eorgia senator Zell Miller brought a congressional debate over the judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada to a screeching halt Tuesday, pitching a spectacular tantrum that left members of the Senate shaken and, if they were from the South, in denial of being from the South. Beating a wooden spoon on an empty coffee can, Miller called for attention and proceeded to deliver a rambling diatribe, punctuated by numerous down-homeisms and analogies involving coon hunting, which some believe was in protest of CBS's proposed reality show The Real Beverly Hillbillies. Full translated texts of the outburst were not available as of press time, as all known hillrods in the area had gone fishin'.

The controversial senator, known for attending congressional meetings barefoot and wearing a straw hat with denim overalls, has been barred from several debates in recent months for inappropriate bursts of banjo strumming and repeatedly not speaking English.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as a proud hillbilly let me say this: shame on you, CBS!
I don't know what they letters stands for but they Can't Be Serious! CBS as a network Coulda Been Somethin' but gone hafta settle for Caught Bein' Sneaks! Cause we of the hillbilly persuasion, and in that I speak for myself and others I know, ain't gonna let them get away with this crackerjack for one more minute!"

"Oh, Christ. Who let him out of his box?" whispered the unfortunately named Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. "There must not be any auto racing on today."

"Too long has hillbillies like myself, and remember I can say hillbilly because I am that, but you best don't, cause it's offensive and will get you a slapped mouth, but we the people have too long been the backside of popular humor at our expenses," continued Sen. Miller. "Offensive comic strips like Snuffy Smith and Lil Abner is just one example. Except for that one where Snuffy gets his foot caught in a beaver den, that was a hoot and a hollar."

"Good lord," groaned Tennessee senator Bill Frist. "At least he left his damned dogs at home this time."

As if on cue, four mangy hound dogs burst loudly into the Senate chamber at that moment and ran around the floor, barking and smelling things. The dogs had to be corralled by Sen. Miller, who offered them bits of raw pork from his pockets.

The proposed CBS show that started the ruckus would have been an update of the popular 60's sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, only featuring real hillbillies in real danger.

"All throughout hist'ry there has been people who needed to look down on someone as less than theyselves, and the hillbillies next door have long been such a convenient target. No more, gents! The dignity of mountain people shall never again be trampled on by anyonest but theyselves."

"I know he's a Georgia man," confided Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "But I'm telling you… He must've had some serious absentee votes from West Virginia or something. Because damn."

Florida governor Jeb Bush appeared and provided a quote without being prompted. "South? No, Florida's not part of the South. Who told you that? Florida's not really the South. I mean, yes, geographically it is south of some states, but inbred retard speaking, we're not really 'the South' at all. Florida has a large relocated population, and the simple fact of the matter is we have way too many Jews to be considered part of the South. Jews and the South don't mix; they're like Kurds and Wheys. Scientific fact. And yes, I admit to being from Texas, but that's beside the point. As everyone knows Texas is its own nation, like the District of Columbia."

Debate continued on the Senate floor over who was really from the South, while Sen. Miller led his dogs to a rusted-out pickup truck parked on the front lawn of the Capitol.

merica breathed a collective, if bored, sigh of relief Wednesday when missing Utah teen-ager Elizabeth Smart was found alive and well after being abducted last June from her bedroom. Police are calling the recovery of the teen a rare happy outcome to a potential tragedy; critics, however, are calling the fairy-tale ending trite and manipulative.

The major breakthrough in the case came earlier this week after two separate witnesses contacted police with information that a suspect in the case had been spotted in Sandy, Utah. Police soon apprehended Brian David Mitchell, an unemployed shelterless self-proclaimed prophet with everlasting bedhead. Mitchell had previously worked as a handyman for the Smart family, under the bizarrely erotic pseudonym Emmanuel. Authorities were surprised to discover Elizabeth Smart in shoddy wig and sunglasses disguise with Mitchell at the time of arrest, as well as cartoon witch Broomhilda, whom police claimed was Mitchell's wife Wanda Barzee.

Law enforcement and child safety advocates are applauding the teen-ager's safe return, but the more thick-skinned media critics are less kind. The New York Times resident crime reviewer Durill Barry Fields even referred to the case's conclusion as "claptrap."

"This fascinating story of a family's struggle to cope with loss—and even more intriguing, the absence of closure—came tumbling to a lifeless deadweight resolution Wednesday," Fields wrote in the Times' weekend section. "The little girl returns home, unharmed, and everybody's happy—except those of us who watched this potentially disturbing and effective abduction story from day one. What a disappointment to spend nine months of considerable worry on a story whose ending would be rejected at Law & Order."

The duration of the kidnapping bothered other critics as well. The San Diego Review magazine's resident media sniper Hatley Wells took more issue with the time than the ending.

"It's completely difficult to make an original abduction these days. Personally I'm not a fan of the genre," wrote Hatley in Friday's edition. "While I appreciate what Mitchell tried to do with this kidnapping, any good criminal should recognize when their crime has worn out its welcome. Walking down the street in broad daylight alongside his victim, many will no doubt say he wanted to be caught—it would have been a much better idea to want to be caught about seven months ago, before this whole thing blew its suspense factor."

Even the usually easily-pleased media critics are reluctant to say much good about the crime. Early word has it that TV Guide is already leaking advanced press from next week's issue, where they "jeer" the kidnapping. Though they compliment the creative "prophet for the homeless" angle and Ms. Smart's "true-to-life" performance under pressure, they echo critics who slam the lackadaisical, violence-free capture of the terrorizing crazy abductors. The TV Guide review follows another Jeer to this year's ho-hum Survivor and precedes a Cheer to a "warm and dazzling" Will & Grace that tactfully addresses the subject of coming out at work.

Truth be told, I've never had any sexual dreams of any kind involving Prince. I know that's kind of surprising, since you assume most people have, but not me. Not that I think I'm above it or anything, or like I'd freak out and join the Marines or something if I did have one. I'd be cool with it. Just never had one.

I did once have a pretty crazy dream involving the B-52's and the cast of Sledge Hammer! in Waikiki. I wasn't in Waikiki at the time, but the dream was. That was pretty hot, in a vaguely disturbing kind of way. Weird to think I'm probably the only person on earth who gets aroused at the sight of David Rasche. Luckily it doesn't really come up that often.

Whenever you tell someone something like that (and if you haven't already, I'd probably recommend not telling anyone and avoiding the problem all together) usually they think that you're either (A) a pathological liar or (B) a pervert.



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