Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

EUROPE

BRITAIN: "After Gingrich"

The conservative Times had this lead editorial (11/10): "Anyone who cares about isolationist trends in American politics, and who understands the importance of America's continuing engagement in the world's affairs, should be concerned by the end of Newt Gingrich's tenure as speaker of the House of Representatives.... The aspect of Mr. Gingrich's policies which will be most missed is his understanding of the importance of international questions. He is the most coherent exponent of internationalism on the right of the American political spectrum, and one with the skills to fuse that eloquence and understanding into a platform capable of attracting bipartisan support. In a chamber with increasing numbers of Republican isolationists and Democratic protectionists, the speaker stood for free trade and international engagement.... Mr. Gingrich has been forced to beat a political retreat; but it would be a singular misfortune, and misjudgment, if his ideas were to be dismissed as an irrelevance."

"Why Newt Foundered"

The conservative Daily Telegraph had this editorial (11/9): "Mr. Gingrich (did not) articulate much of an agenda for the future. Indeed, the Republican passivity was not confined to a reluctance to play their trump card on taxes. It included a terror of cutting spending for fear of being called 'uncaring'; a horror of dismantling affirmative action and terminating bilingual education for fear of being called 'racist'; and a reluctance to dismantle gun control legislation. No wonder, therefore, that so many conservatives in the American heartland opted to stay at home. They were being offered Gingrich without Gingrichism."

"Internecine Battles"

The independent Financial Times had this analysis (11/9): "Now that their one-time standard-bearer has fallen on his sword, the challenge for Republicans is to unite their warring factions, agree on a new agenda, and regroup behind a presidential candidate for 2000. But the danger is that the speaker's departure could instead lead to an intensification of its internecine battles between right-wingers and moderates. And if that happens, a resurgent President Bill Clinton is likely to prove merciless in exploiting those divisions as he attempts to carve a legacy that stretches beyond sex scandals."

FRANCE: "Bye-Bye Speaker"

Thierry Arnaud, Washington correspondent for economic La Tribune, said (11/9): "His departure was rather elegant; instead of letting his party flounder in recriminations and cannibalism, he took the responsibility for the November 3rd defeat."

"Bill Clinton Loses His Best Enemy"

Jean-Jacques Mevel observed in right-of-center Le Figaro (11/9): "Newt Gingrich, visionary, blunderer and leader of the Republican Party since 1994, leaves the stage, depriving Bill Clinton of his best foil.... The speaker of the House leaves the Capitol like a repudiated prime minister would.... Bill Clinton's impeachment guided by Newt Gingrich is now very unlikely. It was one of the possible outcomes of this strange fight. One of the leaders had to leave.... In getting rid of their speaker, the Republicans make way for their candidate for the White House in 2000."

GERMANY: "Post-Gingrich Era"

Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger observed in right-of-center Frankfurter Allgemeine (11/10): "Whether or not Congressman Livingston becomes the new speaker of the House, the Republicans are faced with turbulent times. In the party, which is always shaken by factionalism--right-wing populist and the Christian right-wing against moderate and fiscal conservatives, unilateralists against internationalists--this fight is inevitably linked to the struggle for new programs and political styles. Gingrich, whose success went to his head, failed because of his tactical mistakes, his mordancy, his polarizing views, and his leadership style.... Whatever the shifts in the House of Representatives, the first indications for the next election battle for the White House will become visible today."

"Republicans Cancel 'Contract With Extremists'"

Left-of-center Berliner Zeitung featured this editorial by Norbert Mayer (11/10): "The former hope of the conservatives is leaving behind a Grand Old Party whose basic values are shaken and which has lost its orientation. Gingrich's 'Contract with America' was canceled, not only by the voters, but by the Republicans, too.... In order to prevent the continued self-mutilation of the Republicans, the new party leadership should now try to balance forces within the party. The time of the conservative revolution, which Gingrich personified, is over.... The Republicans, who have suffered for years from Gingrich's destructive genius, could in the end also learn from Gingrich's mistakes. But for the Democrats, Clinton's shortcomings will hardly be of any use."

