On 02-16-98, JOHN SAMPSON declared to ROBERT PLETT:
JS>RP>It'll hold off some public opinion for awhile, but not for long.  The
JS>RP>press knows the leaks aren't coming from Starr, and also knows the
JS>RP>intent of the Whine House is to shift focus any way it can.  Clinton's
JS>RP>poll numbers are actually slipping now, and I believe will continue to
JS>RP>drop as more comes out.  If Starr can bring himself to act quickly and
JS>RP>complete the Lewinsky part of his investigations and release his report
JS>RP>on them, I really don't think Clinton will have any poll numbers left,
JS>RP>nor will he retain friends in the media.
JS>I don't agree totally with that premise. If they continue to bash Ken
JS>Starr, the purpose is to discredit him. If Starr comes out with a damning
JS>report on Clinton proving the Lewinsky affair including the perjury,
JS>subornation of perjury, obstruction of justice, etc. , and gets Vernon
JS>Jordon, all the administration is going to say is that we can't believe
JS>Starr because of all the leaks. That evidence and testimony was
JS>"manufactured" or perjury was suborned by Starr himself (this charge has
JS>already been levied).
Yes, their purpose is to discredit Starr, but if he gets Jordan, it'll
be in courts of law, first by indictment by grand jury, then conviction
by petit jury, and what they say about Starr won't matter in that.  As
for what he comes up with on Dufus, all that goes to the House Judiciary
Committee which then decides whether the evidence stands up or not, and
which takes over with its own attorneys.  Again, at that point, what
they say about Starr won't really matter - it'll be the facts, the
polls, and Republican backbone that decides.
JS>Yes, the press knows that the leaks aren't coming from Starr. Especially
JS>those who have gotten the information from the leakers. However, first and
JS>foremost, they're FOB's and as such won't want to see the great messiah
JS>toppled from power.
There are many who still are that way, but a large number of them have
already jumped off that wagon.  All kinds of liberal media types are
completely disgusted with him because of what he's done and continues to
do in the way of discrediting liberalism.  Sure, many still say the
facts aren't yet known, but they believe he's guilty, and not a few of
them are saying daily that the charge of leaks from Starr is totally
without support and point to the Whine House and its associates as the
sources.  Also, many now look on what the Whine House is doing as being
obstruction of justice.
Remember, John, we're only at the beginning of liberal disillusionment
with Herr Slickster.  I'm seeing examples everyday of that
disillusionment growing, and once it reaches critical mass, which I
think it will before too much longer, the pack will cut the Whine House
no slack whatever.  Just look at what Time did with that report it put
out on what Clinton and Jordan talk about - that NEVER would've happened
as recently as a few weeks ago.  They're very close now to seeing to it
that Clinton's poll numbers go into the cellar.
Consider this from Chris Matthews, Washington Bureau Chief for the San
Francisco Examiner:
   "We, 49% of us at least, bought this box of cereal called Bill
   Clinton. Inside some of us expected to find, perhaps, one of those
   little plastic toys slipped in between the box and the wax paper.
   Instead, we opened the box one winter day this year to find not a
   harmless novelty item, but a spider, an eight-legged hairy bug
   crawling in what we expected to be a hearty January breakfast. We now
   have to live with it, including those of us who were so hungry for
   leadership in this aging century that we heard it and discounted back
   when we had the choice . . . that tell-tale scratching in the box."
JS>Furthermore, such a scandal could be disasterous for
JS>Gore in 2000 since he's involved with this administration.
JS>So the mantra of "preserve the party and Gore at all costs" will be taken
JS>up by them.
Gore is far less important for them to preserve than the party and
liberalism itself is.  If that house of cards that is the administration
comes apart, they'll sacrifice a tainted Gore in a heartbeat to save the
party and their ideals.
Bob     /\-/\   - proud Ilk   homebody@galstar.com
C.A.T. ( o o ) Chapter Ilks
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Green Country - Oklahoma      http://www.galstar.com/~homebody/
 * SLMR 2.1a * To LIbErals, reality is a horrible mistake.
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