America's No. 1 nationally syndicated columnist (now appearing in more than 550 newspapers) Cal Thomas tells Inside the Beltway: "I've had a lot of things happen while flying, but this morning was a new one."

"We were delayed on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for more than 90 minutes," Mr. Thomas told us Wednesday. "The reason was that the captain had left his I.D. at home. He called his wife. She drove to the airport and gave it to him.

"He was extremely embarrassed and said in all his years as a commercial pilot and, before that, in the Air Force, this was the first time he had ever done such a thing. Then he announced on the PA system, 'I'm going to say something you'll never hear in Washington: I screwed-up.' Much laughter followed."

SHUT BUBBA UP

April's "Harper's Index" is filled with intriguing trivia, especially for those of us who make our home in the nation's capital: "Percentage of Americans born in Washington, D.C., who still live there: 13."

Ouch!

Now, get a load of this pair of not-so-pleasant facts:

"Amount the U.S. government spent last year on its former presidents: $2,500,000."

"Amount it spent on Bill Clinton's telephone service: $79,000."

Obviously, if he's going to talk so much on the telephone, somebody in government should insist that Mr. Clinton enroll in one of those less-expensive "friends and family"-style phone plans.

BEHIND EVERY MAN

"Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet."

Or such was the title of the recent State Department forum, the featured speaker Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

BUMPER YEAR Continued...