"Hello, Hillary. How's the house?"

"I want you to come up here tonight."

"Why?"

"Because if you're here on my first night, I will not have to answer the question - day after day - when WILL you spend a night here."

"Well, tonight's not too good for me, Hill. (SFX: papers being shuffled on a desk). I've got a pretty full schedule."

"Cancel everything. I want footage of us in the living room of our new house by the camera crews waiting on the sidewalk." (OFF MIKE) "Mandy? Make sure we leave the shades open so the cameras can see the President and me."

"Like those pictures of us dancing on the beach that time?"

"Don't start."

"Sorry, Hill."

"And Bill. Don't try any of your tricks like bombing Mozambique or some place to get out of this."

"No, Hill."

(SFX: Phone hanging up)

"Betty?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Call Jane Fonda and tell her tonight is off. Tell her � tell her � Oh, tell her there's some trouble brewing in Mozambique and I have to spend the night in the crisis center. Hey! Except for the Mozambique part, it's true!

Well � Not 24 hours after being poked fun of in Mullings, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) backed down on its letter saying telecommuters would have to adhere to the same safety rules as exist in their corporate work place. Was it Mullings? Was it the 237 newspapers around the country? You decide.

The debates on Tuesday and Wednesday night had so many little slogans on the screen it looked like the Presidential candidates were debating in Pit Row at a NASCAR track.

Gore and Bradley are getting nastier and nastier. By contrast, Bush and Bauer and Forbes and Hatch and Keyes and McCain, couldn't have been nicer even when they were disagreeing. Well, maybe not Keyes.

Here's the problem this presents to the Democrats: The Democratic National Convention will begin on August 26. The election will be November 7. Assuming the actual nomination is on August 29, that leaves about 69 days for the General Election.

That means the Democrats will have slightly over two months to heal the wounds which were being inflicted Tuesday night and will continue at least into the Spring. If you think that's easy consider this: In Iowa, the Republican Party is STILL fighting the election of 1976 - 24 years, not 69 days - between Ronald Reagan and Jerry Ford.

More on debates: The Commission on Presidential Debates has suggested rules which will require a candidate to have at least 15 percent in the national polls before he or she is permitted to participate. This sent Pat Buchanan through the roof.

Remembering the lesson above on the length of the general election campaign, here's my question for Buchanan: If you and the Reform party are not attracting even 15 percent of the vote with less than 70 days to go why SHOULD you be included?

More on the GOP Debate: After Gary Bauer got the answers to his questioning of George W and just before the camera cut away, you could read Bauer's lips when he turned to Bush and said, "Good job."