Marching as to war
by Jon Worley

We're more than a year past the middle of the Clinton Presidency, but he just won his own private Battle of Midway. And he can't wait to drop a few big ones of his own.

A federal judge in Arkansas told Paula Jones that Jones was nothing more than a meddlesome golddigger. Of course, this isn't a complete victory for the Prez. Most folks think he at least propositioned Jones and maybe even did exactly what she said. Not good from a personal standpoint. Polls say most folks wouldn't necessarily want the Prez to hang out with their daughters. But no matter. He's good enough to sit in the White House.

Something like that. In an attempt to see what actually stick to Clinton's teflon approval ratings, a number of Republicans have been flinging Nixon comparisons at Clinton. Some of the similarities are superficially spooky. Fund-raising scandals, a number of personal financial difficulties, that sorta thing. One big difference, though: People genuinely like Bill Clinton. He has the "sexiest handshake on the planet", say a number of folks. I shook his hand more than once in 1992, and I have to say he does exude a personal warmth that is hard to find in most politicians. Whatever his private peccadilloes, you get the idea that Bill Clinton really does care about you.

Nixon, on the other hand, nobody liked Nixon. Oh, he had his silent majority, the folks who pulled the levers for him, but he wasn't a warm, fuzzy guy. Garry Wills called him the ultimate grind, the guy who, when confronted with something he didn't understand, would turn to books instead of people. Didn't trust people. Nixon trusted no one but himself, and no one liked him (including himself).

But there is a similarity which doesn't stretch credulity, one that will play itself out over the next few weeks. An enemies list. The Clinton troops which circled the White House more than seven weeks ago at the breaking of the Monica Lewinsky story are now fanning out across the land to right the supposed wrongs inflicted against Clinton. But even here, there are a few important differences.

First, there is a group of people, perhaps in cahoots, perhaps not, who have paid off witnesses against the Prez in the Whitewater and Paula Jones cases. Every time, witnesses got their cash from big Republican fund-raisers. These are folks who stretched (an in many cases, broke) the envelope of legality in attempts to smear the Prez. I'm not going so far as to use the C-word, but let's just say Hillary Rodham Clinton was a lot closer to the truth than anyone wants to admit. There's still a dirty tricks league out there, and the Republicans have the top free-agents. Lee Atwater might have kicked off and Ed Rollins may have hung up his spurs for the moment, but there's plenty of fresh talent rising up from the sticks. So you gotta figure the Prez has a right to fight back, right?

And, of course, there's Ken Starr. Elevated from a position on the Paula Jones team to his current station as Independent Counsel. A guy who called the Prez's cards in January only to find out his own hand didn't even hold two ducks. When the Lewinsky matter broke in January, even an idiot could see that Starr and Clinton were on a chicken racecourse. Starr's engine just blew, and he doesn't have any seatbelts or brakes. Will he bail, or will he go down in flames? The best part is that it's him versus the Prez, mano a mano. The end has already been scripted, but still it's a drama I can't wait to watch.

Conservative types like to believe that Clinton's approval ratings have stayed high because the electorate has become cynical, not caring about morals in politics any more. I don't think that's the case. People just like Bill Clinton. For better and certainly for worse. He's Bubba, down to the astroturf in the back of his El Camino, but he means well. And that personal warmth is something folks like George Bush, Bob Dole, Trent Lott and Newt Gingrich have not been able to cultivate. They're mighty jealous of the Prez, which might explain some of the dirty tricks. The thing is, deep down, folks think Clinton will do right by them. This is a vibe, something that can be manipulated or spun. You can see the vibe in his Burger King thighs. You can hear it in his allergy-riddled voice. You can feel it in his handshake.

That charm has served him well so far, and it has inspired his legion of supporters to go after his detractors. Politics these days is a situation of terminal war, and right now the Prez is on the advance, with his legion of true believers taking the front. The tide has turned. The Prez is riding up San Juan Hill, scabbard in hand, ready to smite all who oppose him. I can't wait to see the medal ceremony when this "police action" is finished.

Jon Worley isn't feeling particularly good about his fellow countrymen at the moment, though if a case of Bell's Amber Ale were to arrive on his doorstep post-paid, he might perk up a bit.

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