Campaign Aftermath

He’s still punch(line)ing

WASHINGTON - Bob Dole is out of work, but he picked up an easy $200 on Friday night by going on the David Letterman show.

In one of his first public appearances since losing the presidency on Tuesday night, a relaxed and joking Dole sat and chatted with Letterman, showing the nation a chipper and upbeat side.

His chief complaint is not about Bill Clinton or the Democrats. In fact, he was quite friendly about them. When Letterman noted that Clinton was “fat” and weighed “300 pounds,” Dole replied: “I never tried to lift him, I just tried to beat him.”

Dole noted that he had unofficially announced his candidacy on “Late Night” in February 1995, and he wanted to know what went wrong.

“You said if I came on the show, everything would be fine,” Dole said. “But at least I get 200 bucks for being here tonight. First work I had.”

Dole also wanted to know what Letterman would do with all of the jokes about his age - the Kansan is 73. The host said he was going to ship them down to Florida so Dole could fan himself with them.

“That might be helpful,” Dole noted.

Letterman and Dole also talked about Ross Perot, whom Letterman brought up by asking, “Well, is Perot nuts?”

“He’s rich,” Dole observed. “Maybe he’d adopt me since I lost.”

Clinton, Brinkley talk

NEW YORK - President Clinton taped an interview Friday with David Brinkley despite the newsman’s barbs about the president on election night.

The interview will be shown Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with David Brinkley,” on the 76-year-old commentator’s final appearance as the show’s host.

Brinkley, during ABC’s election night coverage, had called Clinton a “bore” and - during a portion where Brinkley apparently did not know he was on the air - said the president would spout “goddamned nonsense” during the next four years.

Honey, I’m home!

WASHINGTON - Dole and his wife, Elizabeth, were making up for lost time with their little dog, Leader. The schnauzer had been left to the care of neighbors at the Watergate during the campaign.

But on Thursday, Leader rode to headquarters with Dole in a chauffeured car and was spoiled all day with attention - and people food.

Dead judge people’s choice

NEW YORK - When voters re-elected Justice Ruth Moskowitz, they chose a passionate jurist who, as an idealistic young woman from Brooklyn during the 1960s, was jailed in the South for trying to integrate a bus-station lunch counter.

They also voted for a judge who, when critically ill, still struggled to the bench on the arm of an aide.

What most voters didn’t know Tuesday was that they were choosing a candidate who had died three days earlier.

“Sometimes it’s better to vote for someone who’s dead than for someone you don’t like,” said Glenn Rubenstein, who learned of the judge’s death after voting for her.