Chapter Seven: The Appearance Of Impropriety

"The Emporer has no clothes on, but we are not allowed to tell him"

In his book, Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine", Howard Kurtz describes the Clinton Administration as being the most adept at controlling the direction of any given discussion with their version of what is "truth".

Thier spinning went into high gear when it became obvious that the Monica Lewinsky scandal would not soon be dissapating before the American public. They had finally made a mistake, they had broken the cardinal rule of the American Press: Thou shalt not lie- to us. The press, although sometimes looking a bit grieved about it, kept the story at the forefront of the public's attention.

Even though they were now in crisis , I was in awe of the solidarity of the Clinton Camp and it's outside supporters. When the First lady proclaimed to the world, in an interview with the Today Show's, Matt Lauer, that her husband was being unduly victimized by an "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy", it was laughable. There is no solidarity on the Right. Bill Clinton would not have been elected- twice- if the Republicans had had such cohesiveness. There are a lot more Conservatives than there are liberals. The Conservative Camp is extremely fragmented and diversified in philosophy ranging from the extreme militia-like Right to the Religious Right to the Moderate Right.

The Conservatives in office were still smarting, fearful and cowering at the masterful way the Clinton Administration had adhered a variety of labels on their foreheads that set them up as anti-elderly, anti-children, anti-clean air, anti-clean water, anti-healthcare, anti-social security and pro tax cuts for the wealthy.

This Adminstration was successful in it's spinning because they appeared to be young, intellectual, idealistic visionaries whose battle was for the elevation of "all" Americans. They were relentless in their attacks.

The Clinton supporters from outside the Administration eagerly adopted and dissiminated the daily mantra. I sometimes imagined an army of E:mailings and Fax Machines going off simultaneously in offices and homes across the country with the day's Democratic game plan which included strict instructions that had to set to memory (they all had to say exactly the same thing). They also had to commit to a single, solid refute which covered any and all doubtful supositions a skeptic might espouse. They were to say: "It has not been proven in a court of law!".

No matter what the question the "enemy" might have thought to pose against a Clinton supporter, the answer, which was meant to stifle further examination of the question would be this "It isn't proven!" It was spoken loudly, sternly and with a parental-type authority that insisted that even though things were plain and obvious, they were not so because "I said so!".

In a society that is so independant and individualistic it was bizarre that such an authoritarian tactic would be effective, especially since it was being utilized by Flower Children from the 1960's who, themselves so strongly rebelled against any and all authority.

Bill Clinton was not telling the American public the truth about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. He had called in Harry Thomasas and together they had scripted and rehersed the finger wagging, "I did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky" speech. He opted to blatantly lie to the American public, with Hillary standing beside him, off camera, looking lovingly on. But the truth would unravel despite his protests.

Bill Clinton was literally naked before the entire world once the public discussion pounced on his sexual escapades. Because of the masterful spin of his Administartion and of the members of what I labeled as the Vast Left-Wing Coverup (VLWC), the President of the United States stood exposed before the entire planet and no one could say so in an effective manner that might have counciled him to alter his action and perhaps save himself and America's reputation in the global arena.

America, so young in age compared to other existing civilizations, has brazenly set herself up to be the world's "parent". During the Monica Days, America acted like a foolish, impetuous, juvenile delinquent with a truck load of "self-esteem" and very little self control. Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, with their incapacity to fathom the problems their actions had caused the entire nation, epitomized these irresponsible days

In the long run, there would be a group victimizing Hilary Rodham Clinton's husband. The VLWC would prove to a vital part of Bill Clinton's undoing because she and they enabled his activities and his lies. It seems disingenuous for any Adminstration member to claim that they too were victims of Clinton's lies because they had a personal responsibility to investigate the man and the stories with whom they invested and aligned their own credibility.

