The first time was a tragedy for the millions of people who bought Perot's snake oil; the second time, farce; a third time, travesty? The language of his book proposal shows he's serious about re-igniting his crusade and maybe even rebuilding some kind of mass organization. "We have no intention of going to Washington as if we could change its cold hearts and closed minds all by ourselves," Perot and Champy write (emphasis added). Later, they add, "Nothing so impresses Congress as a sudden groundswell that threatens to wash a couple of hundred members out of office. Accordingly, we appeal to you, the American people, the one invincible force with the power to fix our country. Only if you join us can we succeed; only with your help can our country keep its freedom."

All of this is plainly reminiscent of Perot's hopes for United We Stand America. But as someone who has spent hundreds of hours interviewing the leaders and activists of that now-defunct organization, I can say with some confidence that the last person those people -- many of whom still worry about the issues Perot wants to raise -- will follow into battle is Ross the Boss.

Perhaps we should blame Washington Post columnist David Broder for conjuring the dead back to life with his recent column on the metastasizing government deficit, "Where is Ross Perot Now That We Need Him?" Indeed, Perot's agent makes neat use of that piece in her covering note on the proposal. But Perot is mad about more than Bush's tax cuts, which he clearly (and correctly) blames for blowing the budget hole wide open. He also thinks the country is awash in "waves of jingoism" since 9/11 and offers sane counsel for dealing with the threat of terrorism: "Avoid panic and judge the odds like poker players." Most refreshing, he's got no use for the Bush administration's efforts "to hobble the commissions appointed to investigate 9/11" and slams the USA PATRIOT Act for going too far. Perot, who played the libertarian when he ran for office but zealously policed the private lives of his employees, now attacks the government's holding incommunicado of American citizens Jose Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi as the equivalent of the "Star Chamber trials of 17th century Britain or Josef Stalin's gulag."

"We, the people, must restore rational thought and sound management principles to our government," Perot and Champy write. It almost sounds good, until you remember Perot's penchant for irrational thought and military management principles. Perot refers to himself, "with all due modesty" as a "veteran change agent," but it's clear that what he's looking for is one more moment in the sun.

His agent is telling publishers that he will do a media blitz in conjunction with his book's publication, and says that Perot envisions a series of nonpartisan town hall forums, an echo of the old "electronic town halls" he used to tout when he was running for president. He's not running now, but with any luck his nasal twang could be driving Karl Rove crazy come next summer.

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