Facing embarrassing questions about his
private life, President Clinton refused to explain his relationship with
Monica Lewinsky but gave an unequivocal answer Friday about
whether he might resign. "Never,'' Clinton said resolutely.
"I would never walk away from the people of this country and the
trust they've placed in me,'' the president said, while acknowledging
the pain of recent weeks to himself and his family.
For 44 minutes, the president stood with British Prime Minister
Tony Blair in the elegant East Room for a news conference that
White House officials knew would be focused on allegations that he
had sex with Lewinsky and urged her to lie about it.
Indeed, 10 of the 16 reporters who were called upon asked
questions related to the controversy. In an expectant atmosphere,
television networks broke into normal programming to carry it live.
The president avoided calling on television reporters; White House
officials have angrily complained about unfounded TV reports.
A reporter commented that Ms. Lewinsky's "life has been changed
forever'' and asked the president: "I wonder how you feel about
that and what, if anything, you'd like to say to Monica Lewinsky at
this minute.''
Clinton paused for several moments - as if pondering a comment
to the person he recently referred to as "that woman.''
"That's good,'' Clinton said with a chuckle to the reporter. "That's
good. But at this minute, I am going to stick with my position of not
commenting.''
In a veiled slap at Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr, Clinton
said he was abiding by the rules of the Lewinsky investigation but
suggested "someone else is leaking unlawfully out of the grand jury
proceeding.'' He also said he had not changed his story about
denying a 12-year affair with Gennifer Flowers.
While refusing to break new ground, the president handled
questions with aplomb, showing no sign of discomfort or tension.
Blair offered warm testimonials about Clinton and said voters care
more about issues such as jobs, school, crimes and health services
than politicians' private lives.
Clinton associated himself with his wife's assertion that he had been
targeted by a "right-wing conspiracy'' that includes Starr. "Now,
you know I've known her a long time, the first lady, and she's very
smart,'' the president said. "And she's hardly ever wrong about
anything.''
The president declined to discuss his relationship with Ms.
Lewinsky in any terms. In the past, he has denied any sexual
relationship. On Friday, he said, "I never asked anybody to do
anything but tell the truth.''
He reversed himself from two weeks ago when he said there were
legitimate questions that needed answers and that he wanted to
address them sooner rather than later. Now, Clinton said, his
answers will have to await the end of Starr's investigation.
"I just think as long as it is going on, I should not comment on a
specific question,'' the president said, "because there's one, then
there's another, then there's another.'' He said it was better to let
the investigation take its course and for him to do his job.
Nervous laughter arose in the room when a reporter asked at what
point the questions would become so painful for Clinton and his
family that he would consider resigning.
"Never,'' the president said. His voice turned husky as he went on
to say that the American people have learned two or three things
about him since "the first time this kind of effort was made against
me.''
"I think they know that I care very much about them, that I care
about ordinary people whose voices aren't often heard here. And I
think they know I have worked very, very hard for them,'' Clinton
said. Further, he said, Americans recognize that the ideas he fought
for had the right consequences.
"And I'm just going to keep showing up for work,'' Clinton said. He
said that "the pain threshold, at least for our side, being in public life
has been raised.'' |