The VLWC betrayed the Presidency of the United States in allowing its present occupant to go to the edge and walk on the thinnest of ledges for such a long time as he lied to the country and sent out his cabinet to lie for him as well. The VLWC undermined our country before the global community as well. It is not too likely that other world leaders would take Bill Clinton serious after seeing him so exposed.

When Bill Clinton appeared before the United Nations and received a standing ovation, it was clear that the members of that body recognized that no one man makes up the Presidency of the United States, it is a representation of the whole and it would not have been wise or prudent to have been disrespectful of the office that stood before them.

When Bill Clinton and his Administration failed at negotiating with Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic, it became obvious that they might have survived numerous scandals on our land and with our people, but the effects of the scandals abroad were potentially catestrophic.

Hussein and Milosevic, two global midgets, dared to confront America, the only Super Power left standing on the planet, and they won.

Hussein refused to allow for inspections of his munitions and development of biological weapons as had been imposed on him by the United Nations and we allowed him to refuse.

Milosevic stands firmly as NATO drops bombs on his land for what has now been for over a month. The Clinton policy has failed because they did not factor in Serbian "conviction" (something one would rather die for than to lose) for the land that is Kosovo.

And in America, even the most faithful Clinton supporters are left to ponder whether our Commander in Chief is being truthful or lying about matters that now involve the possible loss of life to not only our military sons and daughters, but any of our citizenry that his actions has exposed to the ever-present threat of terrorism. We witnessed what appears to be a repetition of the Clinton's history in that they had not been careful to surround themselves with people who would act with in their best interest. They had again encircled themselves with political players, who as carriers of the Liberal Torch, were out to win at all costs.

Dick Morris, Clinton's former political advisor, wrote in his book, "Behind The Oval Office" that each of the President's staff members, whom the President called "the children who got me elected", were so anxious to "win" that they often leaked their ideas to the press, falsely claiming that they were the President's ideas or stance on an issue. The President did not want to be seen by the public as indecisive and/or waffling, so he stuck by what was leaked- even if was not the best for his Administration or the country. Even now, in a time of war, this Administration leaks unkindly against Clinton with "well-placed sources" saying that he is not capable or suited for making the decisions necesary to win this war.

He was surrounded by a staff he could not trust, and yet the President did not actively dismiss anyone. He was indebted to the special interests that each person represented and could not dare to remove them for his fear of the loss of political backing.

Dick Morris also testified before the Starr Grand Jury examining the Monical Lewinsky case that upon learning that the country would not be willing to look away from a President's perjury, Clinton declared that "then we will just have to win". He and his camp sought to do so even if the cost of winning was a cover up of the Clinton's wrong doings and even if it meant bringing the country down with a difficult constitutional and ethical crisis and even if it meant the humiliation and the possibility of a complete political loss to the Clintons themselves.

The Clintons were willing to gamble enormously high stakes to "win". They were willing to divide the American people. President Clinton was willing to lie and perjure himself, putting on the table what little credibility he had left and the possible loss of his Legal Bar Association. They were willing to gamble with the loss of decorum and even the power and authority for the actual office of the Presidency of the United States. They sent up test after test to the Supreme Court to try to qualify for legal loopholes that would keep people from testifying before the Starr Grand Jury, the vast majority of which they lost.

But as Soccer Mom, or just as a mother, I was most appalled by the fact that the Clintons were willing to sacrifice thier child in a high rolling gamble that they had to "win". Reports would later emerge of Chelsea's numerous emergancy visits to the hospital at Stanford University, where she was attending. Reports indicate that she was suffering from anxiety that was causing her tremendous abdominal pain.

He was Impeached by the House, not removed by the Senate, but they did not win. In a later ruling, Judge Susan Weber Wright, presiding over the original case Paula Jones brought against Bill Clinton, sited the President with Contempt of Court for what she defined as his "clearly lying" under oath. Finally, someone told the man who would be Emporer that he did indeed have NO clothes on.

@Jenni Vinson May 5, 1999