"Misguided Strategy"

Right-of-center Maerkische Oderzeitung of Frankfurt on the Oder had this editorial (11/10) by Albrecht Koenig: "President Bill Clinton's influential counter-player, Newt Gingrich, has now thrown in the towel.... There is a consensus in the United States on why this has happened: Newt Gingrich's strategy was misguided.... It is still open whether the United States has learned its lesson from this event. But the world is allowed to ask how empty and hypocritical the moral outrage of the people around Gingrich and Starr will be if morality is jettisoned as soon as it becomes clear that it will not bear any fruit. Blank opportunism will again determine future moves. The new star in the sky is George Bush, Junior, who achieved an overwhelming victory as governor in Texas. It is likely that he will lead his party into the presidential elections."

"The Deep Fall Of The Revolutionary"

Washington correspondent Stefan Kornelius wrote in centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung (11/9): "Clinton has now lost not only his sparring partner, but also his political life insurance. As long as Gingrich was in office, Clinton seemed to be the lesser evil for the American voters.... Without the Gingrich as a target, the Democrats must now come up with something new. If the Republicans again gather their forces, concentrate on a few subjects, and prefer politics over morality, they could expect a political spring. But, the leading figure has not yet been found who could end the infighting in the party."

"Too Bigoted And Too Ideological"

Washington correspondent Martin Winter commented in left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (11/9): "The attempt to establish a right-wing ideological and political model in the United States has failed because of the tough inclination of the American people for a balanced and moderate center.... (Gingrich's resignation) also has a side effect: The Democrats can no longer refer to the right-wing danger and dodge the question where they want to lead the United States."

"Gingrich Acted Quickly, Consistently And Correctly"

Left-of-center Weser-Kurier of Bremen noted (11/9): "We can charge Newt Gingrich with having shown too little instinct over the past few months. Concerning his person, however, he acted quickly, consistently and correctly. When the palace revolt broke loose against him, he immediately stepped down. There is even more: He is even turning his back to the palace in which he set standards as visionary and whip over the past six years. Fortunately, he did not consider himself irreplaceable, as do other incumbents who seem to stick to their chairs. Now the path is free for people with new ideas! This resignation signals the end to the 'Republican Revolution' with which the conservatives conquered Congress in 1994 and changed the country to their views. Newt Gingrich stood at the helm of this revolution but now this revolution is eating its children."

ITALY: "Post-Gingrich Republican Party"

Alberto Pasolini Zanelli filed this from Washington for leading, conservative Il Giornale (11/10): "The campaign to replace Gingrich was as fast as a blitz. Several competitors have been swept away by the Livingston 'machine' and have withdrawn.... Therefore, everything is ready for the changing of the guard, and political America may wonder what is likely to change with him. For sure two elements will not change--the 'philosophical' and geographical orientations. The Republican Party remains anchored on the right, and Livingston is no less conservative than Gingrich. The Republican Party also keeps its power center of gravity in the South, so that a distinguished man from Louisiana replaces a dynamic 'boy' from Georgia.... [Yet] two things make Livingston and Gingrich look different. Indeed, Newt and Robert come from two different planets. The new Republican leader should direct his 21 years of congressional experience to serve a very important goal which the impetuous Newt never succeeded in doing: building consensus through mediation."

"Clinton Lost The 'Monster'"

Ennio Caretto wrote from Washington in centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera (11/8): "Clinton has lost the 'monster,' the enemy to whom he owes his electoral success."

AUSTRIA: "Democrats Must Fear Republican Transformation"

Andreas Schwarz wrote in a front-page commentary in conservative Die Presse (11/9): "The fact that Gingrich fell in the wake of the Lewinsky affair or the way it was handled, is almost symbolic: The former college professor, who is described as intellectually brilliant even by his enemies, who was nominated 'Man of the Year' by the Time magazine three years ago, failed because he repeatedly ignored the symptoms of the time. When he and his Republican Party conquered both Houses of Congress four years ago and he became the leader of the 'new majority,' he achieved mainly one thing: Bill Clinton shifted into the political center and led America to an economic peak thanks to partly Republican policies. This was Gingrich's greatest achievement.... He also underestimated the smoldering rebellion against himself within his own party. Now the Republicans actually need a new image and new faces, if they want to take the White House from the Democrats in the year 2000. Bill Clinton's Democrats will have to fear this transformation, if it really happens, more than they can be pleased about the loss of their fiercest opponent."

