NEW YORK NOTEBOOK

Hey, Big Spender

Republicans have accused the Democratic Party of being the last of the big spenders. But it certainly wasn’t true for the restaurants and businesses near Madison Square Garden. Many had expected the convention to be a bonanza, but instead it was a bust. “They are not buying anything,” bemoaned an employee of Penn Electronics Inc., in sentiments echoed at other stores. “We were counting on doing double business. We are doing half our normal business.”

Perot Payoff

The day Edward J. Rollins announced his plans to work for Ross Perot, James Carville, left, the flamboyant campaign strategist for Bill Clinton, called to tell him he had made a big mistake. Rollins promptly agreed to a bet: Carville would owe him $100 for every point Perot won over 15% of the vote. He would pay Carville $200 per point if Perot fell below 15%. “Rollins owes me $3,000,” a smiling Carville said Thursday afternoon.

Half a Spin

A few minutes after Perot’s announcement, a reporter encountered Clinton campaign manager David Wilhelm. The reporter asked if the impact of Perot’s decision was good or bad for the Democrats. “Good,” Wilhelm said. “Why,” the reporter asked. “I’ll get back to you on that later,” Wilhelm said with a smile.