<< WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Call it the strange case of the missing Ws.
President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has lost his middle initial from many computer keyboards at the Old Executive Office Building in the White House complex.
In an apparent prank carried out by departing Clinton administration staffers, Bush aides discovered that dozens of computer keyboards were missing the ``W'' key.
Bush aides said on Tuesday that the W was marked out in some cases but often the key had been removed -- and sometimes taped on top of doorways -- or damaged with the spring broken.
The new team was studying whether any of the keyboards could be salvaged, but it appeared in many cases they would simply have to be replaced.
In the West Wing, the computers seemed not to have been vandalized. ``I have my W,'' White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
Bush made a big deal out of his middle initial during campaign rallies, often holding up the middle three fingers of his hand to form a W. He is often popularly referred to as ''Dubya.'' Bush's middle name is Walker.
He would joke to crowds that if his Democratic presidential rival, Al Gore (news - web sites), was so smart, why did every Internet address start with a W. ``And not just one W -- three Ws!'' he would exult.
Bush aides were working to repair or replace the keys.
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