Where there's smoke…

Is there fire at the House? There's so much smoke about ousters there that one cannot help suspecting that there may indeed be some truth to the speculations that Speaker Jose de Venecia has great need to watch his back these days. Anyway, this has been going on for a long time now, starting from the day his son and namesake, Joey, came out and told the world stories about the infamous broadband ZTE deal where he stepped on too many toes, some of them very important ones. Now it's his Daddy who may have to pay the piper.

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The younger De Venecia was shown on TV arriving from a protracted stay in the United States where he had fled when he allegedly started getting death threats via text. He said he had returned to again testify before the Senate on what he knows about L'Affaire Broadband. Strangely, however, when testifying time came around yesterday, neither he nor the two kids on the Malacañang Block, who had also been summoned to the same hearing, were anywhere to be found. Did any wheeling and dealing take place on the way to the Senate?

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But the late news last night had more intriguing stories. It showed one of the expected STAR witnesses, Rodolfo Lozada Jr. checking out of RP, on his way to Hongkong and who knows where else, allegedly on an “official mission” that could take anywhere from one week to one year. The two others with starring roles, young De Venecia and the hardened former NEDA chief, Romulo Neri, were also no-show. So the Senate probes and the corresponding “evidences” continue to lie there and will possibly die there until they are glossed over by bigger and later scandals.

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Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda was quoted as saying that she does not need to have a husband to run – for what, the report was unclear. But what she must surely mean is that she does not think having a First Gentleman, as presidential spouses have come to be known in this country, is necessary to become an effective president. In fact, some people think that a first gentleman could even be a drag on the presidency. Even in one's candidacy, as the supporters of Barack Obama are trying to underscore, by slamming the help Bill Clinton is giving to his wife's current campaign. So, go for it, Loren, be glad you have already shed the one who could have been the biggest albatross in your campaign.

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Now they say it's a man. After failing to pin the blame for the escape of one of the key men in the Peninsula Hotel affair – where the battle between the Media and the Police and Military began – on the girls, they are now zeroing in on a man seen wearing a PLDT uniform in those tricky videos. The telephone company worker, expressing righteous indignation, also slammed the cops for pouncing on him when they could not make their accusations against les girls stick. And when he sounded as if he, too, is very much against this government, lo! The cops found themselves a motive: the guy could be charged for inciting to sedition. A scapegoat at last?

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The admission of President George W. Bush that the American economy is indeed in the doldrums now could be a death knell for the bid of the Republican Party candidate for President. Is U.S. history repeating itself? When his father, the first President George Bush was being challenged by the charismatic youngster called Bill Clinton, the catch phrase that held on was one centering on the country's problem that said “It's the economy, stupid!” Now the coming elections there may re-echo that line and, again, make it stick.

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I could see that the Kennedys would be behind Obama and not Hillary Clinton. Why should they let the Clintons have another run in the White House? Their own family, as popular and wealthy as they had been, was not able to do it. Their flagbearer, Joseph, was killed in World War II, the next in line, Jack, died too early in Texas , and Robert, the one positioning behind him was assassinated, too. As for the next aspirant, Edward, or Ted, the corpse of a young woman found in a lake with the exotic name of Chappaquiddick, brought an end to his presidential aspirations, too. Note that even the talented, handsome, popular and also charismatic Junior of JFK, was also taken away in the crash of a plane he himself was flying. Are there any Kennedys lining up now? None that the world can see yet.*

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