News In Brief

SO WRITE THEIR NAMES IN, OK?

If you go to the polls Nov. 7 in Lafayette, Ore., you won't find much of a choice in the five races for open seats on the town council. That's because none of the candidates are listed on the ballot. Town officers failed to meet the paperwork deadline to complete it because they had to deal with two major disruptions: the recall of the mayor and the resignation of the town administrator. Said one upset but understanding candidate, "I know they didn't do it on purpose."

SURE, YOU MAY RIDE IN IT

It was either very late at night or extremely early in the morning - take your pick - when two young men up to no good spied an easy target on a street in Hanover, Germany: a car, parked at the curb and ripe for stealing. They closed in and attempted their break-in by prying open the trunk when the front doors suddenly opened and two cops confronted them. The suspects hadn't looked inside the vehicle - an unmarked police car. Yes, there were arrests.

Campaign trail slogans that miss the mark with critics

Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have given their policy proposals catchy names. Associated Press collected a number of them and ran them by professional consultants. The consensus? Although they admired the way the campaigns boiled down some complex ideas into pithy phrases - such as "the death tax" - most of the slogans, they said, were too puffed up. A select sampling of the slogans used by the presidential candidates:

Bush

American Dream Down Payment Fund: Helping poor people buy their first home

MediCARxES: Prescription drug plan

Tax Cut With a Purpose: Tax-cut plan

Gore

Keep America Moving Program: Money for mass transit, including Amtrak

Rural Safety Net: Income-stability programs for farmers

21st Century Learning Centers: After-school programs

- Associated Press

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