Starr, McDougal

* First we are told that the reason Susan McDougal chooses jail for contempt rather than answer the question as to the honesty of the testimony of our president is that she dislikes independent counsel Kenneth Starr. As a former business partner of the president one would think that she would be eager to testify as to his honesty--if she knew him to be truly innocent of all charges as he so testified.

Next we are shown pictures of McDougal in leg irons and chains--real tear-jerkers. The impression given was “what a cruel man Starr must be.” The chains and leg irons were surely not standard procedure for a person of her reputation and crime. Any anti-Clinton official would be crazy to treat her this way. Isn’t it much more likely that an official sympathetic to the Democratic mission recognized a great photo-op and displayed her in chains?

Now comes the final insult to our intelligence. On Sept. 24 we read that the president has proof that the independent counsel attempted to get McDougal to lie and to state that Clinton was lying. How could he do this? Would he really think that could be accomplished? What we are seeing, I believe, is the groundwork being developed for a full pardon for McDougal, should Clinton be reelected.

WILLIAM C. THOMAS

Glendale

* Re “President Suggests Misconduct by Starr,” Sept. 24:

This certainly is news to me. All this time I thought that it was the other way around.

RON YORKE

Reseda

* It seems to me that Starr asked McDougal to testify if the president lied on videotape during the first Whitewater trial. The answer is a simple yes or no. McDougal is either doing a political grandstand, afraid to tell the truth or holding out for a pardon after the election. How interesting.

JOHN P. SMITH

Burbank

* Seeing the picture of McDougal in chains that should be reserved for violent criminals (letters, Sept. 16) is just another indication of how wacky our justice system can be. It’s too bad there is not a way the system can reprimand these persons, the judge or whoever, that misuse the power of the system. It happens all too often from one end of this country to the other!

MURPHY SWINDELL

Hemet