* The August Story: Most senior reporters and columnists go on vacation in August as well, so August is a chance for second tier reporters to get their teeth into a national story. Hence, like understudies in a Broadway play, they often “chew the scenery” [to emote, to overplay a part] in an effort to be noticed.

* Matt Drudge. Drudge (www.drudgereport.com) actually broke the story about Bill and Monica after he was tipped off that Newsweek had spiked it [to make an editorial decision withholding, delaying, or killing a finished story]. Drudge has parlayed this into a television show, a radio show, and speeches at the national press club. All of which I applaud.

* Populist Pat. Buchanan has announced he is thinking about leaving the GOP and bolting to the Reform Party. There is no evidence the Reform Party wants him. There is no evidence the Reform Party will have any impact on the election, Buchanan or no.

* How a Bill Becomes Law. This is the kind of thing which gives Mullings a thin veneer of being socially redeeming so the www.mullings.com site isn’t blocked by parental safety software.