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You have tried to warn the others that this should be dropped. But they do not seem to heed.

I am sufficiently fed up with the Administration's Rove approach, that I really do not have a horse in this. But I hate to see Republican Conservatives--even moderate Conservatives--continue to make the same mistake. The concentration on the Monica Lewinski scandal, rather than the wrong-headed policies of the Clinton Administration, cost the Republicans in both 1998 and 2000. It back-fired, as frankly it was obvious that it was going to do.

For one party to carp on the private indiscretions of individuals in the other party, appears to be a cheap shot--along the lines of those hypocrites who continued to stone fallen women, after being admonisthed, "Let he who is innocent, cast the first stone." The politicians of this earth are not a bunch of innocents. There are very few who lead pristine lives. And if you do not want the party to appear to be a bunch of hypocrites, of the type who peek through key-holes to expose others for doing things which they do themselves; you never take up this type of issue.

If you keep out of it, and let the press just feed the gossip mills, the gossips will damage your opponent with some segments of the population. That will take care of itself. But when you (I don't mean you, who have warned against it, but the party faithful, generally) rush in and take a sanctimonious tone, when everyone in the world knows that your interest is partisan advantage, and an excuse to avoid the actual public issues, a reaction sets in, and the advantage from the gossip that you did not join, is wholly lost.

If there was such a thing as Politics 101, for would-be politicians; this would be part of the first semester curriculum. It is very basic, and the fact that so many Republicans do not understand it, is why we keep snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

I agree with just about everything you said, except for the insinuation that Rove or the Bushies are pushing it. I see exactly the opposite.

As for keeping your eye on the ball, you are right. Kerry's record sucks. His denigration of the military he served in is an albatross he won't be able to shake. His proposals suck. He is a disaster on defense and national security, not to mention taxes and the economy.

We don't need this fire drill. Let the media follow it. We don't need to try to push it or lead it.

Actually, this isn't about Rove or the GOP. They have stayed well above the fray.

You have forgotten any number of things that point AWAY from GOP dirty tricks.

#1. According to the Congressional Quarterly and other publications, Chris Lehane, former Clinton staffer, has been shopping this story for weeks to the media.

#2. Wesley Clark told 3 reporters about Kerry's bimbo problem that would erupt this week. He was heard a few days ago yelling at reporters: "That was off the record."

#3. According to the Chicago Sun TImes and other organizations, Al Gore was going to choose Kerry as his vice presidential running mate in 2000 but decided Kerry's bimbo problems were too serious to overcome.

"The concentration on the Monica Lewinski scandal, rather than the wrong-headed policies of the Clinton Administration, cost the Republicans in both 1998 and 2000"

The Monica Lewinski Scandal....is shorthand for a President who perjured himself in front of a grand jury and lied to a Federal Judge..........and was rightly impeached in the House for it...............I don't think anyone that knows the history of the case forgets that. It's the LIBS and other misinformed idiots who have always said "it's all about sex and affairs".

Here's what I remember of the Lewinsky scandal: The Republicans in Congress did a terrible job of moving the case forward. They wanted to wait until after the election to do anything, so they could milk it for several months in an effort to get more seats in Congress. It backfired, and they then backed down. The only one on the Republican side that I was impressed with at the time was Lindsey Graham. He has since gone on to become Senator, while man others have dropped out completely.

I don't care one way or another about this story, but I'd like to see it followed up by the media with the same zeal as the ridiculous National Guard non-story.