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 The Autumn Leaves
* Republican and Democratic House and Senate leaders
trouped up to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to
meet with President Clinton and Al
“Let’s-See-Bradley-Do-This” Gore on the matter of the remaining appropriations bills. The most
telling phrase? The Democrats kept insisting that this had to be done as a package, “not
piecemeal.”
* A new “continuing resolution” (which, in Big-Time-Washington we call a C.R.) will fund the
government until midnight, Thursday, October 28.
* The obvious strategy will be for the White House and the Democratic Congressional leaders to
say all the right things (read: all the things the Washington Press Corps agrees with) while just
not quite ever getting to an agreement on any of the bills while the clock keeps ticking toward
midnight next Thursday.
* At some time toward the end of the weekend, the Democrats will begin crying “foul” over some
otherwise minor point and will “take a knee” to run out the clock.
* The President will, with lip a-quiver, urge Congress to work in a bi-partisan way (read: agree to
spend at the levels and on the programs which will do Al Gore the most good) and present him
bills he can sign.
* Sometime next Thursday afternoon – after working for about 40 straight hours – a spending
package will be agreed to by House, Senate, and Administration negotiators containing things
which the rest of us won’t find out about until, well, until we go to cash our first Social Security
checks.
* Here’s an idea: If the appropriations process is not finished on time, no ELECTED federal
official gets paid until it gets done. Watch the light of bi-partisanship glow like the changing
leaves of autumn.
* The Gore and Bradley campaigns traded dirt bombs over the issue of how many debates they
should have and when they should start. Gore has been poking Bradley in the shoulder urging
him to debate once a week from now until the Iowa caucuses at the end of January. Now that
Gore seems to have stabilized his campaign – and his lead in the polls – let’s see if he proceeds
down this debate track with the same zeal.
* The Justice Department, according to a Reuters report, has indicted “aerospace giant
McDonnell Douglas and one of China's largest government-owned companies on charges of
conspiring to divert sophisticated machine tools for Chinese military use.” Remember that
unpleasant business with Loral Corp.? I certainly hope McDonnell Douglas has as good a history
of giving to the Democratic National Committee.
* The Senate has shelved campaign finance reform for this year. Let’s be honest about this. The
Republicans have the advantage in soft money and they will do everything possible to protect
that advantage. Free speech and the first amendment? The Chicago Bulls didn’t sit Michael
Jordan down for half the game so it would be fair to their opponents. If the Democrats had the
advantage it would be they who would be wrapping themselves in Constitutional Parchment.
* The Senate has voted to name the Old Executive Office Building (known in
Big-Time-Washington as the E.O.B.) the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office building in
honor of Ike’s World War II service. Pat Buchanan said if World War II service was a criterion, he
was demanding the opportunity to submit additional names for the “Alte Angestellter
Bürogebäude.”
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