Home Alone at the WH w/o adult supervision
ALL ALONE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
By DICK MORRIS
THE president dined alone.
On the evening of that historic day when Bill
Clinton became only the third president in the
history of our republic to suffer an impeachment
inquiry against him, he was isolated, deserted. His
sole companion was his dog, Buddy. His only
distraction was his ubiquitous solitaire game, a
metaphor for his current predicament.
No family, no Friends of Bill, no Hollywood pals, no
senior aides, no wise men, no party loyalists - in
fact, no one at all was there to join him for dinner
on that sad night, to cheer him up and reassure
him that everything would turn out OK. The
months of his audacious lying about his
relationship with Monica Lewinsky to his closest
friends, his political allies and his loyal staff had
taken its toll. And now, Bill Clinton, the ultimate
sociable creature, had literally run out of people.
In the past, people were always Clinton's least
scarce resource. Throughout his career, he
regularly discarded aides, allies, even girlfriends
when he was finished with them - like a used
Kleenex. Only if they knew something of potential
embarrassment to him in the future did he linger
over them after they had served his selfish
purposes. Always surrounded by the adoring, the
opportunistic, the idealistic or the sycophantic, he
always had people. People to write for him. People
to cover for him. People to suggest ideas. People
to front for him. People to believe in him. But now,
where have all the people gone?
The night of the impeachment vote, Hillary was out
campaigning. And on their 23rd wedding
anniversary a few days later, she had an urgent
state visit to Bulgaria. Her staff maintains the trip
was long planned. But their anniversary date was
planned for far longer.
The White House is in disarray. While the
administration spin machine tries to create the
illusion that all is well inside the building, the reality
is that White House morale has plummeted to an
all-time low - worse even than in the dark days
after the GOP victory of 1994.
The exodus of the disillusioned is in full swing.
Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, who had planned to
stay through the end of the year, is leaving
abruptly. Ever since Bowles learned that the
president was lying to him when he stared Erskine
in the face and self-righteously insisted that he had
never had any kind of sexual relationship with
Monica Lewinsky, Bowles has known that it was
time to go.
Also headed out is George Stephanopolous'
chosen successor, Rahm Emanuel - the man who
integrated politics and policy. His staunch defense
of his boss against Monica Lewinsky's charges
has left him embarrassed, red-faced and at a loss
for words. Mike McCurry, too, has jumped ship,
likely enraged that he was deliberately not told that
Clinton had been subpoenaed to appear before the
grand jury - and so was left to face the press
empty-handed.
The original Arkansas team is long gone or facing
prison. The re-election group knew when to quit.
Now the last batch of professionals are leaving.
Those who remain are besmirched as well, they
just haven't taken the hint and left. Who can take
Sydney Blumenthal seriously now that we know
how Hillary pulled his strings by piously if
ridiculously insisting that her husband was only
ministering to a miserable young woman? How
effective can Paul Begala be, now that he has
been so often and so loudly wrong on the TV talk
shows as he defended the president's conduct,
based on the president's word to him?
All the pros are gone. Yes, economic adviser Gene
Sperling remains - but Gene was always more
Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin's staff person
than the president's. And Bruce Reed, domestic
policy adviser, hangs in, but how long will that
sensitive, sober soul stay in such seedy digs?
Even the lawyers are leaving. Former White
House Counsel Jack Quinn doesn't even do TV
shows anymore. How long can Paula Jones
counsel Bob Bennett stay now that he has
admitted to the court that Clinton lied to him and
that Monica Lewinsky's affidavit - which Clinton let
him peddle to the court in ignorance of the facts -
was plainly false and deceptive? When the
lawyers go, you know you're losing. The Clintons
do still have David Kendall - but to keep him they
had had to sign away their post-White House legal
representation to his firm, Williams and Connolly,
which they have now promised to let act as their
agent for what they expect to be lucrative
memoirs, speeches and their other activities.
Back at the White House, they're down to the B
Team. The staff now only contains protegees - all
the mentors have left. But even among these
minor league replacement players, there is
discontent. "I used to be proud to work at the
White House. Now my parents aren't even proud
of me anymore," one young staffer says. It's
become time to line up at the Xerox machine and
print resumes.
Hillary has abandoned her West Wing office.
Always too small and too cramped, she is
presumably moving to the more commodious oval
shaped room downstairs that has long been more
to her liking.
Still manning the barricades are Joe Lockhart and
Ann Lewis. Lockhart, the new press secretary, is
the relief pitcher who enters the game with the
bases loaded, nobody out and the home team
down by five runs. In time he could grow into a
good press handler, but this assignment may be
too tough and his experience too limited. Ann
Lewis, whose next new idea will be her first, has
finally ascended, via the Peter Principle, to the
level of her own incompetence as
communications director.
Where have all the people gone? Bill Clinton,
dining alone, must wonder. Now Buddy has him all
to himself.
nypost.com
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