XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX 01/21/99 02:42 UTC XXXXX ADDRESSING SENATORS, EX-PRESIDENT BUSH WARNS: STOP THE SLEAZE Speaking before senators who had just finished hearing evidence in President Clinton's impeachment trial, former President George Bush on Wednesday warned about dirty politics and "excessive intrusion into private lives." In a half-hour speech given in the in the Old Senate chamber, Bush said: "I confess that the lack of civility in our political debate and official dealings with one another concerns me... I worry about sleaze -- about excessive intrusion into private lives. I worry that once-great news organizations resort to tabloid journalism, giving us sensationalism at best, smut at worst... All in all, it seems to me that, whereas the problems looming over this town dealt more with budget deficits in times past, today we are confronted with a deficit of decency, one that deepens by the day." Bush declined to say whether he believed that President Clinton's impeachment was warranted and what the president's fate should be, according to reports. X X X X X NEWSDAY KILLS STORY ABOUT KING **Exclusive** According to publishing sources, late Wednesday night, NEWSDAY killed an exclusive story that quoted "medical sources" saying King Hussein of Jordan has been informed he has only weeks to live! NEWSDAY ordered the kill after it had already sent the exclusive to newspaper affiliates on the LOS ANGELES TIMES-WASHINGTON POST NEWS SERVICE, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. It was not known if the story found its way into print editions. "We are violently pulling it back," said one publishing source involved in the debacle. The story, filed by Timothy Phelps and initially cleared by NEWSDAY editors, reported that almost two weeks ago Hussein was told by his Mayo Clinic doctors that his body had rejected a transplant of his own bone marrow and that he had only weeks to live. Hussein was at Mayo to receive treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. A NEWSDAY spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. X X X X X HILL CONTROVERSY: CLINTON DEFENDER CHERYL MILLS FOUGHT OWN OBSTRUCTION CHARGE "Washington has found its very own Ally McBeal!" declares veteran reporter Ann McFeatters of SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE. White House deputy counsel Cheryl Denise Mills, 33, attractive and persuasive, soft-spoken and smart, "wowed the Senate and onlookers" Wednesday with her defense of President Clinton on obstruction of justice charges, McFeatters reports. While preparing her brief, Mills worked very closely with best pal Bruce Lindsey, according to one insider. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is also said to have offered advice and suggestions to Mills. Sen. Byron Dorgan [D-ND] came out full of enthusiasm for Mills' performance in the well of the Senate on Wednesday. "It was one of the most remarkable presentations I've heard in my political career!" said the senator. "When the final chapter is written, this day will be remembered as the beginning of the end," added Sen. Robert Torricelli [D-NJ]. But not all members were aboard the train to Millstown. "This is outrageous, arrogant and will do nothing to help the president's case!" The reaction of a senior Republican senator after he learned earlier this week that Mills would present the Clinton defense on Lewinsky obstruction charges in the Senate impeachment trial. Late last year Mills herself was hit with charges of obstruction and wrongdoing by a House subcommittee! When called before the committee to explain the withholding of documents during its investigation into the White House Database situation, Cheryl Mills chose to give "demonstrably false testimony," a committee report claimed. "The committee believes that there is substantial evidence that in September 1996 then-Associate [now-Deputy] Counsel to the President Cheryl Mills, with the knowledge and concurrence of then-White House Counsel Jack Quinn, knowingly and wilfully obstructed the investigative authority of this committee by withholding documents that were plainly responsive to the committee requests for documents and information. Moreover, when this obstruction was brought to light in a hearing before the committee, Ms. Mills lied under oath about the documents and the circumstances surrounding their nonproduction." The Mills matter was referred to the Department of Justice for investigation of possible perjury and obstruction, according to Hill sources. Mills strongly denies any wrongdoing in the Database situation. But one congressman directly involved in the investigation tells the DRUDGE REPORT: "We found substantial evidence that she perjured herself, repeatedly, in testimony before our committee. And now she has been chosen to defend the president on obstruction?" The Mills charges are playing at http://www.house.gov/reform/neg/reports/whodb/whodb.htm Mills also was in the middle of controversy over the White House's long delay in turning over to Congress videotapes of White House coffee fund- raisers. Regardless, at least one Republican senator was very impressed with the fierce Ms. Mills on Wednesday. Sen. Robert Bennett [R-UT] said, "I agree with Dorgan on the effectiveness of Cheryl Mills. She put things in terms people could understand... I really couldn't concentrate on what he [Greg Craig] was saying. Everyone was fairly riveted by what she had to say." Indeed, according to eyewitnesses, most senators appeared to be listening and taking notes as Mills made her case. Although a few looked like they might fall asleep during Mills, the snooze scene did not approach Tuesday's Ruff session. By one count, at least 14 senators fell asleep for 5 minutes or more during White House Ruff's presentation. They included several Democrats: Leahy, Levin, Robb, John Kerrey, Chris Dodd, Lieberman, and Robert Byrd, according to eyewitnesses. This was the 3rd day in a row that Byrd seemed to have had problems staying awake. The Republicans that were noticed sleeping during Ruff were Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond. [Both even had brief moments of snoring.] FOOTNOTE: Thursday's NEW YORK TIMES is reporting on a near-miss on The Hill this week: "Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., wheeled quickly around a corridor corner in his motorized wheelchair and almost collided with the hand-powered wheelchair of Charles Ruff, the White House counsel arriving for another day of the momentous trial. Great mutual amusement ensued." X X X X X LEAVE ME ALONE, COME CLOSER STAR WARS master George Lucas cranks the hype on his new PHANTOM MENACE in February '99 VANITY FAIR. "All the new characters! All the new details!" screams the magazine on its cover. The film may not be hitting screens for another 5 long months, but VF editor Graydon Carter declares: "The Force is Back!" [And so are magazine sales. Early reports have Carter's STAR WARS issue moving off frozen January racks.] But Lucas tells VF that the most difficult part of returning to STAR WARS has neither been the directing nor the pressure of following up the original classics. What rubs Lucas is the knowledge that his involvement in the new prequel makes him a public figure again! "If there's any trepidation I have," Lucas tells the magazine, "it's issues with the media, which has gotten much more savage and worse and gossipy." Lucas should go confess it to Yoda, who would no doubt enlighten the movie master: "Easy to remain private, out of public view, do not pose for Annie Leibovitz photo spreads and VANITY FAIR centerfolds." ---------------------------------------------------- Filed by Matt Drudge Reports are moved when circumstances warrant http://www.drudgereport.com for steaks and breaks (c)DRUDGE REPORT 1999 Not for reproduction without permission of the author
