Notebook

By Val Castronovo, Matthew Cooper, Daniel Levy, Andrew Purvis, Julie Rawe, Sachiko Sakamaki, Alex Taylor, Owen Thomas, Josh Tyrangiel

WINNERS & LOSERS

[WINNERS]

JESSE HELMS Unprecedented U.N. speech wins kudos if not converts. Next stop, Log Cabin Republicans

ALAN KEYES Polls, reports find perennially outraged candidate picking up steam. But try the decaf

BOB KERREY Leaving Senate for possible New School gig. Coming soon: Ted Kennedy at the Learning Annex!

[& LOSERS]

ELIAN GONZALEZ Even if grandma diplomacy works, he's still a football. Does Cuba's health care cover therapy?

EZER WEIZMAN Embattled Israeli President denies gift-related charges. Must be listening to Helmut Kohl

RICHARD NIXON Public release of audiotapes makes one realize how (expletive deleted) bad it got