BELGIUM: "Democrats Losing Gingrich"

In independent Le Soir (11/9), U.S. correspondent Nathalie Mattheiem concluded: "The Democrats are probably most saddened by Newt Gingrich's resignation: They are thereby losing their public enemy number one."

DENMARK: "Republicans At A Crossroads"

Left-wing Information commented (11/9): "After the removal of Newt Gingrich, Ronald Reagan's old party is at a crossroads. How will it find a new identity without copying Clinton?"

HUNGARY: "The Captain Of The Titanic"

Foreign affairs writer Eva Elekes had this to say in second-largest circulation Nepszava (11/9): "It will be difficult to replace the Republican's 'enfant terrible.' As his admirers claim Gingrich is the only great strategist in his party who has been dreaming about the Republican Party of the 21st century. Gingrich has done a very generous favor for his party, he would have been only a burden in the presidential campaign in year 2000. It is probably the reason why the outgoing speaker...will be most missed by the Democrats."

"Clintonism Beat Gingrichism"

Janos Avar wrote in political Vasarnapi Hirek (11/8): "It is not Clinton himself who has won in this pesonal battle, but 'Clintonism' has beaten 'Gingrichism' and all those extremists again, of whom even the European conservatives got scared."

MALTA: "Clinton's Surprising Victory"

Former Member of Parliament Lino Spiteri penned this op-ed piece for the independent, English-language Times of Malta (11/9): "The mid-term elections in the United States for the Senate and for the House of Representatives went almost radically against what the pundits were projecting and what the Republicans were betting upon.... A strong majority of Americans who bothered to vote were not solely fed up with hearing and reading about their president's private life, though he soiled his office with it and lied about it. More so, they demonstrated concerns over key issues--in particular about health, about education and about social security."

THE NETHERLANDS: "Democrats Lose Ideal 'Monster'"

Influential, liberal De Volkskrant argued (9/10): "The figurehead of the Republican Revolution is no more. Gingrich's departure marks the end of the Republican offense.... Many Democrats will miss this ideal 'monster.' The Republican representatives in Congress will miss Gingrich's expertise. It is unlikely that his successor will have sufficient authority to fill the gap and develop a coherent program. This could give the Democrats more room for maneuver when it comes to legislation. The Republicans will have to look outside the Congress to find new leadership. That will increase the chances for the Bush brothers steering their party toward a political middle way."

POLAND: "Voice For Clinton"

Washington, D.C. correspondent Tadeusz Zachurski wrote in centrist weekly Wprost (11/10): "The President of the United States, who only a month ago stood on the verge of a political failure, can now sigh with relief.... The elections results indicate that the Monica Lewinsky case, which for the past ten months has been on the front page, should be consigned to the dustbin of history."

PORTUGAL "Clinton: A Political Houdini"

Victor Cunha Rego wrote in centrist Diario de Noticias (11/6): "Parts of the American electorate--it was only a partial election, though it involved senators and congressmen of several powerful states--has clearly said that the Clinton-Lewinsky affair has not changed their behavior. And even if it did slightly change it, it was only to reject Republicans and the religious right.... But the Democrats undoubtedly have reasons to be happy. They managed to secure their position in the Senate, progress slightly in the House of Representatives and make Clinton's impeachment a lot more difficult.... All this for a reason: The real economy maintains its excellent pace and Wall Street recovered significantly over the past three weeks. Clinton can, therefore, resume his role of a political Houdini."

SPAIN: "Chaos Reigns"

Javier Valenzuela concluded in liberal El Pais (11/9): "The Republicans expected that last Tuesday's election results would finish off Clinton, already seriously wounded by the Lewinsky affair. Instead, it finished off their own leader, Newt Gingrich, who had carried them to majorities in both houses of Congress in 1994 with a program of reductions in taxes and the size of the federal government.... Now the Republicans are looking for a new leader and a new agenda for the year 2000, as well as a way to extricate themselves from the Lewinsky affair, which has turned into a boomerang that continues to come back and bash them."

