WASHINGTON -- In the peculiar culture of American politics, it qualifies as news when someone says out loud what everyone is saying privately. That's what happened when Bill Bradley said the other day that some Democrat may challenge President Clinton for the nomination next year.
Although he has been outspoken from time to time on touchy issues -- racism is an example -- the New Jersey senator has a reputation for political caution. He has made no secret of his interest in being president, and he was viewed as a potentially strong candidate in both 1988 and 1992 but chose to remain on the sidelines.
Bradley was less cautious when a radio talk-show host asked whether the embattled Clinton might face a challenge from within his party.
"I think that people are going to look at the president in the next six to nine months and they're going to make an assessment as to whether they believe he can do the job," said Bradley.
Asked if he might be the one to make the challenge, he replied: "I think that anybody could step up to the plate . . . if the circumstances were right. One doesn't know what is going to happen. I don't have any anticipation of doing that."
Nor is Bradley the only prominent Democrat feeding the speculation about a primary contest for the nomination. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt used a speech last week to outline what he called a "Best Practices Code of Conduct" to help the middle class.
It was advertised as a counter to the Republican "Contract With America," but it was not lost on the political community that Gephardt advanced his proposal without consulting with -- even notifying -- the White House and the president who, in theory, is the leader of the Democratic Party.
And when he was asked if he might run for president, Gephardt offered the kind of straight-faced denial of ambition that sends a clear message to the contrary. "I'm happy to be minority leader and hoping to be the majority leader or speaker," he said.
For anyone who didn't arrive on the last boat to dock, the only inference that can be drawn is that Gephardt is at least positioning himself to challenge Clinton if the president appears weak later this year.
Ironically, both the Bradley and Gephardt feints came when the president was having a somewhat better week than he has enjoyed recently.
New opinion polls showed Clinton's approval ratings improved, and he was getting some positive reviews for his leadership in acting decisively on the loan guarantees for Mexico. Several factors are feeding the speculation about a challenge, however.
Congressional Democrats are wondering, for example, whether they are not facing more heavy losses with Clinton leading the ticket in 1996.
There are only 15 Democratic seats in the Senate at stake, but incumbents Paul Simon of Illinois and Bennett Johnston of Louisiana already have announced they will not run. And there is talk among Senate Democrats that several others may step down, including Bradley, Sam Nunn of Georgia and Jim Exon of " Nebraska.
In the House the Democrats need to gain 14 seats to recapture control, an imposing task that would be even more difficult if all those Republican freshmen are allowed to win second terms and solidify their positions.
There is also pervasive and growing concern among Democrats about the Whitewater investigation.
The disclosure that special prosecutor Kenneth Starr is even looking into the use of "walking-around money" in Clinton's gubernatorial campaigns in Arkansas, a standard practice in most states, suggests the president is likely to take some political lumps even if cleared of any violations of federal law.
More to the point, the pace of the inquiry seems to mean that the prosecutor's report or reports will come late this year or early next year -- meaning just at the time they could do the most political harm.
Finally, the talk of a challenge to the president has been nourished by the fact he simply lacks a hard core of emotional and committed supporters within his party speaking out in his behalf.
There are many prominent Democratic leaders who will stick with Bill Clinton because they fear disaster for the party if there is a primary fight next year. But there are none, except perhaps on the White House staff, who would walk through a wall for him.