BOOM BOOM BOB!

Washington Post investigative reporter Bob Woodward of Watergate fame is turning his literary sites from Washington's political arena, where he made his name, to the world of monetary policy. His eleventh book, "Boom," which is due out later this year, will chronicle Alan Greenspan's thirteen-year reign as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Woodward describes the book as a story about "Greenspan plus." Woodward's interest in Greenspan dates back to his interviews with the Fed chairman for his 1994 book, "The Agenda," an account of how President Clinton pushed his deficit reduction package through Congress during his first year in office. Greenspan was a primary source for the book (although not on the record) and, not coincidentally, wound up receiving much of the credit from Woodward for devising the Clinton economic program. "The Agenda" has long been a source of irritation to former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who has griped to friends that he didn't get enough credit for putting the plan together and that Greenspan was just a bit player who exaggerated his importance. Rubin repeated his complaint to Woodward while being interviewed for "Boom."