PARDON ME
Was President Clinton's commutation of the sentences of sixteen terrorists an attempt to boost Mrs. Clinton's popularity among Puerto Rican voters in New York, as Republicans charge, or a standard exercise of his power to pardon, as the administration insists? An underreported feature of Clinton's offer undermines the latter claim.

Clinton's offer of leniency was conditional on the prisoners' signing pledges to admit their guilt, to renounce violence, and not to associate with each other. But that's not all. The president's official "Executive Grant of Clemency", which NR has obtained, also stipulates that to get the commutation, each prisoner must "submit a signed, written statement requesting that his or her sentence be commuted by me." Usually, prisoners request clemency before it is granted to them. Indeed, the first sentence of the relevant section of the code of federal regulations says that a pardon-seeker "shall execute a formal petition." These regulations are, to be sure, advisory rather than binding, but they suggest that the present case involves a departure from standard operating procedure that is, at the least, curious.

HAVE A GOOD CRY
There may be nothing more frightening to a parent than the prospect of a child gone missing. But thanks to the Department of Justice, moms and dads now can have a great handbook at their fingertips if something terrible happens. It's called "When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide." Prepared by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, it includes this useful advice:

"Keep an open mind ... when considering the use of a psychic."

"Your body needs food and sleep in order to endure this ordeal."

"Keep a journal. Some parents find it extremely helpful to keep track of their thoughts and feelings in a journal."

"It's okay to laugh. A laugh can be as cleansing as a good cry."

"Try changing family holiday traditions and beginning new ones. ... [I]nstead of the traditional Christmas or Hanukkah celebration, you can go on a trip."

"Let your children know that it is okay for everyone in the family--including mom and dad--to cry and that you can help each other by holding hands, giving each other a big hug or kiss, or getting each other a glass of water."

Thank you, Janet Reno.