OUR TOKEN “AMERIKA” ITEM: We don’t usually...

OUR TOKEN “AMERIKA” ITEM: We don’t usually believe much of what we read, especially in the Weekly World News, the National Enquirer-run magazine that specializes in tales that are too weird even for the Enquirer. Nonetheless, we couldn’t resist passing along the WWN’s scoop about Soviet leader Gorbachev, whom the paper claims (in its inimitable prose) “digs rock ‘n’ rollski.” According to WWN, “Madcap Mik is a pizza-gobbling, guitar-strumming rock freak who spends hour after hour imitating Bruce Springsteen.” The paper quotes Gennady Zinin, a defector it claims is a former Gorbachev crony, who said Gorbachev frequently wears ragged blue jeans, a “holey” T-shirt and spends entire afternoons in front of his mirror, pounding his guitar, shoving his fist in the air and pretending he’s Springsteen in concert. Zinin also claimed Gorbachev is a fan of Cyndi Lauper, Motley Crue and Michael Jackson. But his favorite remains Springsteen, whom he refers to as “The Boss.” Gorbachev has reportedly added one distinctly Soviet touch to this display of pop fanaticism--when he sings Springsteen’s recent hit, “Born in the U.S.A.,” he uses the refrain, “Born in the U.S.S.R.”