FURIOUS CLINTON ORDERS REPORTER BANNED AFTER GRILLING!

FIGHT CLUB: FURIOUS CLINTON ORDERS REPORTER BANNED AFTER GRILLING!

DRUDGE REPORT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1999 17:09:42 ET

Thanks NancyRides

**Exclusive**

A furious President Clinton has ordered a Washington reporter banned from the White House, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, after the reporter quizzed the president during a press picnic about illegal money from China and the campaign-finance scandal!

Paul Sperry, Washington bureau chief of INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, was thrown off the invite list at the White House after he grilled the president for more than 10 minutes about various political scandals.

"It turned into a real shout match on the south lawn," one eyewitness told the DRUDGE REPORT.

At one point during the argument, President Clinton put his hands up to both sides of his head, wiggled them, rolled his eyes and gave Sperry a funny face.

"Make sure that guy never gets close to me again!" the president ordered one of his aides after the showdown.

White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, angry that Sperry transformed a family picnic into a confrontational press conference, told an associate that Sperry is a "Class A s**thead."

Lockhart personally informed Sperry during a phone conversation late Monday that he would never be invited back to the White House.

"The only regret we have is inviting you -- and we won't make that mistake again," Lockhart warned Sperry.

It began innocently enough.

"When are you going to have your next formal press conference, Mr. President?" Sperry casually asked Clinton while he was shaking hands and socializing with reporter and their families.

Clinton: "I don't know. I'll have one."

Sperry: "When?"

The president replied, "Why?"

Sperry: "The American people have a lot of unanswered questions."

Clinton: "Like what!"

Sperry: "Questions about illegal money from China and the campaign-finance scandal."

It was at that point that Clinton started to become unglued.

"Who are you with?" Clinton demanded to know.

"I don't like your accusatory tone. It sounds like you've already got the story written."

Sperry gave the president his business card and said that the public wanted answers about the allegations of illegal contributions from China.

Clinton: "I've been all around this country, and you are the first person to ask me about it. Not one person has brought that up... You want to know the only person who has been linked to money from China? Haley Barbour and the RNC, that's who!"

A red-faced Clinton began to rant about Waco, Republicans, the FBI and gun control.

Pictures taken by a newspaper photographer show Clinton wagging his finger in Sperry's face, Washington's version of THE FIGHT CLUB.

Sperry says he was stunned and "woozy" for hours after.

When asked on Tuesday if he felt intimidated during his one-on-one with the most powerful man in the world, Sperry said: "No, he's only about a half an inch taller than I am."