Our president's compulsive bragging erupted on Meet the Press last week, when host Tim Russert cited a poll in which 6 percent of Americans associated Bill Clinton with eating at McDonald's. "It's funny," said the president, about to uncork one of his gratuitous whoppers (and we don't mean the sandwich): "I haven't eaten at McDonald's a single time since I've been president."
Whoa. The White House quickly issued a lawyerly clarification that the " operative" word in the president's statement was eaten. The president had drunk an occasional cup of coffee. But an enterprising editorial writer at the Washington Times showed just how pathetic the president's lie and subsequent spin were. In his first term, Clinton sang the praises of McDonald's chicken sandwiches to Prime Time Live. He wolfed down Big Macs and French fries at a catered event with Senate Republicans. In March 1994, he told kids visiting the White House: "We love to have Egg McMuffins on Sunday mornings." Time to add some crow to your diet, Mr. President.