It turns out that the odds of Strom Thurmond becoming president, at least for a few days, are now in the high double figures. It doesn't only happen after an improbable series of deadlocks -- it can also happen simply out of delay. According to Thursday's FT, "If nothing is decided by the time President Bill Clinton leaves office, House Speaker Dennis Hastert would be in line to become president. He would have to resign from Congress. Should he decide against that move, Senator Thurmond is next in line."
Resolved: Next time someone offers anything at 100,000 to 1, I'm betting a penny immediately.
Michael
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com