News & Reviews

Hillary plays both sides of clemency controversy, as nationalists go free The terrorist two-step About a dozen radical Puerto Rican terrorists are on their way home after accepting a clemency deal offered by President Clinton. Many pundits and political activists criticized the deal as a blatant attempt to bring the Hispanic vote to Hillary Clinton's senatorial campaign, but if so, she's blown it. Mrs. Clinton first favored the clemency, then-under fire from police groups and some local politicians-she reversed course and opposed the release. Now Jose Serrano, New York's congressman of Puerto Rican descent, has denounced her flip-flop. The goons in question were part of the Armed Forces of National Liberation, or FALN, an IRA-style nationalist group whose reign of terror included 130 bombing attacks in the United States from 1974 to 1983. A year later FALN was on a roll, bombing targets in Chicago, New York, and Washington. In March 1977 it detonated bombs near the FBI's New York offices. In November 1979 it bombed military recruiting centers in Chicago, and in 1980 it stormed Jimmy Carter's Chicago campaign headquarters. The imprisoned nationalists were never convicted for any of the bombings, but a jury found them guilty of seditious conspiracy and possession of weapons and explosives. While they may be leaving jail, they haven't renounced their beliefs. "These men and women went to prison for the same thing that Nelson Mandela went to prison for," said lawyer Jan Susler. Mr. Serrano (D-N.Y.) calls the terrorists "political prisoners" and says he's angry at Mrs. Clinton for turning her back on them. Mr. Serrano says he's rescinded his encouragement of her candidacy. Cisneros cuts 11th-hour deal Oh, Henry When Henry Cisneros was receiving his routine FBI background check for his job as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he hid an embarrassing detail: that he gave over $250,000 in hush money to former mistress Linda Jones between 1979 and 1984. During jury selection for his trial on 18 federal felony counts last week, Mr. Cisneros cut a deal and had the charge reduced to a misdemeanor count of lying. That means a $10,000 fine, no jail time, no probation, and the chance for a political comeback. For now, instead of doing time in a jail cell, Mr. Cisneros stays as president of Univision, the Spanish-language cable network. Federal Judge Stanley Sporkin, who accepted the plea deal, denied the deal was too soft: "This case cried out for early resolution." At the same time, Judge Sporkin said it was crucial to get at least a quarter-pound of flesh: "We cannot permit an individual to lie his way into public office." Drug abuse Stoned servants Is your waitress, bus driver, or construction foreman on drugs? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that about 8 percent of full-time workers have used illegal drugs in the last month. Those 6.3 million Americans are more likely to be found in restaurants, bars, construction, and transportation than in other fields. One in five cooks, waiters, waitresses, and bartenders used illegal drugs, and one in seven construction workers. White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey said the image of druggies as social burnouts is completely false. In fact, more and more users are working for major corporate employers whose human-resource costs could go way up if they follow the White House's advice to start in-house rehab programs. The No-Comment Zone