Good news for Republicans: The man in the Clinton administration who's zinged them more effectively and relentlessly than even the president himself is leaving.
THE SCRAPBOOK is referring, of course, to White House press secretary Mike McCurry. No firm date yet, but he wants his successor to have at least two years on the job, which means McCurry should be gone by the end of the year. What'll he do? Not become a TV pundit. McCurry wants to set up shop in Washington, give speeches for dough, consult with a corporation or two, teach a college course somewhere, and generally kick back. And who can blame him? It's been a heavy burden defending the republic from Ken Starr. McCurry has expanded the role of press secretary, using the podium in the press room to respond to Republican jibes, take shots of his own, and spin. His truest statement, though, wasn't spin. If Clinton had an innocent explanation for his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, McCurry once noted, we'd have heard it. Indeed.