WASHINGTON,
DC -- In a deliberate attempt to continue the
"sleaze saga" that has sickened the American public,
Newt Gingrich and the Republicans turned down
a set of fairness principles suggested by Democratic
Minority Leader Dick Gephardt today. "We always
suspected that this was less about impeachment
and more about politics: the actions of the Republicans
just verified that," commented McKinney. One of
the suggestions given to Gingrich today by Gephardt
was that the Congressional investigation would
be concluded by a date certain agreeable in bipartisan
fashion to both leaders. Gingrich turned that
suggestion down, opting instead for a prolonged
focus on the Ken Starr report. McKinney added,
"Fairness twists in the wind as Republicans continue
to provoke a constitutional crisis. This is really
an attempt to overturn the elections of 1992 and
1996 and to influence the November election,"
added McKinney.
"If the videotape
was their best shot, the Republicans fired a
dud," stated McKinney. "No purple faced outbursts,
no storming from the room, no harsh words. In
fact, in the face of the sleaze and offensive
questioning that Independent Counsel Ken Starr
tried to drag the President through, I think
the President did quite well," commented Congresswoman
Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) on the videotaped testimony
of President Clinton broadcast around the globe
on Monday.
In noting the
purely partisan purpose of the Republican investigation
into the sex life of the President and of the
particularly biased conduct of the independent
counsel in writing his report, Congresswoman
McKinney endorsed an effort today to turn the
tables by supporting a resolution to impeach
Ken Starr.