American Spectator

Carpet Balm

The cleanup continues inside the Old Executive Office Building, four months after initial stories of damage and vandalism by Clinton and Gore staffers began to leak out. And despite attempts by the Bush team to downplay the damage, the repair bills and estimates bear witness to real damage done. Perhaps the biggest tab: damaged and stained carpets to the tune of more than $100,000 in the West Wing and Old Exec facility. "Buddy was either a very busy dog, or a lot of these Democrats weren't potty trained," says one OEOB resident.

A General Services Administration source, on message with the Bush effort to play the matter down, counters that the carpeting in many of the White House and OEOB offices was eventually due to be replaced anyway. "I wouldn't say that the carpeting replacement is anything beyond the usual. The fact that we're replacing the carpeting a year ahead of schedule isn't a big deal. We were asked to do it by the White House."

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2001