The Power of Words. R.I. Democrats say Clinton must defuse charges quickly

1/23/98
R.I. Democrats say Clinton must defuse charges quickly
''You can't let them linger out there . . . this is not something where you can try to hang tough,'' says U.S. Sen. Jack Reed.

By SCOTT MacKAY
Journal-Bulletin State House Bureau

       President Clinton has survived multiple accusations of wrongdoing in his political career, but he must act quickly to combat the latest sexual misconduct allegations swirling around him or his presidency is in dire jeopardy.
       That was the blunt reaction yesterday from Rhode Island's elected Democratic Party officeholders, a group of generally strong supporters of Mr. Clinton and his political agenda.
       While many Democratic leaders interviewed yesterday said they fervently hope there is little to the allegations of sexual misconduct in the White House and obstruction of justice, they said Mr. Clinton must speak to the issues and defuse them sooner rather than later.
       "These are very serious allegations and they have to be resolved quickly," said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a stalwart supporter of Mr. Clinton's legislative agenda. "These allegations are very disturbing."
       "You can't let them linger out there . . . this is not something where you can try to hang tough," said Reed.
       U.S. Rep. Robert Weygand said that if true, the allegations could spell the end of Mr. Clinton's administration. "If indeed he did have an affair with a 21-year-old and urged her to lie about it, that could clearly be cause for the demise of his administration."
       But Weygand also said he hopes the allegations are not accurate. "My sincere hope is that this is not true. I hope this is just another fabrication by these people who are just shooting at the president all the time."
       Mr. Clinton should deal with it "quickly and forthrightly," Weygand said.
       Weygand noted that right-wing groups have pushed other allegations in the media that upon further scrutiny have turned out not to be true. He mentioned such incidents as stories from conservative publications questioning the suicide of former White House aide Vince Foster and allegations that Mr. Clinton was giving away cemetery plots at Arlington National Cemetery in exchange for campaign contributions.
       U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy declined requests for an interview, but issued a statement. "The allegations against President Clinton, which he denies, are serious. At this point, we must remember these are only allegations. Let's not rush to judgment. We must let a complete and thorough investigation take place."
       Rhode Island gave Mr. Clinton his second-highest margin of victory in 1996 -- neighboring Massachusetts was first -- among the states the president carried in his landslide reelection.
       At the Rhode Island State House yesterday, Mr. Clinton's fate was on the minds of the Democrats who control the General Assembly.
       "I think Bill Clinton is a great American," said Sen. Charles Walton, D- Providence. "And I think there has been a right-wing campaign against him for a long time.
       "But if this latest thing is true, I think it will be very difficult for his presidency to withstand this," said Walton.
       House Majority Leader George Caruolo, D-East Providence, spoke for many Democrats yesterday when he said: "I hope it's not true."
       In the Senate, Majority Leader Paul Kelly, D-North Smithfield, termed it a difficult hurdle for Mr. Clinton.
       "I think these charges are very serious," said Kelly. "Obstruction of justice is a very serious charge. If these charges are true, I think it would be a real challenge to his presidency."
       Sen. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that if the charges are proved, Mr. Clinton would have to resign the presidency.
       One Democratic Party leader who said he believes Mr. Clinton did not do anything wrong is former Gov. Bruce Sundlun. Sundlun said he believes the frenzied Washington news media have distorted the issues.
       "With all due respect, what is new about this?" said Sundlun. "This is a typical media overreaction."
       Republicans couldn't beat Mr. Clinton at the polls in 1996, Sundlun said, so they have used special prosecutors and right-wing publications to try to reverse the election results.
       "He has done a good job as president. What are you going to attack him on? The economy, peace in the world, the deficit? So they've got to attack him personally and that has been consistent throughout his administration, starting with what's her name, Gennifer Flowers," Sundlun said.
       "I know that Paula Jones is backed by a right-wing conspiracy group and this Tripp woman is clearly a Republican, a former member of the Bush Administration, and maybe a little off-balance.
       "Every time he has been faced with one of these accusations his popularity has increased," Sundlun said.

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