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Politics : Did Slick Boink Monica? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Father Terrence who wrote (5724)	2/10/1998 10:48:00 AM
From: loafer	Respond to of 20981

More on China's connection to our current mess: Something Rotten in Beijing? Wall Street Journal February 10, 1998 Review & Outlook Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the educational purposes of research and open discussion. Review & Outlook Something Rotten in Beijing? U.S. Representative Dan Burton says the fact that Beijing won't give visas to congressional investigators looking into American campaign finance abuses is "outrageous." We call it "fishy." Four members of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee planned to leave for China this past weekend to look into allegations of illegal fundraising from foreign sources for the 1996 Democratic Party election campaign. One of the most sensational developments to date is the suggestion that some of the contributions which reached the campaign were made on behalf of Chinese interests and intended to influence economic or political decisions of the administration of President Bill Clinton. If there's nothing to these claims, what's the harm in letting congressional investigators ask some questions in Beijing? If the Chinese government or Chinese companies did not attempt to buy influence in Washington, you'd think they would want all the questions answered fast, and there's no better way than to show the Congress that they have nothing to hide. Throwing up barriers to a thorough investigation only heightens the suspicion that there is something Beijing wants to cover up. And there's no question China is eager to keep the investigators out. Often, when foreigners are refused official visas for places like China or Tibet they hop on a plane to Hong Kong or some other nearby city and quietly obtain tourist visas. That probably wouldn't work well in this case, which by its nature calls for contact with Chinese government or business officials. But aides to the House committee have told reporters that the Americans were informed they would be arrested if they tried to enter China another way. A spokesman at the Chinese Embassy says that isn't so, and that the visas have simply been delayed pending instructions from Beijing. We aren't holding our breath. For one thing, the arrest last week in Washington of Charlie Trie will have made Beijing very nervous. Mr. Trie, after all, fled to China and then Macau last year to escape questioning about his knowledge of illegal campaign funding and he now faces 15 felony charges. Mr. Trie's lawyer says his client has done nothing wrong. But if he decides to cut a deal with the U.S. prosecutors, his knowledge of the murkiest depths of money channeling could prove explosive indeed. Representative Burton, who heads the committee investigating whether China and other foreign entities tried to buy influence with illegal contributions to the Clinton campaign, hasn't given up the quest to send investigators to Beijing. He's asked U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for help. Yet it is difficult to imagine Clinton-appointee Albright putting much effort into convincing Beijing that it is wrong to, as Mr. Burton says, "block the U.S. Congress from conducting official and legitimate interest abroad." Up in Beijing, Ambassador James Sasser's biggest worry must be convincing his hosts that it's not his fault those pesky investigators want to poke around. In other words, by denying visas Beijing is doing the Clinton administration a huge favor. Congress may never be able to find out whether it is the first time, or just another in a series of gifts with sinister implications. But this incident has scented the trail and will make sure that the hunt continues. Return to top of page Copyright c 1998 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

To: Father Terrence who wrote (5724)	2/10/1998 10:49:00 AM
From: DMaA	Respond to of 20981

Where are the leaks coming from? Yes, there may be a fog of misstatements, but it seems to be emanating primarily from the White House compound. While Mrs. Lewis was appearing on GMA, the author of the Newsweek article, Michael Isikoff, was talking with Matt Lauer over on NBC's "Today" show, and exposed the Clinton team's extraordinary strategy. Mr. Lauer: "This information you're reporting in Newsweek, Michael, are you getting this from Kenneth Starr's office? Is that where you're getting your leaks?" Mr. Isikoff: "Matt, you're a professional journalist. You would never think about answering a question like that, nor am I." Mr. Lauer: "I would ask it, though." Mr. Isikoff: "Well, you're free to ask anything. But, look, we get sources from all over the place. We don't discuss where they come from. I will say in this particular case of the new White House aide, we do source it to sources close to the president's defense. So that may help you on that one small matter." In short, Mr. Clinton's lawyers leaked the Raines testimony to Newsweek, and then Mr. Clinton's spokesman fanned out to denounce Mr. Starr for the leaks. The Machiavelli from Hope strikes again.

To: Father Terrence who wrote (5724)	2/10/1998 10:52:00 AM
From: Zoltan!	Respond to of 20981

That's much better! Many thanks.

To: Father Terrence who wrote (5724)	2/10/1998 11:39:00 AM
From: Zoltan!	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 20981

Here's the spy story/Clinton strategy: Shocking strategy A number of readers expressed shock yesterday over George Stephanopoulos' revelation that the Clinton White House is considering revealing the sexual peccadilloes of those pursuing the president. Mr. Stephanopoulos, the former top adviser to President Clinton and now a news commentator, said on ABC's "This Week" that "there's a different, long-term strategy, which I think would be far more explosive. White House allies are already starting to whisper about what I'll call the Ellen Romisch strategy. ... She was a girlfriend of John F. Kennedy, who also happened to be an East German spy. And Robert Kennedy was charged with getting her out of the country and also getting J. Edgar Hoover to go to the Congress and say, 'Don't you investigate this, because if you do, we're going to open up everybody's closets.'" ABC newsman Sam Donaldson asked: "Are you suggesting for a moment that what they're beginning to say is that if you investigate this too much, we'll put all your dirty linen right on the table? Every member of the Senate? Every member of the press corps?" Mr. Stephanopoulos replied: "Absolutely. The president said he would never resign, and I think some around him are willing to take everybody down with him." Commented one reader: "The comments about the Ellen Romisch strategy -- to let everything out of the closet on everyone -- finally puts into perspective the Filegate scandal in which Craig Livingstone was busy rummaging through FBI files on Republicans." washtimes.com