Entry not found in my Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations!
David Schippers, Chief Republican Investigator:
The president also provided false and misleading testimony in the grand jury when he was asked about Mr. Bennett's representation in the Jones deposition that the president is, quote, "fully aware," close quote, that Lewinsky filed an affidavit saying that, quote, "there is absolutely no sex of any kind, in any manner, shape, or form with President Clinton."
...
when he was asked in the grand jury whether Mr. Bennett's statement was false, he still was unable to tell the truth -- even before a federal grand jury. He answered with a now-famous sentence: It depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
That single declaration, members of the committee, reveals more about the character of the president than perhaps anything else in the record. It points out his attitude and his conscious indifference and complete disregard for the concept of the truth. He picks out a single word, and he weaves from it a deceitful answer: "Is" doesn't mean "was" or "will be," so I can answer no.
He also invents convoluted definitions of words or phrases in his own crafty mind. Of course he will never seek to clarify a question, because that may trap him into a straight answer. Can you imagine dealing with such a person in any important matter? You would never know his secret mental reservations or the unspoken redefinition of words. And even if you thought you had solved the enigma, it wouldn't matter. He would just change the meaning to suit his purpose.
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