Ollie in; Facts out

Best flubbed line award goes to President Reagan, who told the convention in his speech that "facts are stupid things." The presidential script called for the president to call facts "stubborn things."

Not everybody here is thrilled that Pat Robertson is addressing the convention this evening on prime time. The Libertarian Republican Organizing Committee issued a press release yesterday saying that "when Pat Robertson takes the podium on Tuesday before a TV audience of millions, the GOP is going to lose millions of votes...He is holding the Republican Party hostage, just as Jesse Jackson held the Democrats hostage in Atlanta."

If shoppers at a New Orleans hotel could pick George Bush's running mate, they'd select Oliver North, the indicted Iran-Contra figure. North received 36 percent of shoppers polled, topping Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.), with 24 percent support. Running dead last is Sen. Robert Dole (R.-Kan.).

The Democrats have their own truth squad in New Orleans to "provide news organizations with factual information on Democratic candidates and policies and provide response to Republican statements and activities."

New Orleans Magazine tells delegates in its latest issue: "How to have a good time in the Big Easy...and keep it quiet in Des Moines."

NBC News analyst John Chancellor said Bush should pick Sen. Lloyd M. Bentsen (D-Tex.) as his running mate. "They're so close [ideologically] and there's not anything in the constitution against it," he said.

George Will, the Newsweek columnist and ABC News commentator predicted that "liberalism" will be the key issue during the fall campaign. The GOP will continue to charge that Dukakis is a liberal. But will it work? "It's true. Whether or not it'll work or not, I don't know," he said.

Cheap shot award goes to John McCain (R.-Ariz.) who said Gov. Michael S. Dukakis "seems to think that the Trident is a chewing gum, the B-1 is a vitamin pill, and the midget man is someone whose shorter than him."