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.