For the Record

National Review, Sept 27, 1999

After spotting photographers in woods, President Clinton "tried to hide a fat stogie during a golf game on Martha's Vineyard," reports New York Daily News. . . . Clinton includes left-wing book Waves of Rancor: Tuning in the Radical Right, by Robert Hilliard and Michael Keith, on summer- vacation reading list. . . . Shortly after Clinton and First Lady purchase house in Chappaqua, N.Y., California man asks town police for permit to picket outside. . . . Clintons will be constituents of Rep. Sue Kelly (R.), who voted to impeach last December. . . . Longtime Democratic donor Bernard Lewinsky, father of Monica, receives fundraising appeal from Clinton Legal Expense Trust, writes "return to sender" on envelope and scrawls, "You must be morons to send me this letter!"-reports Associated Press.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend plans fundraising trip to Iowa on behalf of Vice resident Gore. . . . On Hardball, former labor secretary Robert Reich says George W. Bush's education speech "sounded like it could have been made by the Democratic Leadership Council." . . . Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, fearing Pat Buchanan defection to Reform party, requests private meeting with Buchanan. . . . Dan Quayle: "The campaign has been quite boring, frankly." . . . Alan Keyes wins Alabama GOP straw poll, with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) and Bush close behind. Merle Black of Emory University: "The only people showing up [Keyes and Hatch] are the candidates with no chance of being elected." . . . New Hampshire Democrats in town of Hampton hold "reverse straw poll" to pick which GOP candidate is most beatable. First place goes to Gary Bauer. Elizabeth Dole finishes last.

Sen. Rod Grams (R., Minn.), once considered highly vulnerable to challenge, currently lacks strong Democratic opponent. . . . House minority whip David Bonior buys $212,000 home in Michigan district, following revelations last year that he owns swank $318,000 house on Chesapeake Bay but only a $39,000 condominium in district. . . . Newt Gingrich, asked on C-SPAN whether he will run for office again: "I always tell people I'm the same age Ronald Reagan was when he became governor of California." . . . Washington state activists push ballot initiative to reduce car tax and require voter approval of all tax increases. . . . Virginia Republicans optimistic about gaining total control of state legislature in November elections this year. Republican governor James Gilmore: "We're emerging from a one-party state." . . . Talk-show host Jerry Springer says he won't run for Senate as an Ohio Democrat next year. . . . Indianapolis Colts become first NFL team to start political action committee.

Texas girl leads prayer before high-school football game after federal judge bars superintendent from disciplining her. . . . United Methodist Church releases Labor Day liturgy saying "we will remember all workers exploited by multinational corporations pursuing cheap labor." . . . Justice Department lawyers sue own agency for failing to pay overtime. . . . Microsoft-busting DOJ lawyer David Boies comes under fire for explaining in U.K. newspaper how "anyone outside the U.S. harmed by a U.S.-based pricing conspiracy" can recover damages from American companies. . . . City of Detroit, currently suing gun makers and dealers for $400 million, admits selling used police revolvers to raise money for new weapons. . . . Barely more than 1,000 people attend Khallid Abdul Muhammad's "Million Youth March" in Harlem. . . . Center for Education Reform calculates that roughly 350,000 students will attend 1,684 charter schools this fall. . . . Ron K. Unz, author of California's Prop. 227 repealing bilingual education, mulls similar initiative in New York City. . . . Famous line by yellow journalist William Randolph Hearst to artist Frederic Remington before start of Spanish-American War, "You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war," is probably bunk, says American University's W. Joseph Campbell.

German chancellor Gerhard Schroder's left-wing party nosedives in polls, suffers in fall regional elections. . . . Leaders of three Russian state Duma factions, including grandson of Joseph Stalin, form new election coalition called "Stalinist Bloc" aiming to revive Soviet Union. . . . Gdansk court summons former Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski, 76, to appear in court in connection with 1970 massacre of 44 people by police and army. . . . Taiwan scrambles to ensure new Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso maintains diplomatic recognition of island. . . . Moody's Investor Services estimates value of bad loans by China's four state-owned banks may approach $121 billion, an amount equal to China's entire fiscal revenue last year. . . . Israelis discover another tunnel between Palestinian and Egyptian sections of Gaza border town, apparently used by terrorist groups to smuggle arms inside autonomous Palestinian areas. . . . New Zealand opposition leader Bob Harvey suggests former prime minister Norman Kirk, who died 25 years ago, may have been poisoned by CIA, demands current prime minister Jenny Shipley raise issue at upcoming meeting with Clinton. . . . Pope John Paul II scheduled to meet with Saddam Hussein during visit to Iraq in early December.