Rod Grams of Minnesota scored a rare twofer last week. The freshman Republican senator first took a swipe at President Clinton in a splashy article the Washington Post led its op-ed page with. The Post then piled on with an unsigned editorial two days later, taking the Republican’s side against Clinton. What issue sparked this unprecedented alignment of the Post’s editorial page and a Republican senator against the White House? Grams wants Clinton to reopen Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White House. A major artery for local commuters, the street was closed to traffic by the president in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing last year, creating perpetual rush-hour gridlock in downtown D.C., besides being a concession to terrorism and all that.
The White House has taken great pains to defend the closure in all possible terms except the personal safety of Clinton himself. In a letter to Grams, White House legislative director John Hilley described the barricading of Pennsylvania Ave. as “a practical step to preserve the freedom and peace of mind of all Americans.” Fear not, said Hilley: There will still be “free and pubic tours of the White House.” Take a look at the word in the last sentence that begins with “p.” Mr. Hilley seems to have left a letter out of that word. We promise not to crack wise about the typo but wonder where, exactly, in the White House such tours might take place, and at what time of day (or night).
