The Week

In a defining moment, Mr. Clinton, out of the blue, told reporters that he had not eaten at McDonald’s since becoming President. Coughing and murmuring ensued. Soon the White House was called in on the case. Well, um, yes, said a spokesman, that was the literal truth: the President merely stopped for coffee and did not actually eat anything. Better than the President’s saying that he tried a Big Mac once but didn’t swallow, but still.

Last week, four Republicans joined Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee to sidetrack the bill sponsored by Rep. Charles Canady (R., Fla.) to end race and gender preferences in the Federal Government. They were: Elton Gallegly (Calif.), who had reportedly said he would support the bill; Ed Pease (Ind.); Steve Buyer (Ind.), who adduces slights against his black college roommate as a reason to continue official discrimination; and George Gekas (Pa.), who is willing to maintain race-based policies because he abhors being called a racist. Dick Armey had earlier cautioned that the time is not right to oppose preferences, but he proposed no strategy for hastening that time. The Republican leadership says the latest defeat shows that opponents of preferences have not worked hard enough to rally backbenchers to their side; but it has been hard to rally them when their leaders are so plainly nervous of the issue.

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In a defining moment, Mr. Clinton, out of the blue, told reporters that he had not eaten at McDonald’s since becoming President. Coughing and murmuring ensued. Soon the White House was called in on the case. Well, um, yes, said a spokesman, that was the literal truth: the President merely stopped for coffee and did not actually eat anything. Better than the President’s saying that he tried a Big Mac once but didn’t swallow, but still.

Last week, four Republicans joined Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee to sidetrack the bill sponsored by Rep. Charles Canady (R., Fla.) to end race and gender preferences in the Federal Government. They were: Elton Gallegly (Calif.), who had reportedly said he would support the bill; Ed Pease (Ind.); Steve Buyer (Ind.), who adduces slights against his black college roommate as a reason to continue official discrimination; and George Gekas (Pa.), who is willing to maintain race-based policies because he abhors being called a racist. Dick Armey had earlier cautioned that the time is not right to oppose preferences, but he proposed no strategy for hastening that time. The Republican leadership says the latest defeat shows that opponents of preferences have not worked hard enough to rally backbenchers to their side; but it has been hard to rally them when their leaders are so plainly nervous of the issue.