The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> PROTECTION LEAKS br> The involvement of Secret Service protective division personnel in a barroom fracas in San Diego and the loss of security plan memos at the Salt Lake City Olympics were two mistakes the agency would have preferred not to see in the press. But since they've been reported, agents are wondering about possible leakers, says a member of the Secret Service. /p>

"It isn't the Bush administration that's leaking on us, they've been great," says the agent. "We think it's coming from other agents, perhaps those few who are loyal to the previous administration."

That reference is to the Clintons, who were largely unpopular with the uniformed and nonuniformed Secret Service staff assigned to the White House detail. The Secret Service agent the Prowler spoke to says that many current agents believe that the Clinton loyalists are paying other agents back for their years of leaking against the Clintons.

"I wouldn't put it past some Clinton people to be getting this stuff out there," says the current agent. "They took such a black eye for eight years and now they are trying to get back at us."

p> STEEL SHOWDOWN br> According to a House leadership staffer, Speaker Dennis Hastert reportedly told several of his House colleagues that he believes Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill may resign should the Bush administration choose to hold the line on import tariffs on steel. O'Neill has been pressing hard for the administration to cut the tariffs as part of a broader international free-trade initiative he is pressing. /p>

topics:
Trade, Bill Clinton, Environment