With Dick Morris not only turning up on the covers of two of the three newsweeklies, but also keeping his book deal and floating the idea of being a TV commentator, being disgraced never looked like such a career-enhancer. . . . Maureen Dowd writes in the New York Times: “If [Dole campaign manager] Scott Reed were caught in a sex scandal, it would not say much about Bob Dole. But many people believed that Dick Morris was Bill Clinton’s double. . . . The proteans bonded because both put polls above principles, winning above authenticity.” . . . Scott Reed’s theory on the Morris revelation: “Somebody did an inside hit job on him in the White House to force him out.” But journalist Elizabeth Drew doubts it: “I know this White House staff well—they wouldn’t be capable of that.” . , . Call girl Sherry Rowlands spanks Morris again on tabloid TV show: “Someone as intelligent as he is should have kept his lip buttoned when he unzipped his pants. I mean, how can you maneuver words, and he can’t even control what he’s doing in his own room with a paid lady.” . . . Random House president Harold Evans defends decision to publish Morris tell-all book, maintaining: “If we didn’t publish books by people who had illicit sex, we would be out of business.” . , . House oversight committee might subpoena Morris over claim in Rowlands diary that Morris told her Hillary Clinton ordered FBI files on Republicans in 1993.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to argue with Morris’s work at White House, as Clinton scores better than Dole in areas traditionally the preserve of Republicans. Poll says Clinton would be better than Dole on protecting family values, 54 to 34; Clinton also edges Dole on taxes (42 to 37) and budget deficit (40 to 34). . . . Asked whom they would trust to handle a war with Iraq, 52 per cent say Clinton, only 36 Dole. . . . Hillary Clinton is now even with Elizabeth Dole on question of who would be better First Lady; in mid August Mrs. Clinton had been losing to Mrs. Dole 42 to 28. . . . Clinton undertakes major effort to capture GOP must-win state of Florida. Clinton lost there by 2 points in 1992 after spending $50,000. This year DNC has already spent $3.3 million on ads in Florida.
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