The problem then was that a lot of people really saw no problem with Bill Clinton's relations with Ms. Lewinski, and thought the Republicans were being nosy busybodies. If Mrs. Clinton was willing to let her husband's affairs slide, what right did the the Republicans have to complain about them?
I really don't think the same issue applies here. There is some danger that the administration will be able to convince people suffering from Liberal Mind Fog Disorder both that they are so incompetent as to not realize that letting firearms disappear untraceably into criminal gangs is going to get people killed, and they they are not so incompetent as to be entrusted with control of the government, but I think even a hardcore liberal would have a hard time arguing that the administration's actions aren't sufficiently suspicious that Republicans are justified in demanding some answers.
If this was a just Universe a picture of Clinton would be in the dictionary under the word "corruption". This man was so low he hid his many crimes behind a blow job! He used new scandals to push old ones off the headlines! I'm convinced he had Vince Foster murdered and sold secrets to the Communist Chinese, but your typical American only thinks it was only about sex with this guy.