LETTERS: THE WHITE HOUSE MESS

To the editor:

I wonder if my liberal friends who have defended Bill Clinton the past four years and helped to give him four more years in office are still proud of our president in light of recent revelations concerning Democratic fund raising.

What a sad state of affairs we are witnessing in the Clinton White House. Influence and access to the president have been given to those writing large checks with a night's stay in the Lincoln bedroom thrown in for good measure. The president claims that he has done no wrong, and the vice president says laws forbidding fund raising on federal property don't apply to him. The really frightening part of this whole scenario is that the president and vice president must truly believe that they are above the law. How else can they make the outrageous statements that always put the blame on others?

Face the facts. We have a president and vice president who have no moral compass, no absolutes. Everything is relative. Good is what promotes their liberal agenda, and evil is anything or anyone who dares to protest and demand justice where justice is due. Evidently, the laws of the land don't apply to President Clinton and Vice President Gore. By using and abusing the vast powers of the executive branch, they continue to block the efforts of honest people trying to find out the truth.

Where is the outrage at the current state of affairs? Are the American people really comfortable with the current corrupt administration? Can those who cast their votes to give Clinton four more years honestly say they are proud of their actions? Gore said he was proud of how he raised money for his re-election but then promised not to use those methods again. It doesn't add up. I think there is outrage among honest, thinking people, and I hope the outcry for truth and justice will eventually win out.

Investigations are under way to find out if the government of Communist China made payments to Clinton's re-election fund in exchange for favorable policy decisions. These charges, if true, would constitute and act of treason. Rep. Bob Barr from Georgia has sent a request to Rep. Henry Hyde, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, requesting an inquiry into whether articles of impeachment should be sought against the president and vice president. It is truly a sad day in our nation when the suggestion of impeachment of a president is made. However, in light of continuing evidence of systematic wrongdoing, it seems to be an inevitable action.

The fund-raising scandal is only the latest in the long list of Clinton administration moral lapses and abuses of power. From Arkansas land and banking scams to Travelgate to FBI Filegate to s sexual harassment lawsuit, the list continues to grow. Former U.S. Rep. Bob Dornan of California had it right when he said of the Clinton administration: "The most corrupt presidential administration in history."

In 1972, President Nixon was re-elected to the presidency by an overwhelming majority. In 1973, he resigned in disgrace as evidence was unearthed that he abused the power of the office of the presidency to cover up political crimes. He did so as a vote on his impeachment was scheduled in the House. Twenty-five years later, we see that the lessons of history have not been learned, and a similar scenario is being played out today. May our representatives and senators exercise wisdom in the days ahead, and may we again see a restoration of respect and dignity to the office of the president.

JOHN HELDERMAN

Whitewater