Salon Newsreal | The dark prince

A L S O+T O D A Y

No apologies
By Debra Dickerson
How I learned to fight for my country, proudly

T A B L E+T A L K
Are Bill and Hillary fighting? Swap rumors and theories on the state of the first marriage in the Politics area of Table Talk
___________________
Are you a political junkie? Check out barnesandnoble.com's great selection and deep discounts on the books you need to read!
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R E C E N T L Y
Down for the count
By C.D. Ellison
Now that the Supreme Court has barred Census "sampling," what are Republicans going to do to correct the scandalous undercount of minority voters?
(01/27/99)
Impeachment notebook
By Joshua Micah Marshall
Jesse Helms snores, Al Franken gets tossed, House managers look overmatched
(01/26/99)
Endgame?
By Joshua Micah Marshall
Republicans ratchet up the rhetoric while looking for a way out
(01/26/99)
Witness for the prosecution?
By Nicholas Confessore
Dick Morris, conspiracy theorist, could find a way to hurt the president again
(01/26/99)
Months of sleaze
By Jeff Stein
In an interview, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle says that's what Monica Lewinsky's return to Washington could herald
(01/25/99)
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-----The dark prince
News
HOUSE MANAGERS ARE HOPING THAT DEPOSING RIGHT-WING WHIPPING BOY SIDNEY BLUMENTHAL WILL EXPOSE A HIDDEN WORLD OF PRESIDENTIAL DIRTY TRICKS. DON'T BET ON IT.

BY JOSHUA MICAH MARSHALL
On Wednesday, as expected, the Senate voted down the motion to dismiss the charges against the president and approved the House managers' proposal to depose three witnesses, both by near-party line votes of 54-46 (Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin was the lone Democratic defector). But for all the talk of the struggle between Republicans and Democrats, the most intriguing battle is the one taking place between Senate Republicans and their House colleagues.
Republican senators now seem intent on bringing the trial to a conclusion as soon as possible. But they need cover. Their three-witness proposal -- deposing Monica Lewinsky, Vernon Jordan and presidential aide Sidney Blumenthal -- which the Senate GOP muscled the House managers into accepting last weekend, is their attempt at an exit strategy that will satisfy their conservative base that they haven't cut and run or left the House managers out to dry.
If they can squeak by with just three witnesses and an up or down vote on the articles of impeachment and have the whole episode over by next Friday, they can get impeachment behind them with a minimum of damage. One Republican insider used a military metaphor to describe the situation: The Senate Republicans want to withdraw their forces, but they need cover to pull out their troops. The House managers are anything but happy with this measly haul. On the Senate floor, Henry Hyde called the truncated witness list "pitiful." House and Senate Republicans are clearly at odds: By deposing only Lewinsky, Jordan and Blumenthal, senators are hoping they can light the witness fuse, but snuff it out before it blows up in their face. The House managers, of course, are hoping for just the opposite -- that the witnesses trigger an explosion that will finally force the Senate, if not the country, to take their campaign against the president seriously.
The managers' hope for a blow-up centers almost entirely on Sidney Blumenthal, the far-right's whipping boy and alleged Dark Prince of smears against the Republicans. Blumenthal nudged sure-bet Betty Currie off the proposed witness list, which at first glance seemed puzzling. But Currie promised to be a tough witness who had stuck to her testimony that Monica Lewinsky initiated the return of presidential gifts. Plus, the House managers had to dread the prospect of interrogating a kindly, loyal middle-aged government employee in the well of the Senate. That she happens to be black, and would face a squad of right-wing, disproportionately Southern interrogators, was a public relations disaster waiting to happen.
Blumenthal is a much better witness for the House. The supposed reason for calling him is to have him confirm that Clinton told him Lewinsky was a "stalker" after the story of their affair surfaced. This, in the managers' reasoning, supports the obstruction of justice charge against the president, since Clinton knew Blumenthal might be called to testify before the grand jury. Further, Clinton didn't amend his story when Blumenthal was in fact subpoenaed. Most legal experts see Blumenthal's role in buttressing the obstruction charge as very flimsy.
N E X T+P A G E+| Blumenthal has become the conservatives' bête noire

