BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

"Barry," President Clinton said, turning to White House drug control policy
director Barry R. McCaffrey at last week's Cabinet meeting, "did you and
Donna have a good time at the Olympics?"

McCaffrey, who accompanied Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E.
Shalala on the delegation to Australia, launched into a lengthy review of
his schedule there, including meetings with anti-drug officials, with
WADA--the World Anti-Doping Agency--a news conference with Olympic
marathoner Frank Shorter on drugs and sports, and on and on and on.

"Give me a break, Barry," national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger
finally interjected as the Cabinet roared. (Some members had barely stopped
laughing over U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky's presentation,
delivered in a croaking whisper as a result of laryngitis.)

McCaffrey waited stone-faced until the laughter subsided before continuing.

Clinton worried that there was no uniformity in the standards used by the
various athletic governing bodies, especially given the apparently growing
complexity and variety of the substances being regulated.

McCaffrey agreed. There are certain foods or substances you can ingest that
appear to be legal, he said, "but the body responds to them in a way that
causes you to excrete banned" substances.

The room erupted in laughter once again. There was no regaining control
after Education Secretary Richard W. Riley, a soft-spoken, courtly
southerner, deadpanned: "What are those foods, Barry?"

"We have clearly digressed," Clinton said, standing up to end the session.