Word: brazenness
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...Sleaze is Blowing Dept.: C. Boyden Gray, Bush's counselor and ethics advisor, finally agreed this week to place his assets in a blind trust, after initially stubbornly refusing to do so. Having a White House "ethics czar" is a fine idea, especially after the brazen disregard for ethical strictures that characterized the Reagan Administration. But the office is worthless unless it is occupied by someone who at least knows that the primary ethical concern of public officials should be scrupulously avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Gray probably knows, but he doesn't seem to care...
With Matador (1986) and Law of Desire (1987), Almodovar displayed his brazen assurance of style and vaulted from comic realism to soap-operatic mannerism. Matador is a contemporary vampire story: an ex-bullfighter and a woman lawyer, believing that death is the ultimate climax, impale each victim on the cold steel of their lust. Law of Desire draws a bent triangle: a gay movie director, his transsexual sister (Maura) and her adopted child's rightful mother (played by a Spanish drag queen). Revelations of murder, incest, suicide and lotsa hot sex follow, but the tone remains knowing, tender. As Matador...
Mamet is also famed for his dialogue, a distillation of the brazen, fast-talking, colorful speech of men (rarely women) motivated by avarice. His collaborator on the screenplay, Shel Silverstein, is known for his wonderfully subversive children's verse, as well as some scabrous poems for adults. One would think that between them they could come up with a wittier, juicier script than this...
Bush should also learn that there are some situations where brazen lies and intentional deceptions won't work. I'm referring to Barbara Bush. Does anyone really believe Barbara Bush is out there in the ghettos, teaching youngsters how to read? Does anyone really think that George walks around the vicepresidential living room, slapping Barbara on the butt after a tremendous meal? Bush's familial affections just don't match up to Dukakis' loving relationship with his wife. He shouldn't even try to compete...
...Canadian Broadcasting Corp., that Canada had uncovered a major Soviet | espionage ring. Mulroney confirmed that six days earlier Ottawa had expelled eight Soviet diplomats and declared nine others persona non grata for "improper and unacceptable behavior." That was a euphemism for what proved to be one of the most brazen Soviet efforts in years to steal supersecret American military technology...