Item 2: That this code of conduct be put into effect on the day of the announcement.

UNESCO: Communication and Information

To make things fair, we chose regularly replenished items that all three retailers sell, and we didn't include sale items. (While there are back-to-school sales galore right now, January is prime time for office-supply sales.) To bake in the effect of bulk purchasing, we chose 10 of the largest package of each item.

FORBES: A Penny Pincher's Guide To Office Supplies

When Congress approved the line-item veto last year, Clinton and his Republican challenger, Bob Dole, agreed it would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 1997, taking it out of election-year politics.

CNN: AllPolitics - Line-Item Veto