Bennett Doggedly Speaks Out, Likens the Cabinet to ‘Puppies’

William J. Bennett, director of the White House Office of Drug Abuse Policy--who raised hackles within the White House last month by terming the President’s education summit “pap”--raised eyebrows Thursday by likening the Cabinet to a bunch of puppies “dampening each other’s coats.”

Bennett, speaking to a meeting of media executives who have been raising funds for anti-drug advertising, recounted an exchange with Bush that began with the President’s talking of looking out his windows in the Oval Office and watching his dog, Millie, playing with her puppies on the White House lawn.

“I said: ‘Well, that’s sort of like the Cabinet anyway, Mr. President, all those puppies pawing on each other, stepping on each other’s heads all trying to get your attention,’ ” Bennett said.

He then continued: “It’s probably somewhat reminiscent of the Cabinet doing other things to each other which I won’t repeat here--dampening each other’s coats, shall we say? But everybody trying to get the attention of mama.”

“I don’t think I’ll have any comment,” White House spokesman Alixe Glenn said.

Within the buttoned-down and decorous world of Washington, Bennett has gotten in trouble before with his colorful language. It is a problem that he admits and, at times, even relishes. At the same meeting, Bennett noted that he was the only speaker who was not showing slides to accompany his talk.

“Maybe I should have slides,” he said. “I am quotable sometimes, too damn quotable for my own good.”