Informed Sources

Pulling Out His Coattails

RICHMOND -- DOUGLAS WILDER's scuttling of his independent Senate candidacy in Virginia probably saves the seat for incumbent Democrat Chuck Robb. But wait -- there's a flip side: Democrats may lose two tight House races in which they were counting on a large turnout of blacks voting for Wilder to translate into votes for regular Democrats lower down on the ticket.

Calling Mrs. Doubtfire

WASHINGTON -- With Hillary Clinton's chief of staff MARGARET WILLIAMS planning to leave after the fall elections, Administration officials are quietly searching for someone to recast the First Lady's image by mixing in a little more tradition and tea sipping. "We need a young Liz Carpenter-type," sighs one official, referring to Lady Bird Johnson's inventive Texas-bred press secretary. Key question in job interviews: What should Mrs. Clinton's next project be? Good answer: Promoting the needs of children.

One Less Thing for Hard Copy to Worry About

LOS ANGELES -- John Dunton, the so-called O.J. MYSTERY WITNESS who went to jail rather than talk to a grand jury investigating O.J. Simpson's pal Al Cowlings, is appearing less and less mysterious. An L.A. County district attorney told TIME he interviewed Dunton in late 1987 while prosecuting a jailhouse murder. "It was clear he had zippo credibility," recalls the D.A., describing Dunton as "a wannabe informant" and worse: "He's a flake."