EAST ASIA

AUSTRALIA: "Gingrich Pays Price For Partisanship"

The conservative Brisbane Courier Mail declared (11/9): "Mr. Gingrich...was the architect of his party's recent success and its failure.... Instead of trying to tap the same patriotic and positive emotions the president had reached, the Republicans responded by becoming more partisan, launching an all-out assault on the legitimacy of the Clinton presidency.... The challenge for the Republicans is to dispense with the impeachment issue expeditiously and shape an alternative agenda for their next presidential hopeful to take to the people in two years' time. By seeing off Mr. Gingrich, they have proven they understand the message of November 3. Now they need to go to work and put that message into practice."

"Republican First Lewinsky Victim"

Under the above headline, the liberal Canberra Times judged (11/10): "Mr. Gingrich's major mistakes...were to misread the mood of voters and to consistently underestimate his opponent, Democratic President Bill Clinton.... With Mr. Gingrich out of the way, Republicans will be trying to revive their fortunes before the 2000 presidential election. Whether they can do so depends on their preparedness to regain the center ground so deftly pulled from under them by Bill Clinton."

"U.S. Speaker's Fall May Boost Republicans"

The conservative Australian (11/9) declared: "The Democrats' success in last week's elections will allow Mr. Clinton to focus on matters of domestic and international importance as the threat of impeachment recedes. A respite will benefit both the United States and those relying on moral, political and financial support from the United States and its president.... Democrats should also be sorry to lose Mr. Gingrich as an opponent whose unpopularity and blundering provided political mileage for Mr. Clinton."

CHINA: "Republican Party Looks For New Leader"

Weng Xiang said in official Chinese Youth Party China Youth Daily (Zhongguo Qingnianbao, 11/9): "Gingrich's resignation deprives the Clinton administration of an easy target.... Though Gingrich's resignation may cause some loss to his party, there is the possibility that the Republicans, led by their new leader, will come out of the shadow of the congressional elections and return to past glory."

HONG KONG: "Gingrich Steps Down; Moderates Gain Ground"

In the editorial view of pro-PRC Wen Wei Po (11/10): "Gingrich was ousted from office by the Republican moderates. This is a headache for the Democrats.... The mid-term elections show that voters like middle-of-the-roaders.... Gingrich, as the leader of the extreme right-wing Republicans, left office of his own accord. This reflects the fact that the moderates are taking the lead. This will pose a threat to Vice President Al Gore. In this situation, Clinton's foreign affairs policy in the next two years will be more moderate and pragmatic."

"A Welcome Departure"

The independent South China Morning Post commented (11/8): "Now that [Gingrich] is gone, the Republicans have to define and enunciate their message for the coming presidential battle. If that contest can be conducted free of the overblown rhetoric in which the speaker specialized, and with a minimum of ideological posturing, it will be good for America, and for the world, which is so influenced by what happens there."

INDONESIA: "Gingrich Resignation Justified"

Leading independent Kompas editorialized (11/9): "An extreme, uncompromising political stance by any party will never win voters' hearts."

PHILIPPINES: "From Good Newt To Bad Newt: The Fall Of Speaker Gingrich"

Max Soliven wrote in the third-leading Philippine Star (11/8): "He led the Republican Party in its head-long charge to demonize Bill Clinton as a symbol of Democratic Party 'decadence,' his cohorts resorting to vicious television maximum Monica-effect ads in the last few days before the American elections. The Democrats quickly lost 11 precious House seats, and managed to barely maintain the status quo in the Senate by the skin of their teeth. Now, Newt Gingrich has paid the price for failure.... Newt failed his party, but more than that, he failed himself when he decided to loose the snarling hounds of his Republican majority so they could pounce, baying hideously on the American president, tooth and claw. By this malevolent action, abetted by a desire to secure cheap political advantage, Mr. Gingrich showed how flimsily anchored his much-vaunted 'contract with America' was. He failed to protect the dignity of the presidency of the United States."

