DOLE VS. CLINTON REDUX: THE THRILLA ON THE HILLA:

Clinton Now Backs Dole for President—Hill Sources Talk About Possible Deal (Washingtonian)

When the 108th Congress convenes in January, insiders say the hottest race will not be between Trent Lott and Tom Daschle. Barring an upset in the Senate race in North Carolina, there may be more political muscle in the Spouses Club of the Senate than in the main chamber.

Assuming that Elizabeth Dole beats former Clinton aide Erskine Bowles, 1996 presidential contenders Bill Clinton and Bob Dole will be positioned to run against each other again—this time for the presidency of the prestigious Senate Spouses Club. The current president is Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Appearing on the Larry King Live, Clinton volunteered to run Dole’s campaign for the office. Sources joke that the motive behind Clinton’s generosity could be to take advantage of Dole’s intimate relationship with the makers of Viagra.

But the potency pill may be only one of Dole’s advertising clients of interest to Clinton. The former senator from Kansas also has done TV commercials for Dunkin’ Donuts—a relationship Clinton also might exploit.

Speculation is that the ex-president might be willing to stay out of the race in exchange for access to Dole’s perks.

One of the most revealing sections of Robert Caro's brilliant biography-in-progress of Lyndon Johnson deals with how a young LBJ--he was just a congressional aide at the time--fixed an election in his own favor for the presidency of a mock legislature that Hill staffers used to have (don't know if the tradition endures). Posted by Orrin Judd at October 28, 2002 2:19 PM