A Case of No Ws: Who, What, Where, Why, When?

WASHINGTON — Incoming staffers of the Bush White House are apparently victims of a practical joke perpetrated by their predecessors. Bush aides settling into the Old Executive Office Building have discovered that many computer keyboards in their work spaces are missing the W key--as in President Bush’s middle initial.

“There are dozens, if not hundreds, of keyboards with these missing keys,” a White House aide said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “In some cases the W is marked out, but the most prevalent example is the key being removed. In some cases the W keys have been taped on top of the doorways, which are 12 feet tall.”

“My guess is that the White House did not have many reasons to use the letter W over the last couple of years,” joked Gore campaign press secretary Chris Lehane when asked for comment. “It’s possible they just fell off because of sheer atrophy.”