Editorial

Politics might be the arena for the professionally immature, but the outgoing Clinton-Gore administration took high-school hijinks to new levels.

More than a few surprises awaited President George W. Bush as he made the transition from Austin, Texas, to the White House. Rumors have surfaced of pranks ranging from Ws missing from office keyboards to slashed telephone wires to obscene messages in the copy machines.

And though the Bush team has said it will catalog all damage, it will conduct no official investigation. The Bush team is looking past these petty tricks and is discreetly sweeping the incident under the carpet. Bush is setting the tone for four years of responsible bipartisan politics.

It is a shame Clinton's staff had to underscore the indiscretions of his presidency with such childish behavior.

Pranks by outgoing administrations are nothing new. They are a way for soon-to-be unemployed staff members to blow off steam. Even the Bush-Quayle team got in on the fun in 1993 and left campaign stickers on desks throughout the White House.

But the Clinton-Gore administration, it seems, went too far and succumbed to partisan bitterness.

Vandalism is not amusing, and taxpayers can bet that money for repairs will come out of their pockets.

Missing W keys might be funny and even clever. But snipped telephone wires and obscene photocopies are destructive and in poor taste.

But The Post has a sense of humor. We came up with some alternative pranks the Clinton-Gore team should have done.

n A federal ban on cigar smoking in the Oval Office.

n Bush's very own "Hooked on Phonics" workbook. Sound it out: Seb-lim-en-l. Subliminal.

n A supply of Dramamine for those nauseating international summits. Learn from your parents' mistakes.

n A case of sparkling grape juice. No drinking and driving.

n An invitation to join an elite club for reformed presidential drug users. Clinton understands that even world leaders need support groups.

n Valentine's Day cards made from Florida's uncounted ballots. Nothing says love like dimpled chad.

n Replace the White House Bibles with dictionaries and thesauruses.