SINGAPORE: "America Spoke"

The pro-government Straits Times commented (11/9): "For all the disclaimers by America's voters that the mid-term congressional elections last week were not about the president's private conduct, the verdict delivered was unambiguous. It was, in a circuitous sort of way, and President Bill Clinton had the Republicans by the scruff of their necks....

"Most of America's allies are concerned only that American leadership, at a time of plague-like economic crisis and social collapse, not be dissipated further in the two years left of his term. There were be relief he has come out of this test with his senses re-focused and position strengthened. The calls on America's talent as facilitator will not get lighter.

"Closer to home, APEC is looking neglected as its leaders, Mr. Clinton included, arrive in Kuala Lumpur in just over a week.... But, critical though the election's foreign dimension is, its impact is in the end still an American matter, so it behooves the legislators to discharge appropriately their constitutional duty on questions relating to the president's fate.... This newspaper has said that Mr. Clinton's immorality makes him unfit for his office. We would not be sorry if he went. Post-election Americans say, yes, he has been naughty, but they like the goodies he has delivered in jobs, wages and low inflation, so let him finish his job. If the nation is comfortable with that, the Republicans should get on with it. Enough of the waffle and shallow partisanship; the world must go on."

SOUTH KOREA: "A Vacuum In The Republican Party"

Washington correspondent Chung Yun-soo of independent Hankyoreh Shinmun (11/9) wrote: "[Mr. Gingrich's] arrogance and offensive political style, more than anything else, brought him down.... His retirement alone, however, won't solve the Republican Party's problems. Far from solving them, his absence may instead bring to the foreground the conflict between hard-core conservatives and moderates, a conflict which had largely been latent so far."

THAILAND: "Clinton Likely To Serve Out His Term"

Charnnarish Boonpharod commented in elite Naew Na (11/7): "Last Thursday's move by House Judicial Committee President Henry Hyde clearly went along the line of the American public's desire to see a quick end to the impeachment proceedings.... As a result, one can now expect the Committee's proceedings to be less intense, and, therefore, there is a strong likelihood that President Clinton will serve out his term."

SOUTH ASIA

INDIA: "Return Of The Pink Panther"

The centrist Telegraph held (11/8): "Republican expectations that they could use Clinton's sex scandals to restart Newt Gingrich's stalled revolution have been dashed.... There has been a shift left, but the midpoint in the spectrum has moved decisively rightward. What passes for left today would have been true blue conservative in the seventies. This is most apparent in the United States.... Clinton vigorously calls for minimalist, market-friendly government. He has lopped off bits of the welfare state that Ronald Reagan did not touch.... The stability and solidness of the former economic mode is being replaced by the fluidity and intangibility of information-driven production.... One consequence has been a resurgence of faith in the state. Clinton led the way with his call for 'reinventing' government.... The response has been a surge in public trust in Washington. Blind anti-statism, on the other hand, devastated the political fortunes of Gingrich. He never recovered from his forcible shutting down of the U.S. government.... Economic conservatism dominates the political spectrum. But this has left many right-wing parties defining themselves through the agenda of their traditionalist factions. This crude diet of religion and cultural values is unpopular with voters."

AFRICA

NIGERIA: "Republican Losses"

Lagos's independent daily Punch maintained (11/10): "At the end of the [mid-term] balloting, the Republican Party...not only failed to achieve its goal, but also lost five congressional seats to the Democrats.... There is, however a side to the election which particularly interests us. It is the reported defeat of Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, who ostensibly paid for her unholy role in the discredited General Sani Abacha self-succession bid by losing to her Republican challenger.

"Ms. Moseley-Braun's loss is a lesson that an American senator cannot be a democrat at home and an ardent advocate of military dictatorship abroad. We are inclined to believe that by the results of last week's elections, American voters have passed a clear message to their representatives, namely, that while Mr. Clinton's conduct in the Monica Lewinsky sex saga is condemnable, they nevertheless endorse his handling of that nation's governance."

