A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, July 1, 1999

"I have never conducted a scurrilous affair with a person half my age in the White House on public property in the middle of the day while talking (on) the telephone to a senator." So said Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice last week while talking with reporters about the impending divorce from his wife of 44 years and his marriage to a high school sweetheart.

"People like to be with a winner. It (the money) creates that atmosphere." – Former congressman John Ensign (R-Nev.), on surpassing his $1 million goal for his upcoming Senate race. (Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 1))

A good point, but it hasn't helped him among Mississippi voters. A new nonpartisan poll found that the outgoing Republican's favorability rating has dropped to 19 percent, off from his August 1995 high of 63 percent. He has also quit his role as national chairman of Dan Quayle's presidential campaign.

• Poll Shows Dip in Fordice's Popularity (The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss., July 1)

Clinton's fellow Arkansas Baptist, Republican Sen. Tim Hutchinson, is also suffering some political fallout from his recently announced intention to divorce his wife of 29 years. "This is going to discourage the pro-family movement, something we've been trying to put back into American life," said Hutchinson's pastor.
• Hutchinson Told to Fight for Marriage (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 1)
• Clinton Accused: Impeachment Raises Questions of Faith (washingtonpost.com)
• Clinton Accused: In a House of Glass? (washingtonpost.com)
• Clinton Accused: Scandal Forces Religious Issues Into Public Eye (washingtonpost.com)

Internet Boosts Candidates, Causes
It started out as a Web site to collect "signatures" of people who wanted to censure President Clinton and move on, but MoveOn.org has become the nation's first 'Net Bundler. In the five days since the site began its fund-raising drive, it has collected at least $30,000 for five Democratic candidates around the country. Alone, the average contributions of about $25 would mean little. Bundled together and handed over to House hopefuls such as New Jersey's Rush Holt, the contributions can help focus a candidate's attention.
• Holt's Campaign Gets a Boost From Grassroots Internet Group (The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J., July 1)

New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has received electronic mail supporting his proposal to explore legalizing some types of drug possession.
• Gov. Says E-Mails Support Drug Idea (The Albuquerque Journal, July 1)

The Internet has also been a focus at this week's meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Much of the discussion centered on the notion that voters could someday in the future submit their "ballots" via ATMs and computers.
• ATMs, Internet May Be Future Ballot Boxes (The Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, June 30)

Arkansas Rules Clinton Library Funding Plan Legal
A critic of the city of Little Rock's plan to help finance Bill Clinton's presidential library has vowed to continue her fight after a county chancellor approved the financial support.
• Court OKs Way City is Financing Clinton Library (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 1)

Bowles Has New Job in Rural North Carolina
North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt (D) is expected to announce Thursday that former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles will lead a project to help rural economic development.
• Bowles to Lead Effort to Aid Economy in Rural Areas (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., July 1)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com