For the Record

■ Washington wags are referring to Bob Dole’s horrid stumbles as the ATF agenda: abortion, tobacco, and firearms. “All he has produced,” says George Will, “is buyer’s remorse in the Republican Party.” National Rifle Association may withhold endorsement of Dole after his assault-weapons flip-flop. . . . Hill-watcher Charles Cook writes that “it’s doubtful anything short of an indictment of a member of the First Family could alter the outcome” of November election. … In crucial California, Dole lags Clinton by 27 points (whereas generic congressional ballot favors Democrats by 11). . . . Columnist Cal Thomas calls on Dole to step aside as nominee: “[relinquishing the nomination] would forever enshrine Dole as a man who put his party and its prospects . . . ahead of his own interests.” . . . Says Jack Kemp, “[U]nless we are the party of reform, change, progress, the future … we put ourselves totally on defense and end up hoping for the collapse of the Clinton Administration. That’s no way to run for President.” . . . Establishment Republican and Dole policy advisor Donald Rumsfeld, meanwhile, has emerged as one of campaign’s most aggressive internal advocates for a major tax cut. . . . Speaker Newt Gingrich, according to Philadelphia Daily News, “went ballistic” when he heard that pro-choice moderate Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is Dole’s top prospect for running-mate. Name of Bill Bennett begins to surface again in VP speculation. . . . GOP convention manager Paul Manafort says Pat Buchanan will have no role at event, and little effort will be made to lift reputation of GOP Congress. Meanwhile, most convention speeches will be limited to five minutes, in a bow to the age of MTV. . . . Rep. Tom Davis says reaction of Republicans to a reception Marion Barry plans to throw at GOP convention with city funds will be: “They can’t keep the waters clean, but you should see those hors d’oeuvres.”

■ White House spokesman Mike McCurry on White House attitude toward staffers who once used drugs: “I was a kid in the 1970s. Did I smoke a joint from time to time? Of course I did.” . . . Buttman, the Democratic mascot shadowing Bob Dole to illustrate his ties to tobacco, now has a counterpart, Reefer Man, meant to dramatize rising drug use on Clinton’s watch. . . . Democrats enjoyed seeing Enid Greene (R., Utah), her career ending amid a messy divorce with Joe Waldholtz, in the chair to preside over Defense of Marriage Act. Chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Bob Barr (R., Ga.), has been married three times. . . . Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill reports that GOP freshman and former football star Steve Largent (Okla.) is considering challenging House GOP Conference Chairman John Boehner (Oh.) after November elections in a sign of freshmen’s restiveness with House leadership. . . . Back in Texas, Sen. Phil Gramm recovering in re-election race against Victor Morales after drubbing he took during failed presidential bid. . . . Aggressive freshman Rep. Sam Brownback now has slim lead over former Lt. Gov. Sheila Frahm in race for nomination to Bob Dole’s old Kansas Senate seat. . . . With friends like these: The Nation’s, hard-left columnist Alexander Cockburn denounces Socialist Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders as “a sentimental fantasy for decent people who like to think they are supporting a fiery independent in Congress.” . . . Kennedy brood continues its march: Rep. Joe Kennedy (D., Mass.) has amassed $1.8 million in preparation for 1998 gubernatorial race.

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■ Washington wags are referring to Bob Dole’s horrid stumbles as the ATF agenda: abortion, tobacco, and firearms. “All he has produced,” says George Will, “is buyer’s remorse in the Republican Party.” National Rifle Association may withhold endorsement of Dole after his assault-weapons flip-flop. . . . Hill-watcher Charles Cook writes that “it’s doubtful anything short of an indictment of a member of the First Family could alter the outcome” of November election. … In crucial California, Dole lags Clinton by 27 points (whereas generic congressional ballot favors Democrats by 11). . . . Columnist Cal Thomas calls on Dole to step aside as nominee: “[relinquishing the nomination] would forever enshrine Dole as a man who put his party and its prospects . . . ahead of his own interests.” . . . Says Jack Kemp, “[U]nless we are the party of reform, change, progress, the future … we put ourselves totally on defense and end up hoping for the collapse of the Clinton Administration. That’s no way to run for President.” . . . Establishment Republican and Dole policy advisor Donald Rumsfeld, meanwhile, has emerged as one of campaign’s most aggressive internal advocates for a major tax cut. . . . Speaker Newt Gingrich, according to Philadelphia Daily News, “went ballistic” when he heard that pro-choice moderate Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is Dole’s top prospect for running-mate. Name of Bill Bennett begins to surface again in VP speculation. . . . GOP convention manager Paul Manafort says Pat Buchanan will have no role at event, and little effort will be made to lift reputation of GOP Congress. Meanwhile, most convention speeches will be limited to five minutes, in a bow to the age of MTV. . . . Rep. Tom Davis says reaction of Republicans to a reception Marion Barry plans to throw at GOP convention with city funds will be: “They can’t keep the waters clean, but you should see those hors d’oeuvres.”

■ White House spokesman Mike McCurry on White House attitude toward staffers who once used drugs: “I was a kid in the 1970s. Did I smoke a joint from time to time? Of course I did.” . . . Buttman, the Democratic mascot shadowing Bob Dole to illustrate his ties to tobacco, now has a counterpart, Reefer Man, meant to dramatize rising drug use on Clinton’s watch. . . . Democrats enjoyed seeing Enid Greene (R., Utah), her career ending amid a messy divorce with Joe Waldholtz, in the chair to preside over Defense of Marriage Act. Chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Bob Barr (R., Ga.), has been married three times. . . . Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill reports that GOP freshman and former football star Steve Largent (Okla.) is considering challenging House GOP Conference Chairman John Boehner (Oh.) after November elections in a sign of freshmen’s restiveness with House leadership. . . . Back in Texas, Sen. Phil Gramm recovering in re-election race against Victor Morales after drubbing he took during failed presidential bid. . . . Aggressive freshman Rep. Sam Brownback now has slim lead over former Lt. Gov. Sheila Frahm in race for nomination to Bob Dole’s old Kansas Senate seat. . . . With friends like these: The Nation’s, hard-left columnist Alexander Cockburn denounces Socialist Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders as “a sentimental fantasy for decent people who like to think they are supporting a fiery independent in Congress.” . . . Kennedy brood continues its march: Rep. Joe Kennedy (D., Mass.) has amassed $1.8 million in preparation for 1998 gubernatorial race.