Inside Washington

The furor over ethics has some Clintonites treading very lightly. Health and Human Services head DONNA SHALALA wanted to throw a routine book party for her friend Madeleine Kunin, deputy secretary of Education, who's published her memoirs. Even though the do was to be held at a friend's house, Shalala got clearance from an HHS ethics officer, sternly forbade book-selling at the party, wrote the invitation herself and stood in line at Kinko's for copies. All this to thwart any criticism that either Shalala or Kunin were using their connections for gain.