[mountaineer]

Hillary Clinton being probed (ouch):

The U.S. Olympic Committee is investigating whether Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton improperly discussed New York City's bid to host the 2012 games with an Olympic official. The committee is looking into a meeting between Clinton and Anita DeFrantz on Sept. 6, when Clinton hosted DeFrantz for a special session of Congress at Federal Hall. DeFrantz, a representative of the Olympic selection committee, has publicly stated that she discussed New York's bid with Clinton. full story

Liz Smith has a potpourri of newsy items, from Liza & David MinelliGest to Laura and Barbara Bush:

MAYBE YOU think that was a vision you saw recently - the first lady entering the Arnold Scaasi salon on East 52 Street with a big bouquet of flowers in her arms. Laura Bush was with her brainy daughter, Barbara. The Yale student loved the two evening dressings Arnold had made up for Mama. And by the way, on Oct. 14, the Fashion Institute of Technology honors Scaasi's "Exuberant Fashion" in a celebration of this all-American couturier. This benefits Breast Cancer Research. Laura Bush is the honorary chair with Libby Pataki, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Veronica Hearst, Parker Ladd, Aerin and Evelyn Lauder joining hands.

[mountaineer]

The good old days, when Albright, Cohen and other Clinton administration officials were defending plans to attack Iraq for refusing access to UN weapons inspectors, story here . Apparently, Mad Maddy no longer believes what she said in 1998: "No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing. He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators."

A few other things have changed. Clinton, Gore, et al., demand that Bush obtain UN permission to proceed. In 1998:

Albright has stated throughout the trip that the United States is informing allies of its intentions but is not canvassing for support or asking permission to enforce the disarmament conditions set by the U.N. Security Council at the close of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. WashPost

These people make me sick.