10/03/00 3:40 p.m.
Gore Aides Cash In
A plan to profit from the Veep's corporate-bashing.

By NR's John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru

ictory presumed, Al Gore's communications combo of Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane are plotting a soft post-election landing. Insiders tell us that they're opening a crisis communications shop attractive to Silicon Valley, Fortune 500 firms, and international and political clients," reports U.S. News & World Report in its "Washington Whispers" column.

If Fabiani and Lehane were Republicans, of course, the New York Times would smell a rat. Think about it: Presidential candidate spends campaign attacking corporations, top flacks hang out shingle offering protection from administration when it's in power.

NR called the Gore campaign for a comment, but none was to be had.

Drinking Games
Soccer moms who like to have a glass of wine at dinner had better think twice if they also hope to squeeze in a trip to the grocery store before bedtime. That's because Congress is on the brink of forcing states to toughen their drunk-driving standards — a transportation bill would deny them federal funds if they don't have laws making it illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. Thirty states currently have a standard of 0.10 percent, and 19 (including D.C.) have their laws set at 0.08 percent.

The push for stricter laws is entirely misplaced. For one thing, states ought to be able to decide for themselves how to set these laws. It's a simple matter of federalism. That's why the National Governors Association opposes the move.

There's also precious little evidence that the stricter standard will do any good: The most recent data show that of the 19 states using the 0.08-percent threshold, 8 had more alcohol-related driving fatalities than the national average, 9 had fewer, and 2 were indistinguishable, according to the New York Times.

What's more, nearly 80 percent of alcohol-related driving fatalities involve recidivism — i.e., chronic problem drinkers, not people who need to get home from a party after downing three beers in two hours (this intake would give a 120-lb. woman a blood-alcohol level of 0.08). Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, agrees: "If we really want to save lives, let's go after the most dangerous drivers on the road."

This proposed law, supported by the Clinton administration, would do nothing to tackle the root problem. Instead, it would simply catch social drinkers who don't pose a substantial threat — and erode public support for the important drunk-driving laws already in place.