Reprinted from The Washington Times , 5am -- April 2, 1998
With Starr still on job, celebration is muted
By Paul Bedard
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
White House euphoria over yesterday's dismissal of Paula Jones' lawsuit was short-lived as independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr said his probe into the sex-and-lies scandal is moving forward -- possibly toward impeachment hearings.
The dismissal "has no effect on our authority and we will continue working to complete the investigation as expeditiously as possible," Mr. Starr said in a terse statement.
His investigation into whether Mr. Clinton committed perjury in a deposition taken in the Jones case or obstructed justice by encouraging Monica Lewinsky and others to lie are unaffected by yesterday's ruling.
Mr. Starr's statement and concurring comments from congressional lawmakers quickly spoiled the excitement at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which has been buried under a barrage of sex charges started by the attorneys for Mrs. Jones and now being probed by Mr. Starr.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, said he was not "particularly surprised" by the ruling but said he didn't think it would affect the Whitewater probe.
"I think there has been pressure on [Mr. Starr] to get to a conclusion," Mr. Lott said, "but it's pretty hard for him to get to a conclusion when the White House won't submit facts or tell the truth."
Said a Washington lawyer following the case, "The decision in the Jones suit changes nothing with respect to what Clinton's facing with Starr. Starr has a nuclear weapon pointed at the White House and when it goes off, it will be nasty."
"Nothing really has changed," said Democratic adviser Ted Van Dyk. He said the decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright in Arkansas "is a distraction, but it's not over until it's over."
Mrs. Jones' attorneys said they likely will appeal, meaning that her case could stay in the headlines for several more months.
Many advisers noted that much of the damage from the suit has already hit the White House, especially over the last month, when Mrs. Jones' attorneys brought forth tales from several women of Mr. Clinton's inappropriate sexual conduct.
Two of those women -- Miss Lewinsky, a former White House intern, and former Clinton friend and supporter Kathleen E. Willey -- are central to Mr. Starr's sex-and-lies probe.
"The Jones case was just a civil matter. The Starr investigation is something that can lead to impeachment, and that's much more damaging," said Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution scholar and former White House aide.
Still, the decision gives the White House a much-needed victory in the sex wars, which lately have included charges that the president raped a woman while he was Arkansas attorney general and a firsthand report of consensual sex with a former Miss America.
"It's good news for the president because there's not going to be a trial and with it all of those steamy stories," Mr. Hess said.
It was also a major victory for lawyer Robert S. Bennett, whose $495-an-hour fee was often ridiculed, as were his tactics.
His victory, however, opened another problem area: The Clintons don't have the money to pay their famous attorney and the new Clinton legal defense fund has just started to raise money.
Clinton advisers said they hoped the decision in the Jones case would quiet critics who have used the suit to paint Mr. Clinton as a sex addict.
"This decision vindicates those of us who have been warning pundits and others not to jump to conclusions based upon unsubstantiated allegations," said Lanny Davis, a former associate White House counsel.
"I hope the lesson can now be applied to the outstanding allegations under review by Starr," added Mr. Davis, who until recently handled White House spokesman duties on various scandals facing the president.
But, he conceded, the Jones decision probably won't quell Washington's pursuit of sex reports involving Mr. Clinton. "I don't know if that's possible," he said.
Sources close to Mr. Starr's investigation said yesterday's ruling would have a political impact, not a legal one.
Mr. Starr will press ahead with the probe, the sources said, but the ruling will have the greatest influence on public opinion and in Congress, which would conduct any impeachment inquiry based on evidence the independent counsel develops.
They agreed that the dismissal of the Jones case would give the White House added ammunition to call on Mr. Starr to quickly complete his 10-week-old grand jury investigation.
After issuing his statement, Mr. Starr told reporters outside his office that he has the same goal.
"I think [the dismissal] is all the more reason why we should be anxious for a quick resolution. Let's gather all the evidence so we know one way or the other. Let's exonerate those who should be exonerated. If there were criminal offenses committed, let's assess that as quickly as possible."
For example, yesterday Mr. Starr asked the Supreme Court to speed up its study of his effort to obtain notes taken by an attorney for White House Deputy Counsel Vincent W. Foster during a meeting shortly before Mr. Foster's death in 1993, which has been ruled a suicide.
Meanwhile, efforts are moving ahead on Capitol Hill to hold impeachment hearings once Mr. Starr provides his report on a handful of Clinton scandals to Congress.
While some said Mr. Clinton's problems aren't over, some maintained that the dismissal of the case could revive the dormant presidency. The French news agency even wrote a story yesterday about Mr. Clinton as "the comeback kid," his 1992 title after he faced elimination in the presidential primaries after Gennifer Flowers said she had had a sexual affair with him.
- This article is based in part on wire service reports.
Copyright 1998 News World Communications, Inc.
Reprinted with permission of
The Washington Times.
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