A L S O+T O D A Y No apologies By Debra Dickerson How I learned to fight for my country, proudly T A B L E+T A L K Are Bill and Hillary fighting? Swap rumors and theories on the state of the first marriage in the Politics area of Table Talk ___________________ Are you a political junkie? Check out barnesandnoble.com's great selection and deep discounts on the books you need to read! ___________________ R E C E N T L Y Down for the count By C.D. Ellison Now that the Supreme Court has barred Census "sampling," what are Republicans going to do to correct the scandalous undercount of minority voters? (01/27/99) Impeachment notebook By Joshua Micah Marshall Jesse Helms snores, Al Franken gets tossed, House managers look overmatched (01/26/99) Endgame? By Joshua Micah Marshall Republicans ratchet up the rhetoric while looking for a way out (01/26/99) Witness for the prosecution? By Nicholas Confessore Dick Morris, conspiracy theorist, could find a way to hurt the president again (01/26/99) Months of sleaze By Jeff Stein In an interview, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle says that's what Monica Lewinsky's return to Washington could herald (01/25/99) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Browse the Newsreal Archives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
		-----The dark prince HOUSE MANAGERS ARE HOPING THAT DEPOSING RIGHT-WING WHIPPING BOY SIDNEY BLUMENTHAL WILL EXPOSE A HIDDEN WORLD OF PRESIDENTIAL DIRTY TRICKS. DON'T BET ON IT. BY JOSHUA MICAH MARSHALL On Wednesday, as expected, the Senate voted down the motion to dismiss the charges against the president and approved the House managers' proposal to depose three witnesses, both by near-party line votes of 54-46 (Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin was the lone Democratic defector). But for all the talk of the struggle between Republicans and Democrats, the most intriguing battle is the one taking place between Senate Republicans and their House colleagues. Republican senators now seem intent on bringing the trial to a conclusion as soon as possible. But they need cover. Their three-witness proposal -- deposing Monica Lewinsky, Vernon Jordan and presidential aide Sidney Blumenthal -- which the Senate GOP muscled the House managers into accepting last weekend, is their attempt at an exit strategy that will satisfy their conservative base that they haven't cut and run or left the House managers out to dry. If they can squeak by with just three witnesses and an up or down vote on the articles of impeachment and have the whole episode over by next Friday, they can get impeachment behind them with a minimum of damage. One Republican insider used a military metaphor to describe the situation: The Senate Republicans want to withdraw their forces, but they need cover to pull out their troops. The House managers are anything but happy with this measly haul. On the Senate floor, Henry Hyde called the truncated witness list "pitiful." House and Senate Republicans are clearly at odds: By deposing only Lewinsky, Jordan and Blumenthal, senators are hoping they can light the witness fuse, but snuff it out before it blows up in their face. The House managers, of course, are hoping for just the opposite -- that the witnesses trigger an explosion that will finally force the Senate, if not the country, to take their campaign against the president seriously. The managers' hope for a blow-up centers almost entirely on Sidney Blumenthal, the far-right's whipping boy and alleged Dark Prince of smears against the Republicans. Blumenthal nudged sure-bet Betty Currie off the proposed witness list, which at first glance seemed puzzling. But Currie promised to be a tough witness who had stuck to her testimony that Monica Lewinsky initiated the return of presidential gifts. Plus, the House managers had to dread the prospect of interrogating a kindly, loyal middle-aged government employee in the well of the Senate. That she happens to be black, and would face a squad of right-wing, disproportionately Southern interrogators, was a public relations disaster waiting to happen. Blumenthal is a much better witness for the House. The supposed reason for calling him is to have him confirm that Clinton told him Lewinsky was a "stalker" after the story of their affair surfaced. This, in the managers' reasoning, supports the obstruction of justice charge against the president, since Clinton knew Blumenthal might be called to testify before the grand jury. Further, Clinton didn't amend his story when Blumenthal was in fact subpoenaed. Most legal experts see Blumenthal's role in buttressing the obstruction charge as very flimsy. N E X T+P A G E+\| Blumenthal has become the conservatives' bête noire