White House Confirms Ex-Aide Ate In Mess

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Nov. 15) -- Mark Middleton ate in the White House mess after he quit his job as a presidential aide and may have used the meals to drum up consulting business, the White House confirmed today. The restaurant is off-limits to the general public. "It does appear that on occasion [Middleton] would come to the White House after he left the White House service and occasionally would bring guests with him," White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry told reporters today. "Who the guests are we're having trouble learning." McCurry added, "We have been concerned they may have been clients, and that would not be proper for someone to entertain someone for personal business privileges."

The Prosecutor Strikes Back -- Mildly

OKLAHOMA CITY (AllPolitics, Nov. 15) -- Whitewater special prosecutor Kenneth Starr has struck a mild blow back at those who have criticized his inquiry. "Attacks and accusations are commonplace in public integrity cases. You have to expect it," Starr told the Oklahoma Bar Association Thursday. "Motive-impugning is a widespread and, to my mind, distasteful aspect of public life in general these days." Wait. Was that directed at President Bill Clinton, who's said he thinks Starr's out to get him? "Those are inferences," Starr said. "I'm not going to comment on inferences."

Poll: GOP Congressional Mandate Looks Weak

NEW YORK (AllPolitics, Nov. 15) -- Republicans won't return to Washington in January with nearly the mandate they arrived with in 1994, suggests a new national poll. The Pew Research Center poll says two in three voters are happy that the GOP kept control of Congress, but asked who should set the agenda, 45 percent of the respondents said President Bill Clinton, and 30 percent said GOP congressional leaders. That's a reversal from December, 1994, when 39 percent said Clinton should set the agenda and 43 percent preferred the GOP Congress.

Voter Refusals Hurting Poll Quality

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Nov. 15) -- A surly public is hurting the quality of political surveys, say pollsters. "We have nonresponse. This is a major issue in every survey," said Murray Edelman, editorial director of Voter News Service. VNS is the consortium of The Associated Press and the major TV networks. In some states, up to 50 percent of those asked to fill out exit surveys refuse to do so. The low response rates are thought to have been a factor in the blown call in New Hampshire's Senate race, where Republican Bob Smith was originally projected to have lost, but ended up winning.

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