Rape? See my attorney

How does Bill Clinton explain his problems? Somebody upstairs justdoesn't like him, he explained at his latest press conference.

His explanation came in response to a question from Sarah McClendon, thebiggest nut in the White House press corps. She asked, and I quote: "Sir,will you tell us why you think the people have been so mean to you? Is it aconspiracy? Is it a plan? They have treated you worse than they treated AbeLincoln!"

McClendon may have first-hand knowledge. It seems like she's been aroundthe White House long enough to recall what kind of treatment old Honest Abereceived. Here's how Clinton answered:

"You know, one of my favorite jokes -- you know, that story about the guythat is walking along the Grand Canyon, and he falls off? And he is fallinghundreds of feet to certain death and he reaches out. He sees a little twigon the side of the canyon and he ... grabs it. He takes a ... deep breath,and then all of a sudden he sees the roots of the twig start to come loose.And he looks up in the sky, and he said, 'Lord, why me? Why me? I pay mytaxes, I go to work every day; why me? And this thunderous voice says:'Son, there is just something about you I don't like.'"

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It was that question and that not-very-funny response that set the stageat last Friday's press conference for Sam Donaldson's grilling about JuanitaBroaddrick's rape charge against the president.

"Mr. President, when Juanita Broaddrick leveled her charges against youof rape in a nationally televised interview, your attorney, David Kendall,issued a statement denying them. But shouldn't you speak directly on thismatter and reassure the public? And if they are not true, can you tell uswhat your relationship with Mrs. Broaddrick was, if any?"

Clinton responded: "Well, five weeks ago today, five weeks ago today, Istood in the Rose Garden after the Senate voted, and I told you that Ithought I owed it to the American people to give them 100 percent of my timeand to focus on their business, and that I would leave it to others todecide whether they would follow that lead. And that is why I have decided,as soon as that vote was over, that I would allow all future questions to beanswered by my attorneys. And I think the American people do understand itand support it, and I think it was the right decision."

Donaldson: "Can you not simply deny it, sir?"

Clinton: "There's been a statement made by my attorney. He speaks for me,and I think he spoke quite clearly."

And that's how Clinton dealt with the only rape charge ever leveledagainst a sitting U.S. president. Maybe it's time to review Kendall's"clear" response to Broaddrick's charge.

"Any allegation that the president assaulted Mrs. Broaddrick more than 20years ago is absolutely false."

Is that clear enough for you?

Actually, it's not even a straightforward denial. Instead, it is morelegalistic parsing of words.

Why did Kendall use the word "any" when the question on the table isabout one very specific allegation? The fifth word of the statement --"president" -- is also noteworthy. Of course, no one, including Mrs.Broaddrick, suggests Bill Clinton was president at the time of the assault.And no one suggests the president at the time of the crime, Jimmy Carter,was responsible for the attack. Notice that Kendall's statement refers tothe victim as Mrs. Broaddrick. Of course, in 1978, when she was raped in ahotel room, her name was not Mrs. Broaddrick. So here's another possiblelawyerly hairsplitting technicality.

So, the question remains, why won't Clinton address this importantallegation?

The answer is: Because the White House press corps and Congress won'tforce him to answer it. They have let him off the hook. Clinton beat the rapon perjury and obstruction of justice, so he won't be held accountable forrape.

Can you live with that America? And, under the circumstances, can youtrust this man to deal honestly and forthrightly with bigger,national-security issues such as the theft of nuclear secrets by theChinese?