Defending the American Presidency

Defending the American Presidency

Also by Robert Busby REAGAN AND THE IRAN CONTRA AFFAIR: The Politics of Presidential Recovery

Defending the American Presidency Clinton and the Lewinsky Scandal Robert Busby Lecturer in American Studies Liverpool Hope University College

Robert Busby 2001 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2001 978-0-333-91250-8 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2001 by PALGRAVE Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE is the new global academic imprint of St. Martin s Press LLC Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers Ltd (formerly Macmillan Press Ltd). ISBN 978-1-349-42254-8 ISBN 978-0-333-99270-8 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780333992708 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Busby, Robert. Defending the American presidency : Clinton and the Lewinsky scandal / Robert Busby. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-349-42254-8 1. Clinton, Bill, 1946 Impeachment. 2. Clinton, Bill, 1946 Public opinion. 3. Clinton, Bill, 1946 Sexual behavior. 4. Lewinsky, Monica S. (Monica Samille), 1973 5. United States Politics and government 1993 2001. 6. Scandals United States History 20th century. 7. Public relations and politics United States History 20th century. 8. Public opinion United States History 20th century. 9. Crisis management in government United States History 20th century. 10. Mass media Political aspects United States History 20th century. I. Title. E886.2.B87 2001 973.929 092 dc21 2001031546 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01

Contents List of Tables and Exhibits Acknowledgements vi viii Introduction 1 1 The Clinton Scandal Epidemic 15 2 The Lewinsky Affair 46 3 Protecting the President: Damage Limitation and the Lewinsky Scandal 70 4 The Starr Investigation 117 5 Impeachment and Trial 137 6 The Media: Intrigue and Revulsion 170 7 Public Opinion: Reluctant Observers 187 Conclusion 215 Notes 224 Index 248 v

List of Tables and Exhibits Tables 1.1 Modern presidential scandal: a summary 19 1.2 The Whitewater investigation: the key events 32 1.3 Congressional investigation of Whitewater: the key events 34 2.1 Clinton Lewinsky contact, 1995 8 56 2.2 Key events: Clinton and Lewinsky, 1995 8 59 3.1 Damage limitation: January October 1998 76 3.2 January September 1998: Key public statements by Clinton on the Lewinsky scandal 83 4.1 Leaks and the Office of the Independent Counsel 122 4.2 The release of the Starr Report: the key events 132 5.1 The House Judiciary Committee: the impeachment proceedings, October December 1998 146 5.2 Articles of impeachment: a summary 150 5.3 Impeachment articles: the votes by the House Judiciary Committee 151 5.4 Impeachment, 19 December 1998: the votes in the House of Representatives 156 5.5 The Senate trial: January February 1999 163 5.6 The vote in the Senate: 12 February 1999 165 6.1 Approval/disapproval of the media coverage of the investigation of Clinton 182 6.2 Television access to the Senate trial 183 6.3 Opinion on the national media 185 7.1 Starr s declining popularity: January 1998 favorability ratings 191 7.2 Starr: partisan or impartial? 192 7.3 Clinton and Nixon: comparable scandals? 193 7.4 Popular reaction to allegations of a presidential affair 197 7.5 Clinton job approval: 16 28 January 1998 197 7.6 Clinton s job approval rating: March 1998 200 7.7 President Clinton: lying under oath? 201 7.8 Clinton s job approval and personal approval ratings: 17 18 August 1998 202 vi

List of Tables and Exhibits vii 7.9 Public opinion and the Congress 204 7.10 Public interest in the Starr Report 205 7.11 The release of the Grand Jury videotape 206 7.12 Public attention to the impeachment proceedings: December/January 1998 9 207 7.13 Viewership of the Senate trial: January 1999 210 7.14 Looking to the future: avoiding scandal politics 210 Exhibit 4.1 The Starr Report: grounds for impeachment 129

Acknowledgements I m most grateful to Louise Atkinson for her encouragement and understanding during the creation of this work and for tolerating my preoccupation with the Clinton scandals over many months. Thanks to my parents and sister for their support during the development of this work. Several friends and colleagues offered helpful and constructive advice in the creation of this text and their input proved invaluable, particularly Mike O Grady, Kevin Felstead and Steve Perrin. I am particularly grateful to Palgrave and its editorial staff, in particular Alison Howson. I d also like to express my appreciation to Tim Grace, Dan Needs, Rob Martell, Steve Martell, Barry Jervis and all those who took an interest in the progress of the research into the Clinton scandals. ROBERT BUSBY To Louise viii