IP: hear hear

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

To: Recipient List Suppressed:;;;@nytimes.com;@nytimes.com;;;;;;;;;  Subject: hear hear...
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Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 20:55:54 +0000 
From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger@ibd.com 
Organization: Internet Bandwidth Development 
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Subject: Zippergate is a call for national self-evaluation 
 
I (and I suspect the majority of the world's population) find the media's and 
politician's call for Clinton's resignation or impeachment an expression of 
incredible hypocrisy. 
 
In the context of everyday Washington life, Clinton's crime was that he was 
caught at having sex with someone who he was not married to. Obviously this is 
not something we would like to see our President involved with. But it is 
"common knowledge" (i.e. if you asked most people) that most of the Beltway 
community is awash in sex, money and power plays. Those three elements are 
interchangeable and are the commodities of Washington. 
 
In the light of what most people think really goes on in Washington where 
there are stories of Senators/Representatives having sex in cloakrooms or 
their offices or off site in hotels, Clinton's escapade is almost cute. 
Stories abound of old power brokers seen at private clubs and functions with 
young call girls on each arm, presidents like Kennedy had a revolving door of 
women coming in to the White House facilitated by his staff. Other presidents 
were known to have mistresses and the Burt confessional shows that the biggest 
attackers are the biggest hypocrites. 
 
In the case of Clinton & Lewinsky, it was at least consensual and there was no 
power play to exchange sexual favors for access to government power. 
 
And how many of the press are free of adultery, exploitation of young things 
and white lies to cover it up? 
 
I think its strange that the politicians and the press are willing to 
grandstand about how immoral Clinton is and let Starr get away with the 
destroying fundamental separation of powers of the government. Starr spent 
$40M+ on what was supposed to be a Whitewater investigation, and whose report 
contained NOTHING about Whitewater or other illegal activity and dwelled 
entirely on the sexual conduct of the President and his attempt to keep it 
private. 
 
So if these self-righteous politicians and press feel that sexual conduct is 
so important, lets have a national self evaluation of our sexual morality and 
expectations. Lets have a complete witch hunt and out all of the politicians 
and press who have had adulterous or other "immoral" activities. Since we 
don't seem to care about real abuse of power like Iran/Contra, tobacco 
lobbyists, environmental destruction, overpopulation, soft money, cronyism, 
etc., this would be even better than term limits as it would truly get rid of 
the bulk of the professional politicians. 
 
Apply the same standards to the media and we will no longer be bombarded by 
hypocritical messages from the news and commentators. 
 

-- 
Robert J. Berger - Internet Bandwidth Development 
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