THE SCRAPBOOK is really, really pleased to report that Special Mudslinger to the President Sidney Blumenthal just had a very bad PR week. Extended excerpts from his recent speech at Harvard are circulating around Washington (courtesy in part of last week's WEEKLY STANDARD editorial). Blumenthal issued a truly extraordinary slur in the speech against Kenneth Starr's deputy, Hickman Ewing. A "religious fanatic," the ill-bred Blumenthal called him.
This presented a problem first for White House press secretary Mike McCurry. Are presidential aides allowed to say things like that, a reporter wondered at one of McCurry's daily briefings? Honest Mike was not prepared for such a trick question. As a general rule, McCurry responded, the president doesn't think it appropriate to cast "dispersions" on anyone's faith. But look, he went on, haplessly: No one at the White House is sufficiently familiar with Hickman Ewing's faith to judge whether this particular dispersion was accurate or not.
In other words, maybe he is a fanatic. Better luck next time, Mike.
Meanwhile, Family Research Council president Gary Bauer has fired off a letter to the president demanding that he fire Blumenthal immediately. Sid's remarks about Ewing were "an impermissible act of religious bigotry," Bauer wrote.
Still in the hopper: a similar letter, already signed by more than 50 members of the House -- including speaker Newt Gingrich.
Of course, Bill Clinton would never ditch a friend like Sid Blumenthal over a mere political controversy, would he? THE SCRAPBOOK isn't sure. We're going to call Lani Guinier and see what she thinks.