CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK

SO THAT'S WHAT HE MEANT BY TRIANGULATION

The Continuing Adventures of Mr. Dick Morris, Whose Private Life Seems to Be as Fertile as His Political Imagination:

The National Enquirer alleges that Morris had a "second wife," Barbara Jean Pfafflin of Austin, Texas, with whom he had a 13-year relationship and a six-year-old daughter.

Random House agrees to pay a reported $2.5 million for Morris' account of how he masterminded Clinton's political comeback.

Representative Bill Clinger, chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee investigating Filegate, indicated that based on news reports (namely the diary excerpts of call girl Sherry Rowlands in the Star) he will seek either a voluntary deposition or a sworn interrogatory statement from Morris concerning the political consultant's alleged claim that Hillary Clinton was behind the improper review of 900 confidential FBI files.

THEY'RE JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY (ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE BEHIND)

With President Clinton enjoying a 16-or-so-point lead in the polls, underdog Republican candidate Bob Dole turned to another legendary double-digit presidential straggler last week. "Like [Harry] Truman," Dole vowed, "I'm going to win a come-from-behind victory for President of the United States. You just wait and see." Gee, that sounds familiar.

CANDIDATE GEORGE BUSH Aug. 21, 1992

TRUMAN SOUND BITE "I don't care what the polls say. I'm going to take this case to the American people like Truman did."

POINTS BEHIND* -9

OUTCOME Lost to Bill Clinton

[CANDIDATE] MICHAEL DUKAKIS Oct. 27, 1988

[TRUMAN SOUND BITE] "Harry Truman was a fighter, and so am I. My friends, this election is up for grabs."

[POINTS BEHIND*] -10

[OUTCOME] Lost to George Bush

[CANDIDATE] WALTER MONDALE Oct. 30, 1984

[TRUMAN SOUND BITE] "Harry Truman marched here [in Chicago] before winning his big upset in 1948, just like the upset we're going to produce in 1984."

[POINTS BEHIND*] -26

[OUTCOME] Lost to Ronald Reagan [CANDIDATE] JIMMY CARTER Sept. 2, 1980

[TRUMAN SOUND BITE] "When I look at the public-opinion polls, I recall what Truman said about those polls and what he did to those polls in 1948."

[POINTS BEHIND*] dead heat

[OUTCOME] Lost to Ronald Reagan [CANDIDATE] GERALD FORD Aug. 19, 1976

[TRUMAN SOUND BITE] "Yes, we have all seen the polls and the pundits who say our party is dead. I have heard that before. So did Harry Truman."

[POINTS BEHIND*] -6

[OUTCOME] Lost to Jimmy Carter

*Source: Yankelovich Partners