academia, Mr. Reich was a
stunt double for famous actor Charlie McCarthy. His second major
job was as a product tester for McDonald's hamster-habitat
playground equipment, where wounds inflicted on others by his hard
shiny saddle oxfords prompted the famous "no shoes" policy that
made McDonald's playgrounds the safest in the land.

Mr. Bradley welcomed the endorsement, saying, "I welcome Bob's
endorsement." In a statement that some view as a signal that
Mr. Reich may have a place in any future Bradley administration,
Mr. Bradley also said, "Bob brings a valuable new perspective to my
campaign. I tend to focus on high-level issues, but he can keep me
in touch with the grass roots. He can help me jockey for position
as the race tightens up. He has the lowdown on labor, for sure.
He is the wind beneath my knees." Campaign observers also saw a
crew of workmen building a portable scaffold that would help
Mr. Reich avoid a repeat of the embarrassment of having the
presidential candidate hold him up to the microphone during
campaign speeches.

- Reported by Chris Jones

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                         THE JOKE'S ON US

WASHINGTON DC (DPI) - C-Span broadcast the annual Funniest Person
in Washington contest over the weekend, as a pleasant distraction
from Congress' holy crusade against the budget surplus. The evening
started rather frighteningly when Bill Bradley was rushed to a
hospital where doctors worked for over an hour to revive him, before
discovering the Senator was just doing an impersonation of Al Gore's
campaign. John McCain had the crowd roaring with a reprise of his
famous five-year headlining act before a captive audience at the
fabulous Hanoi Hilton, "Hu's the Warden, Angor Wat's My Target,
and I Don't Know What We're Fighting For." The crowd seemed to
enjoy Pat Buchanan's joke about the communist, the isolationist,
and the bigot, until they realized he was just introducing his
campaign staff. But the highlight of the evening was George W.
Bush's hilarious bit about being qualified to be President.

- Reported by Probe Political Correspondent Jonathan Colan

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                         YOU BET YOUR LIFE

HARTFORD, CT (DPI) - Tuesday, Harve Richards bet his own life
against $200,000 of the Livingstone Life Insurance Company that he
would die (by means other than suicide) before his 78th birthday.
"Sure, it's a big gamble. But the $17.99 'premium' a month is
nothin'. Hell, I spend that much on women's underwear in a week,"
Mr. Richards said. "And hey, if I die before I'm 78, I win! It's
almost a sucker's bet."

"Yes, we sold Mr. Richards a life insurance policy last week. Yes,
we know it's gambling and thus may be considered illegal, but I
can't believe Mr. Richards went for it! What a dupe!" a represent-
ative from Livingstone Life Insurance Company said. "Mr. Richards
is gonna live to be 78 like I'm gonna make my quota this year.
He's such a rube! I bet you a non-smoking rider we can get him to
go for double or nothing when he's 72. If he makes it that long.
And with his propensity to consume almost superhuman amounts of
sodium nitrate, that's statistically highly unlikely."

The Attorney General's office could not be reached for a comment,
but in 1993, a similar gambling scam involving automobile drivers
and so-called "car insurance companies" ended with the resignation
of the entire insurance advisory panel, their housekeepers,
personal masseuses, and gardening staffs.

- Reported by Martell Stroup

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                       BUT IT'S QUALITY TIME

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (DPI) -- Abigail Blair's needs were simple and
reflective of what every good parent wants: the San Mateo housewife
hoped to buy her daughter's love by reinforcing a particularly
close bonding experience through the time-honored means of mindless
consumerism. The result: tragedy.

Abigail and her daughter Minnimia Woodhull were splashed as a
passing car's tires dashed through a water puddle while they were
standing too near the curb. This poignant moment will remain only
a memory, however, because of what happened next. Ms. Blair recalls:
"Of course, after I dropped her off at day care and got back home
I immediately surfed over to E-toys.com. I searched on 'splashed by
a passing car.' I searched on 'standing on a curb, soaked to the
skin and laughing.' I searched and searched, and E-toys failed to
deliver the perfect toy. Their commercials are totally misleading.
My daughter needs something bought for her and she needs it NOW!
That is why I'm suing E-toys for $10,000,000 plus emotional
distress."

E-toys refused comment, but suggested Ms. Blair narrow her search
to "Displaced Yuppie-With-Child Guilt."

- Reported by Brian Jones

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