Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Hurting the president is the real issue
Jay Severin: political analyst for MSNBC.
Here�s the eerie view from the windows of the White
House: like Count Dracula, the most spectacular legal case
of modern political history � Paula Jones v. Bill Clinton �
is poised to shrug off unnatural death, reawaken, and again
relentlessly stalk its victim. It wants blood. Presidential
blood.
Sure looks like it. I very much doubt Jones is calling a
major press conference to declare she is still dead.
And so it appears the real question is not �will she or
won�t she?� but, rather, �so what�? That is, will her dogged
pursuit of the case against Bill Clinton hurt the president?
No way. And yes. There are two schools of thought.
School No. 1: No way it hurts Bill Clinton: Since most
Americans seem to side with Clinton over Jones anyway,
and since, in any case, her legal appeal will take so long that
Clinton will be out of office if and when the case resumes,
the appeal is a dead letter. Moreover, a Jones appeal,
in addition to being merely impotent, will look like a partisan
persecution of the president � creating sympathy for
Clinton, lending credibility to �right wing conspiracy� claims,
and otherwise backfiring savagely on Republicans.
School No. 2: Yes, this hurts Bill Clinton: Until it was
dismissed, the Paula Jones case hobbled � and recently
threatened to cripple � Bill Clinton and his presidency.
Now, in the midst of so many other allegations of similar,
tawdry behavior, the ongoing public awareness (thanks to
ceaseless media coverage) generated by the prospect of
another Jones trial will hound and haunt Bill Clinton every
day he remains president. Even if her case does not
proceed for a year or more � indeed, even if the appeal
eventually fails � this case diminishes Bill Clinton and his
credibility, and makes more credible current and future
charges against him. And it will make Clinton more
vulnerable in the crucial court of public opinion if Ken
Starr�s report goes to Congress, or into a court of law.
As you can see, both of the above are plausible
schools. Which one is Harvard, and which one Acme
Institute of Refrigerator Repair? That, my fellow Americans,
is, quite literally, up to you. Stay tuned.
--
Two rules in life:
1. Don't tell people everything you know.
2.
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