DATE=09/10/98
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10906
TITLE=BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY ?
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: IT DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG FOR THE SOMBER TONE OF U-S
EDITORIALS ABOUT THE STATE OF BILL CLINTON'S PRESIDENCY AFTER THE
ARRIVAL OF THE STARR REPORT, TO BE ADOPTED ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE GET AN EARLY SAMPLING OF GLOBAL PRESS REACTION TO THIS LATEST
DEVELOPMENT NOW FROM ______________ IN THIS WEEK'S WORLD OPINION
ROUNDUP.
TEXT: ANALYSTS IN EUROPE AND IN ISRAEL ARE BEGINNING TO SPEAK OF
THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY IN MUCH MORE SOMBER TONES REACTING TO THE
ARRIVAL AT CONGRESS OF THE STARR REPORT. SOME WRITERS ARE EVEN
CALLING THIS "THE DARKEST HOUR" OF THE PRESIDENT'S TRAVAILS, AND
OTHERS WONDER WHETHER THE "DREAD PROCESS OF IMPEACHMENT" WILL
ACTUALLY COME TO PASS.
IN PAPERS THAT FEEL MR. CLINTON CAN SURVIVE IMPEACHMENT,
THERE IS ANOTHER WORRY; THAT HE WILL, AS ONE PUT IT, BE "TOO BUSY
FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS" TO BE ABLE TO LEAD THE NATION. AS
MILAN'S LEADING BUSINESS DAILY "IL SOLE-24 ORE" COMMENTED: "IN
THE END, [MR.] CLINTON COULD EVEN GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT IN THAT
CASE AMERICA ... WILL BE FURTHER DISAPPOINTED, WEAKENED BY THE
NEW REVELATIONS AND POLEMICS, AND PARALYZED BY A LAME AND
DISTRACTED PRESIDENT."
WITH THAT AS PROLOGUE, WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN LONDON, WHERE
ENGLAND'S "DAILY TELEGRAPH" SAYS:
VOICE: "THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A STRONG PRESUMPTION THAT IS IS A
BAD THING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE
FORCED FROM OFFICE. HE IS THE HEAD OF STATE AS WELL AS
THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT. .... IF HE CAN BE THROWN OUT
ON A WHIM, OR BECAUSE OF FACTION, THE ENEMIES OF AMERICA
ARE STRENGTHENED AND THE COUNTRY IS ILL-GOVERNED. THAT
IS WHY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC RIGHTLY GIVE ALL THEIR
PRESIDENTS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. BUT TODAY THERE IS
LITTLE DOUBT FROM WHICH BILL CLINTON CAN BENEFIT ....
MR. CLINTON IS A FIGHTER. THIS WOULD BE AN ADMIRABLE
QUALITY IF HE WERE FIGHTING FOR POLICIES OR BELIEFS.
NOW, HIS ENERGIES ARE DEVOTED TO FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN
CAREER. .... HIS CHARM AND THEATRICAL ABILITIES MAY
SEE HIM THROUGH FOR A BIT LONGER, BUT IT IS, SADLY, TO
NO PURPOSE. HE CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF; HE CAN ONLY DEGRADE
HIS OFFICE FURTHER."
TEXT: ACROSS TOWN, "THE SUN" NOTED:
VOICE: "THE WORLD KNOWS HOW THE PLOT WILL END. AND THERE ARE
FEW EPISODES LEFT .... THESE ARE REMARKABLE TIMES. BUT
FOR ALL THE PERSONAL SHAME OF CLINTON, AMERICA CAN HOLD
ITS HEAD HIGH. THE LAND OF THE FREE HAS UPHELD ITS
FINEST DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONS. THE PRESIDENT MAY BE WEAK
BUT THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE ARE STRONG."
TEXT: QUICKLY CROSSING THE CHANNEL, FRENCH RADIO INTER BROADCAST
THIS REACTION:
VOICE: "WHERE WE ARE MISTAKEN IN FRANCE REGARDING THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THIS AFFAIR, IS IN THE CONCLUSION THAT
THE HARSHEST ADVERSARIES OF THE U-S PRESIDENT ARE TO BE
FOUND IN THE OPPOSITION. IN FACT, THEY ARE AMONG HIS
OWN PARTY ... AS HE STANDS TODAY, BILL CLINTON NO
LONGER HAS ANY MORAL AUTHORITY OVER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
... AND EVENTS ARE MAKING DECISIONS IN HIS PLACE ...."
TEXT: IN THE WRITTEN PRESS, FRANCE'S "LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR"
WEEKLY SUGGESTED:
VOICE: "THE SITUATION IS PARADOXICAL FOR A PRESIDENT WHO
REMAINS POPULAR, BUT WHO IS MORE AND MORE FRAGILE
POLITICALLY. BECAUSE THE STARR REPORT COULD BE EVEN
MORE DAMAGING THAN IMAGINED, THE QUESTION IS WHETHER
[MR.] CLINTON WILL BE CONDEMNED TO BECOME A PUPPET
PRESIDENT, A HOSTAGE OF A HOSTILE CONGRESS. ..... EVEN
IN FOREIGN POLICY, THE PRESIDENT'S LOSS OF CREDIBILITY
IS BEGINNING TO BE FELT ...."
TEXT: FOR AN IDEA OF GERMAN PRESS REACTION, WE BEGIN IN THE
FINANCIAL CENTER, WHERE THE RESPECTED "FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE
ZEITUNG" SUGGESTS:
VOICE: "THESE ARE BAD DAYS FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON. THE
REPERCUSSIONS OF THE MANY AFFAIRS IN WHICH IS IS
INVOLVED ARE NOW BECOMING INCREASINGLY PROBLEMATIC.