SOUTH AFRICA: "Gingrich Underestimated Clinton, Issues"

The liberal, independent Cape Argus observed (11/10): "Mr. Gingrich's weekend resignation following the Republican Party's lacklustre showing in last week's U.S. mid-term elections, has been widely interpreted as a personal victory for Mr. Clinton in his long confrontation with Mr. Gingrich over the Monica Lewinsky affair. But the demographics of the voting tell a different story.... Essentially the Republicans failed to secure sufficient support from women, blacks, Hispanics and politically influential minorities, who went to the polls in large numbers.... Mr. Clinton's outstanding stewardship of the U.S. economy, his efforts to encourage a dialogue over issues that continue to divide Americans along racial and ethnic lines, his leadership in seeking a special relationship with Africa through trade, and his commitment to continued social reform in the United States, clearly gave the Democrats an edge which Mr. Gingrich underestimated."

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

BRAZIL: "Backfire"

Liberal Folha de Sao Paulo (11/10) ran this article the on op-ed page by Brazilian feminist leader Rose Marie Muraro: "The U.S. election returns were a surprise for all.... What decided the elections was the massive voting by blacks, who voted against the racism of conservative Republicans. Women, Hispanics and Asians were also fundamental to the turnaround in U.S. politics. In sum, the progressive Democrats have won because of the vote of minorities.... The neoliberal conservative model introduced by the intellectuals who planned the conservative turnaround [in the early 80's] in global politics and economics, has not worked in the past two decades. It is throwing the world into a recession of unpredictable consequences."

"Defeated Inquisition"

Liberal Folha de Sao Paulo opined (11/7): "At first glance, the result of the U.S. elections represents a vote of confidence for President Bill Clinton and, consequently the repudiation of the significant part of the electorate of the exploitation of his sexual behavior for political-electoral reasons. Also at first glance, it is more difficult to continue, until the ultimate consequences, the impeachment process against the president. Looked at more closely again, the electoral results...reveal other angles for maybe an important and correct interpretation. The first one reveals less approval of the behavior of the president, and more a rejection of the way the leader of the opposition conducted the case. The Republicans were so inquisitorial that they ended up irritating the electorate."

CANADA: "Memo To Republicans: Lose The Right Arm"

The leading Globe and Mail observed (11/10): "Republicans lost, but Republican ideas--or at least one category of them--are triumphant. The party that came to Washington promising to reform welfare, reduce taxes, balance the budget and put in place conservative economic precepts finds many of these goals are now accomplished. It's a development conservatives should have no problem understanding: In a marketplace of ideas, party platforms cannot be patented. And imitators can show more marketing savvy than originators: Bill Clinton twice won the White House by remaking himself as a new Democrat, warmly...wrapping some very hard-headed Republican-type thinking.... The United States desperately needs a third party, and it is getting it....

"The new party doesn't have a name or an organization, but has some things in common: It lives in the White House, the governor's mansion in Texas and the mayor's office in New York. It's both liberalism that doesn't scare taxpayers and conservatism that doesn't scare minorities and the unreligious. It's the future of the Republican Party."

"Cherubs And Cads"

David Warren wrote in the mid-market Ottawa Citizen (11/7): "[President Clinton] is a man who has consistently placed his private interests ahead of the public good; who launches cruise missiles at casually selected targets to help himself out of a tough corner; who permitted the sale of advanced missile technology to one of America's mortal enemies in order to raise money for re-election. His high crimes and misdemeanors include using agencies of the American state to conduct private vendettas against political opponents. And more--all of it presently under investigation, in a desultory and perpetual American way, so that the whole bitter truth will emerge long after he has left office."

ECUADOR: "The Voice Of The United States"

Leading, centrist El Comercio (11/6): "President Bill Clinton showed a very meaningful smile after the elections. He has plenty of reasons. His party improved its standing in the Congress while the Republican Party got a rejection due to their abusive handling of the Lewinsky case. President Clinton made mistakes. But the excess turned him into victim and he had the serenity of adopting the best role for the moment: that of president of a great nation. The presidents from Ecuador and Peru were not wrong when they so recognized him during the visit to the White House last month as they sought his support for the settlement of their old problem."

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11/10/98

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