President George W. Bush, who has been talking tough on the subject of illegal immigration in recent days, appeared to reverse course today, announcing a guest-worker program that allows illegal immigrants to work inside the White House itself.

Recognizing that his new plan was likely to draw the ire of conservatives and other foes of illegal immigration, Bush said that the guest workers' duties in the White House would be limited: "They will mainly be responsible for leaking classified information to the press."

According to White House insiders, using illegal immigrants to perform leaking functions that were formerly the responsibility of White House aides has several advantages. Principally, after leaking the information to reporters, the guest workers can sneak over the border back to their country of origin before being subpoenaed, indicted or summoned to testify before Congress.

But several White House aides were angered by the president's guest-worker program, arguing that leaking was an American job that should be performed only by Americans.

Several prominent leakers within the White House inner circle were considering strategies to combat the guest-worker program, including organizing a leakers' union in the White House that would prevent illegal immigrants from joining.

But despite the complaints, one aide said that the president was unlikely to terminate his guest-worker program any time soon: "He seems to like having other people around the White House who don't speak English as their first language."

Elsewhere, "American Idol" signed up for six more seasons, confirming reports that appeared in the Book of Revelation.© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.