..... TODAY, HE HAS NEITHER THE FORCE NOR THE POWER TO
PUT THE BRAKES ON."
TEXT: LOOKING ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THIS DISMAL SCENE IS "THE
ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG" IN MAINZ, ALONG THE RHINE, WHICH SEES HOPE
FOR MR. CLINTON.
VOICE: "DESPITE THE OUTRAGE EVEN FROM PARTY FRIENDS, IT DOES
NOT SEEM VERY LIKELY THAT THE U-S SENATE WILL FORCE A
SITTING PRESIDENT FROM OFFICE. PUBLIC OPINION IS STILL
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT STEPPING DOWN."
TEXT: BUT TAKING THE OPPOSITE VIEW, ONE OF THE LEADING PAPERS IN
BAVARIA, MUNICH'S "ABENDZEITUNG" CONCLUDES IT COMMENTARY BY
SAYING:
VOICE: "CLINTON HAS NO OTHER CHOICE. HE MUST GO."
/// OPT ///
TEXT: IN ITALY, MILAN'S IL SOLE-24 ORE" SUGGESTS:
VOICE: "FROM NOW ON, THE BALL IS IN THE COURT OF THE HOUSE
JUSTICE [ACTUALLY "JUDICIARY"] COMMITTEE ... IN THE END,
[MR.] CLINTON COULD EVEN GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT IN THAT
CASE AMERICA ... WILL BE FURTHER DISAPPOINTED, WEAKENED
BY THE NEW REVELATIONS AND POLEMICS, AND PARALYZED BY A
LAME AND DISTRACTED PRESIDENT."
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: FROM TURIN, ITALY, THERE IS THIS EXPLANATION FROM THE
PAPER'S NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT:
VOICE: "POLITICAL STABILITY IS BY NOW A MEMORY IN THE FAMILY
ALBUM OF WHEN BILL CLINTON WAS A SMILING PRESIDENT ...
HIS SURVIVAL NO LONGER DEPENDS ON HIS FRIENDS, WHO HAVE
ABANDONED HIM, BUT ON HIS ENEMIES, WHO ARE POSTPONING
THE 'COUP DE GRACE' FOR REASONS OF ELECTORAL CONVENIENCE
... HIS DIGNITY BELONGS TO THE PAST: NOW HE IS A CHILD
CAUGHT WITH HIS FINGER IN THE [EDITORS NOTE: WE WOULD
ADD HERE " C O O K I E"] JAR AND FORCED TO REPEAT 'I AM
SORRY. I WAS A BAD BOY'."
TEXT: IN BARCELONA, SPAIN, WHERE "LA VANGUARDIA'S EDITORIAL MADE
THESE POINTS :
VOICE: "THIS CONCENTRATION OF BAD NEWS FOR [PRESIDENT] CLINTON
[MEANING THE STARR REPORT'S ARRIVAL AND THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANOTHER PROBE OF HIS CAMPAIGN
ELECTION FINANCES] DOES NOT EXACTLY PRESAGE THE END OF
HIS PRESIDENCY. THE HOUSE JUSTICE [JUDICIARY]
COMMITTEE WILL NOW STUDY THE FACTS PRESENTED BY [MR.]
STARR, DECIDE WHETHER IT WILL VOTE TO RECOMMEND AN
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING AND, IF SO, PRESENT THE MATTER TO
THE WHOLE HOUSE. IF A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE VOTES THAT
[MR.] CLINTON BE IMPEACHED, THE PROCESS WILL THEN FALL
INTO THE HANDS OF THE SENATE WHERE A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY
IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT. THUS, A LONG ROAD
LIES AHEAD. BUT [UNFOLDING] EVENTS ONLY ADD TO
MISGIVINGS ABOUT WHETHER [PRESIDENT] CLINTON, IN HIS
DARKEST HOURS, CAN CONTINUE TO GOVERN THE UNITED STATES
IN A NORMAL FASHION".
TEXT: AND LASTLY, FROM ISRAEL, AND "HA'ARETZ" IN TEL 'AVIV, THE
PAPER'S WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT WRITES INCREDULOUSLY:
VOICE: "THE SPECTACLE IS UTTERLY INCREDIBLE. WILLIAM JEFFERSON
CLINTON, WHOM THE AMERICANS REGARD AS ONE OF THE BEST
PRESIDENTS IN DECADES, MAY BE THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN
HISTORY TO BE IMPEACHED ..... KENNETH STARR HAS BEATEN
THE SMOOTH DEMOCRATIC PARTY MACHINERY, THE WELL-OILED
WHITE HOUSE PUBLIC RELATIONS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS [MR.]
CLINTON HIMSELF AND EVEN THE ORDINARY AMERICANS .... IT
MAY SEEM RATHER [INCREDIBLE] BUT UNLESS [PRESIDENT]
CLINTON MANAGES IN SOME MIRACULOUS WAY TO RESTORE HIS
PRESTIGE, HE WILL HAVE TO GO".
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF VERY EARLY EDITORIAL
REACTION FROM ABROAD TO THE ARRIVAL INTO THE HANDS OF CONGRESS OF
THE LONG-AWAITED STARR REPORT ON PRESIDENT CLINTON'S AFFAIR WITH
FORMER WHITE HOUSE INTERN MONICA LEWINSKY. (SIGNED)
NEB/ANG/PT
10-Sep-98 6:09 PM EDT (2209 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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