Clinton’s Taped Testimony

Am I living in my beloved United States or am I going through a time warp and occupying a front seat at the Spanish Inquisition? For the last two hours I have been watching the grand jury questioning of our president, and, contrary to what I expected, I am glad it was released to the public (even though its release violated all the rules of grand jury testimony being kept secret). Now the whole country can see the baiting of our president and empathize with the way he answered and reacted to the shameless questions he was asked.

What Kenneth Starr was after was not to present a reasoned report to Congress but to secure an auto-da-fe.

LENORE JACOBI

Malibu

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Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this picture? On Monday morning, our president made an important speech against international terrorism to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Among the distinguished world leaders in attendance was Nelson Mandela. Yet more than 10 television stations, including all of the major networks, provided no live coverage, opting instead to play the the president’s taped grand jury testimony. The only station to carry the president’s speech live was C-SPAN 2. The president’s speech is news, while the grand jury tapes are fodder for tabloids.

INGRID WALLS

Tarzana

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What a sad day for the country. First the Starr report made public, and now this. And all, in my view, because Congress does not have the courage to do its job. How disingenuous of all those members of Congress who said it was necessary to release all this information because “the public has a right to judge whether the president has committed an impeachable offense.” The truth is that these members of Congress want the public to tell them how they should vote on the impeachment question. That is a terrible abdication of their responsibility, and we are all paying the price, in the eyes of the world.

RICHARD A. BLACKER

Santa Monica

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I am so proud of our federal government. There’s no solution in sight for Social Security and health care continues to be ignored, but when they really needed to, they snapped into action. They got the tapes out (and worked through their weekend to do it, too).

RICHARD RASKIN

Encino

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I will guarantee one thing--I will never, ever vote for anyone or anyone associated with anyone (and I presume that’s all of the Republican Party) who votes for dumping this filth where it can be read or viewed by my young teenage kids--especially just for the cynical purposeof bringing down a president whose politics they happen to disagree with. It is a lie that this is a necessary step. There are civilized ways to proceed. Clinton did not expose my kids to this stuff; he tried to keep it quiet.

BILL MOSIER

Hermosa Beach

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First President Clinton disgraced himself. Then Starr disgraced the presidency. Now Congress has disgraced our nation. Shame on them all.

GARY L. HARRYMAN

Topanga

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To all Clinton defenders who just don’t get it: It’s the perjury, stupid!

KIP ALLEN

Palm Springs

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Please explain to me why I must view the president’s grand jury testimony in order for my congressman to decide if an impeachable offense was committed.

RUSSELL FUERST

Murrieta

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As a lifelong Republican, I am horrified at the exact split between Democrats and Republicans on the decision to release the Clinton videotapes to the media. That act was so blatantly political for both parties that I wish Ross Perot would run again!

ROBERT BUTLER

Buena Park

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So now the Clinton administration is conducting a so-called “scorched earth” campaign against anyone who speaks out against the president or calls for his impeachment (Sept. 21). I would expect this sort of blackmail from the Mafia, or maybe the KGB, but for an American president to resort to such sleaze to discredit his political opponents is beyond the pale. Sending out attack dogs to smear honorable people allegedly using illegally obtained FBI files is not acceptable in this country. As Richard Nixon found out, using such means will not be tolerated by the American people.

By doing this, Clinton has shown yet again that his only concern is his own skin, and the good of this country is not even on his radar scope. Not to mention the lack of concern for the families of the people he is attempting to disgrace.

Clinton is the most dishonorable man that has been in the Oval Office in my lifetime, including Nixon. I call for his immediate resignation, and failing the), that impeachment proceedings begin immediately.

JEFF LANE

Anaheim

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Now let me see if I understand this correctly: The Republicans, who cited the public’s “right to know” as their justification for rushing into release the pornographic details of President Clinton’s relationship with Monica LewInsky, are now screaming “witch hunt” and “obstruction of justice” over embarrassing revelations about the sexual histories of Reps. Dan Burton and Henry Hyde (Sept. 18) and demanding an FBI investigation of their source? (I was unaware that criticizing Republicans was a federal offense.) Could that noise we hear be the sound of glass houses shattering?

MICHAEL MAHER

Apple Valley

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The liberals are pulling out all of the stops to defend Clinton, a pathetic example of a president. They know that the very future of liberalism is at stake. We must not waste this historic opportunity to rid our government of failed liberal ideas. It is time to declare war on liberalism. After all, the liberals have been fighting a war against the principles on which the United States was founded and which led us to be a shining example for the world.

It is high time to end the era of big government, super high taxes, massive bureaucracies that accomplish little and laws and regulations growing out of control. Conservatives must not be complacent and need strong organization and leadership, for it is evident that the liberals will fight to the end, and that they will follow the example of their leader by shamelessly employing lies and distortions.

F. STEPHEN MASEK

Mission Viejo

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President Clinton did the deed, but he is not the one who chose to rub it in our faces every single day. For our exposure to all the sordid details, most of our thanks should lie with Starr, the Republicans and the media. So if we start pointing fingers at the corrupters of today’s youth, we should remember that the messenger must carry as heavy a load of guilt as the message. Like our mothers always said, if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, don’t say anything!

SYDNEE McDONALD

Bellflower

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I’m sure that President Clinton has learned from this whole mess. He will never again invest in Arkansas real estate.

LEONARD M. LINDE

Los Angeles