If the affair with Monica was no big deal, he should have admitted it up front and gotten on with the business of the country. To me, the issue is not adultery, it is lying, dishonesty and extremely poor judgment.
I have both defended and prosecuted sexual harassment lawsuits and am acutely aware of what can happen when even an originally consensual on the job relationship goes sour. Any thinking man in this country knows that it's risky to engage in that behavior, particularly if he's married. For the President to get involved with a young intern was just plain stupid. That kind of lapse of judgement, followed by 7 months of outright denial should be of concern. Again, he could have ended the charade months ago and avoided a lot of heartache, disruption and expense for many people, including his supporters and the country at large.
As to whether he should resign or suffer impeachment, I reserve judgment since all the facts are not in on the perjury, subornation of perjury and obstruction issues. Given his apparent facility as a liar, though, it would not be surprising to learn that he engaged in criminal activity, which should also be of concern.
Just my 2 cents.
mph |