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 Thank You, Hillary
* Almost every summer there is "The August Story" out of Washington. August is a slow month in Your Nation's Capitol. Everyone is either at "The Vineyard" or in the kids' wading pool in the backyard pretending they are. Then comes a story of little global import but which, like a steamy mystery novel, makes great summer reading: "The August Story."
* Thank you, Hillary for giving America The August Story of 1999. Like many a good summer read, this one is, in fact, a sequel. The August Story of 1998, remember, was "Billy and Hilly: Life on the Beach at the Vineyard." This year's August Story, "Billy and Hilly: The Gramma Years Were No Walk on the Beach" will keep us going well into the Labor Day Weekend.
* This whole thing, like most of the Clinton's problems, is their own fault. Hillary was told by her crack advisors that giving this interview would somehow cleanse her of the Lewinsky affair. Guess what? Didn't happen. Isn't going to happen.
* Before August is over someone will have Monica on the record talking about Bill's relationship with his mother and grandmother. Memo to Matt Drudge.
* You have got to give an huge award to Talk Magazine editor Tina Brown. This interview launching her new magazine was the best marketing idea since someone decided that while little boys would never buy dolls, they WOULD buy Action Figures.
* Is this a paradox? The Gore campaign insists that the 17-point deficit they are suffering at the hands of George W. is not important because it is sooooooo early in the campaign cycle. Fair enough.
* But, those same people are all over the talk shows and political columns insisting that the primary challenge from Bill Bradley is not significant because, in reality, the nomination is all but sewn up by virtue of the super delegates' being all in Gore's corner. Just look at his lead in the polls, they say.
* Populist Pat. Poorly Performing Pat. Petulant Pat. Pat Buchanan, who has not been able to raise a hackle in the past two months, has finally broken through in the press by using the last bastion of defeated Republican candidates - a threat to leave the GOP and go somewhere else. Two words: Who cares?
* Third parties in America are effectively cults surrounding one personality. After Lowell Weicker left his independent Connecticut Party, it shriveled up and blew away. The Bull Moose Party disappeared after its alpha bull, Teddy Roosevelt, departed the scene. Ross Perot is all but gone from the Reform Party. The Reform Party is retiring to Florida. Literally.
* How a Bill Becomes Law: The House and Senate are going to recess for August tomorrow after passing the tax cut bill. But that legislation won't be sent to the White House for the President's threatened veto until September. A bill, before it can be presented for Presidential action, must be "enrolled." That is, the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House must sign the bill. In this case the GOP has found a team of monks who are copying the bill into final form so the enrollment will happen the very second they get back to Washington after Labor Day.
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