Bill Clinton or Jack Kennedy. In the old days when I occupied a corner of the Journal building, I had the option of proof-reading my stuff before it was printed. At times, particularly on such crucial dates such as today's, my revisions ran long. Some of my proof-reading marks were so historical even the sharpest of the editorial staff didn't know of or understand them. If my stuff ran too long I could consult with the editor on where cuts might be made.
Injudicious revisions can be worse even than mistakes in spelling and rhetoric.
That's because the key point after a 100 words of blather was contained in the excised paragraph. The cutting now is entirely beyond my control so if any of my work seems to lack purpose, you might blame faulty editing. That criticism really hurts, because in 40 years of column writing I have never tried to be cute. If I catch myself trying that the series will end. On Friday, the 13th, there is a greater risk of offending someone unintentionally.