Who's who.

• Author: Threadgill, Susan

World Cup fever apparently never reached the White House. Shortly before the United States' historic triumph over Mexico, Mexican President Vicente Fox sent an invitation to President George W. Bush, who was in Crawford, Texas, suggesting they watch the game together at a neutral location on the border. No dice, came the reply from a Bush staffer: The president would be asleep at kickoff (2:30 a.m. EST).

Now that Ralph Nader has put George W. Bush in the White House, the Green Party is turning its attention toward helping the GOP take back the Senate. Greens in Minnesota have inexplicably targeted the Senate's most progressive Democratic member, Paul Wellstone, who faces a strong challenge from former St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman. The Green candidate, Ed McGaa, is even more of an oddball than might be expected--so much so that one party member admitted to The Progressive's Ruth Conniff that the Greens knew almost nothing about him when they nominated him: "Unfortunately, we're just finding out," he said. Turns out McGaa's pro-military, pro-hunting, meateater resume doesn't quite square with the Green Party platform.

In 1992, after environmentalists lampooned his attempts to campaign as the "environmental candidate," George H.W. Bush hastily flew to Rio de Janeiro to attend the first U.N. Earth Summit--where he promptly refused to sign international treaties on biodiversity and global warming. Ten years later, George W. Bush, under growing fire from Democrats for his environmental record, must decide whether to attend the 2002 Earth Summit in late August. More than 45 world leaders will convene in Johannesburg, South Africa, to contemplate new international agreements on sustainable development. Luminaries include British Prime Minister To ny Blair, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is said to be considering, as is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who may be there to celebrate Russia's anticipated ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

The administration has stated that Bush won't attend, and certainly isn't going to let EPA Administrator Christine Whitman run amok with so many European environmentalists. Instead, the U.S. will be represented by...