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Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

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WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING? The Green Party's presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, was in the River City Thursday and Friday and gave what was, for him, a rousing speech to a standing-room-only crowd at Webster University. He arrived 30 minutes late for the gathering of faithful as a result of an appearance on Good Morning America by way of a local feed and a stop at the Post-Dispatch to regale the editorial board. The Nader handlers hope that the P-D and other mainstream papers will support the inclusion of the Green Party candidate and the Reform Party's Pat Buchanan in the presidential debates. In his speech, Nader bashed Congress, calling senators "corporate henchmen," and cited statistics showing that most workers today are making less in inflation-adjusted dollars than they were 10 years ago and that, compared with 25 years ago, workers are working 160 more hours per year.

In a postevent press conference, Nader predicted a big demonstration at the first debate in Boston and said he hoped people in Missouri would oppose the limited field of the Anheuser-Busch-sponsored debate at Washington University in October. Efforts will be made, he says, to get a Bush-Gore-Buchanan-Nader debate on some other major media outlet.

"If we get a four-way debate, all bets are off," Nader says of his chances.

THIS GUY HAS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND A GUN: Muchas gracias to the anonymous e-mailer who informed us that the St. Louis Police Officers Association chat room has been replaced by "Coptalk," which can be accessed at go.to/coptalk. It's depressingly/refreshingly the same material, sometimes informative, now and then insightful and, more often than desired, downright scary. The killing of two men on a North County Jack in the Box parking lot during a botched drug bust was a hot topic last week. The FBI is investigating the shootings. (Possible Q&A in inquiry: "Q: Was the suspect packing a weapon? A: Well, he was driving a car.") One anonymous messenger on "Coptalk" had this to say about the criticism and demonstrations about the two deaths: "Always remember this: It takes less than six-tenths of a second to make a life-or-death decision and it takes a scum-sucking dog lawyer, with his pack of mongrel second-guessing liberal-media cowards, loudmouthed racists and any other soft, tear-squeezing puke who happens along, six months to try to incarcerate us for doing our jobs." Okeedokee, Smokey. Let's flip the advice given cops years ago at the beginning of Hill Street Blues -- maybe it's better suited for citizens: "Be careful out there." Very careful.

Give D.J. Wilson your feedback by e-mailing "Short Cuts" at shortcuts@riverfronttimes.com, faxing 314-615-6716 or calling 314-615-6711.

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