Whitewater Convictions and President Clinton

* Re the Whitewater “scandal”:

Let me see if I understand this correctly: Twenty years ago, Bill Clinton makes a bad investment and loses his money, and James McDougal, the man who encouraged the bad investment, has no other business dealings with Clinton for eight long years except for having Clinton’s wife do a few hours of minor legal work.

During this long time period, McDougal rips off his savings and loan, gets caught and is convicted. Why is that a problem for Clinton?

If that poses a problem for Clinton, then it probably poses a similar problem for everyone who ever entered into a deal, bought a piece of property, or ever received a check from McDougal.

We’ve all made bad investments, and some of us have even been defrauded by friendly appearing, but unscrupulous, people. Does that mean we can be subject to charges of complicity with the people who conned us out of our money? Gullibility or trust is hardly a crime.

The conviction of McDougal does not implicate Clinton. Why not listen to what the jurors said as reported by the New York Times? They felt that Clinton was credible (read honest) and that he raised questions about the truthfulness of the government’s main witness (David Hale). The spokesman for five of the jurors (Colin C. Capp) said he thought the president was “magnificent,” but that they did not see the Clinton/Hale recollections as significant.

HERBERT HAFIF

Claremont

* The sad thing about our president, the presidency and Whitewater is it shows how stupid the American people really are, especially liberals. Even The Times is writing nasty things about our esteemed leader. To know that everyone associated with Whitewater is a crook and to believe that Clinton and his wife, who were right in the middle of it, are lily-white is ludicrous.

The fact that Republicans have no platform because Clinton has stolen it is even more stupid. Why would liberals vote for a man who is spouting conservative ideas? If these ideas are so good why aren’t the liberals voting Republican? Anybody who thinks he is going to implement conservatism has probably already bought the Brooklyn Bridge, but if he doesn’t the man’s a liar.

JOHN WAUGEN

Anaheim