Inside the Ragin' Cajun's truly bizarre crystal ball
Bubba's big book
After years of writing, former President Clinton finally delivered My Life to the publishers last Thursday. Now that the editors have the text, says spokesman Jim Kennedy, "the publishers have given the president his life back. He's now getting ready for the book tour, where writer's cramp from writing the book will be replaced by writer's cramp from autographing it." Friends say pulling together the 992-page text wasn't easy: One said Clinton wrote 800 pages before he even reached the subject of his presidency.
You're Fired!
President Bush might not keep his team intact if he's re-elected. To kick-start a second term, he may replace up to two thirds of his cabinet and top political appointees. "Oh yeah, there'll be a big housecleaning," says an aide. It could start right after Election Day, when appointees would have to tender resignations.
Don't ask, don't tell
Finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq might actually be easier than finding the commission created to look into the administration's search. And members of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction like it that way. This group won't be like the camera-mugging 9/11 panel. Why? Most of what they deal with is classified. But they have created an E-mail address for tipsters: comments@wmd.gov.
World's Fair, again
After a seven-year absence, Uncle Sam--and Ben Franklin --will be partying at the 2005 World's Fair in Japan. Seems President Bush, wishing to warm up Washington-Tokyo relations, and the U.S. business community, hoping to, well, make a bit of dough, have renewed the country's interest after skipping the 2000 fair in Germany. Businesses have already raised $20 million. And the front men are a Who's Who of America Inc.: former Veep Walter Mondale, former House Speaker Tom Foley, Chamber of Commerce boss Tom Donohue, and longtime government exec Bill Brock. The theme? The "Franklin Spirit." As in Ben and his famously inventive ways.
Double standard
If sleeping with an alleged spy and giving up the government's secrets don't land an FBI agent in jail, what will? That's what lots of agents are asking about former FBI counterintelligence supervisor James Smith. By cutting a deal to testify against his former lover, accused Chinese spy Katrina Leung, Smith avoided a prison term and even kept his FBI pension. "How's it look," asks a senior official, by going easy on Smith and "then throwing the book at Leung?"
Kerry's freebies
Sen. John Kerry knows how to buy a few votes--offer up some free stuff. Aides toss T-shirts into crowds to rally them before the candidate arrives. And these aren't generic T-shirts: Florida rallies get orange T's, and the pro-Kerry slogan on those handed out at a Cinco de Mayo event in L.A. were printed in Spanish.
USNEWS.COM To see the new anti-Nader TV ad on our website:www.usnews.com/whispers
With Chitra Ragavan and Suzi Parker
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