SAMPLING SNAFU
The Clinton administration already thinks it's hunky-dory to lie under oath, tamper with witnesses, and obstruct justice. Now, in the latest census-sampling wrinkle, it shows that it believes federal court rulings don't matter. Two separate decisions have declared it illegal to sample the population for purposes of Congressional apportionment. Yet the Clintonistas continue to forge ahead anyway with plans to sample in the next census--spending millions on a discredited idea at a time when preparations for the 2000 Census are at a critical stage.

It's almost as if the Commerce Department wants the next census to fail, so that the political pressure for sampling will be even greater in 2010.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Did anybody else notice that the New York Times placed a story on the Dominican Republic in its "National Report" section on Wednesday?

OOPS
Back in March, NR's Washington Bulletin announced its 1998 baseball predictions. We picked three of the eight playoff teams correctly (Atlanta, Cleveland, and New York). That may not sound great, but it does mean we're hitting .375--which is a pretty good batting average for the big leagues.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Baltimore will be going to the World Series this year--but Atlanta still might win it all, as we said back in the spring. And who remembers the losers anyway? Go Braves!