Yes, it's amazing what's in the FR archives.
No doubt it was contentious, but I don't recall a lot about this story.
I got engaged in early 1997 and was otherwise occupied. :)
Ah! The old Man & a Maid stuff... well, that's certainly more enjoyable than dusty politics.
I was still 2 years away from having web access- DOS 3.3 on a 486 based, 66mhtz machine.