A syndicated column in Stars and Stripes contained this startling advice for a jealous wife: “Menage a trois. Everybody wins.” The column, July 28 , was Male Call, an often tongue-in-cheek offering from McClatchy Newspapers. Stripes periodically runs it on Page 2, which carries items for readers who might appreciate a break from the day’s serious happenings. Especially targeted are younger readers. More about them later.

It's amazing how a controversy with no meaning for the real issues in an election campaign can persist for days and days. Then again, we're in what journalists call the summer doldrums, and any spark of a tussle can fan the flames of public attention.