The Family Way

By Melissa August, Matthew Cooper, Wendy Cole, Ellin Martens, Desa Philadelphia, Julie Rawe, Alain Sanders, Flora Tartakovsky and Josh Tyrangiel

FLOUNDERING FATHERS

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's paternity-leave dilemma inspired "envy," President Clinton said. With good reason. Under a new law, all British fathers can take an unpaid paternity leave as long as 13 weeks without being fired or demoted. American dads can take 12 unpaid weeks; Clinton can't. For a leave of office, says the 25th Amendment, the President must send Congress a written declaration that he is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." The G.O.P. would relish that note more than an impeachment.