v5n13-resign.html

Should President Clinton resign?

As Congress and the American people toggle through Kenneth Starr's report, President Bill Clinton can decide if he wants to put the two people, who he says he loves the most, through more pain.


YES

In Clinton's Aug. 17 public confession, he admitted to having an affair with Monica Lewinsky and that it was wrong.

Clinton claimed one of the reasons he lied, about the affair, was to protect his wife and daughter.

If Clinton really wanted to protect his family from any hurt and humiliation, he should have resigned long before he was subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury.

He should have resigned long before Starr turned his report - a pile of papers that resembles tabloid-trash marital-aid more than a legal document - over to Congress.

Clinton stated in his televised confession that in a deposition from the attorneys of Paula Jones, a woman who has accused Clinton of sexual harassment, he was questioned about things that "no American should ever be asked." He could have defended himself.

He could have refused to answer the questions and even though he might have suffered a contempt charge for it, the legal system probably would not have been too hard on him. He is the president!

In the Jan. 17 Jones deposition, Clinton denied having had a "sexual affair, sexual relations," or "a sexual relationship" with Monica Lewinsky.

According to Clinton, he did not legally lie because he does not consider oral sex and fondling of the breasts or genitals to be sexual relations.

Jones' attorneys did not ask the president for his interpretation of sexual relations.

However, for the purposes of the deposition, Jones' attorneys defined sexual relations as "contact with the genitals, groin, breasts, inner thighs or buttocks with the intent to arouse or gratify the other person." Hmmm, that sounds like a legally accurate lie to me.

Clinton told Time magazine reporters that he does not eat fast food.

When confronted about his frequent trips to drive-through windows, he responded by saying he does not consider McDonalds to be fast food because it sells salads and chicken sandwiches.

What is next? Will Clinton say he does not consider Lewinsky to be a woman and therefore he did not lie?

When the leader of the free world cannot tell the truth about what he eats for lunch, how are we supposed to trust him to cross the street, much less meet with Boris Yeltsin?

Emily Nash is a journalism major at CSULB.

Despite whispers to the contrary, President Bill Clinton should not resign. Most Americans seem to agree. In a CBS News Poll conducted Saturday night, 26 percent said Clinton should resign, 10 percent said Congress should begin impeachment proceedings and 57 percent said the matter should be dropped.


NO

I am still puzzled as to exactly why he should pack up and walk away. If it is because he lied under oath about sexual relations with one Monica S. Lewinsky, exactly what does this have to do with running the United States of America? Before conclusions are drawn, we must remember one thing: It is only sex.

Sex is something normal people lie about every day. Consider the following: "You ever get some?" quickly followed by a "Yeah, of course!" whether true or not.

Clinton, on the other hand, had it a little tougher. He was facing two things: America's disapproval and Hillary. So he did what he probably thought was best for his public self-image and his family - he lied. Oops.

Oral sex has nothing to do with the actual business of running the country. When Clinton talks to Bosnia's top-ranking officials about their violence-ridden elections, they would not ask him how it was the other night. I imagine officials would simply want to get to the business of how to achieve better relations with their citizens.

Other professions do not have to answer to this wave of negative publicity for their foul-ups. Most receive little more than a reprimand, such as a suspension, and nothing is said. It draws a write up in the newspaper, but that is all. If the person does his or her job, that is all that matters. It should be no different for the president.

Clinton has always had problems with the House and Senate, from welfare reform to affirmative action. If appointed because of an impeachment or a resignation, will Al Gore have it any easier? The sessions would still be gridlocked because of the turmoil surrounding the former president.

Besides, while Clinton's acts can be called disgusting, Congress is not exactly squeaky clean itself.

So Clinton is not a role model for this country, but who is? Religious leaders, maybe, but in this country we have separation of church and state. When it comes down to it, this entire mess has been blown too far out of proportion. And so have Clinton's actions.

Wes Woods is a journalism major at CSULB.