DATE=09/10/98 TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-10906 TITLE=BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY ? BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: IT DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG FOR THE SOMBER TONE OF U-S EDITORIALS ABOUT THE STATE OF BILL CLINTON'S PRESIDENCY AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE STARR REPORT, TO BE ADOPTED ACROSS THE WORLD. WE GET AN EARLY SAMPLING OF GLOBAL PRESS REACTION TO THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT NOW FROM ______________ IN THIS WEEK'S WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: ANALYSTS IN EUROPE AND IN ISRAEL ARE BEGINNING TO SPEAK OF THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY IN MUCH MORE SOMBER TONES REACTING TO THE ARRIVAL AT CONGRESS OF THE STARR REPORT. SOME WRITERS ARE EVEN CALLING THIS "THE DARKEST HOUR" OF THE PRESIDENT'S TRAVAILS, AND OTHERS WONDER WHETHER THE "DREAD PROCESS OF IMPEACHMENT" WILL ACTUALLY COME TO PASS. IN PAPERS THAT FEEL MR. CLINTON CAN SURVIVE IMPEACHMENT, THERE IS ANOTHER WORRY; THAT HE WILL, AS ONE PUT IT, BE "TOO BUSY FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS" TO BE ABLE TO LEAD THE NATION. AS MILAN'S LEADING BUSINESS DAILY "IL SOLE-24 ORE" COMMENTED: "IN THE END, [MR.] CLINTON COULD EVEN GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT IN THAT CASE AMERICA ... WILL BE FURTHER DISAPPOINTED, WEAKENED BY THE NEW REVELATIONS AND POLEMICS, AND PARALYZED BY A LAME AND DISTRACTED PRESIDENT." WITH THAT AS PROLOGUE, WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN LONDON, WHERE ENGLAND'S "DAILY TELEGRAPH" SAYS: VOICE: "THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A STRONG PRESUMPTION THAT IS IS A BAD THING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE FORCED FROM OFFICE. HE IS THE HEAD OF STATE AS WELL AS THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT. .... IF HE CAN BE THROWN OUT ON A WHIM, OR BECAUSE OF FACTION, THE ENEMIES OF AMERICA ARE STRENGTHENED AND THE COUNTRY IS ILL-GOVERNED. THAT IS WHY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC RIGHTLY GIVE ALL THEIR PRESIDENTS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. BUT TODAY THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT FROM WHICH BILL CLINTON CAN BENEFIT .... MR. CLINTON IS A FIGHTER. THIS WOULD BE AN ADMIRABLE QUALITY IF HE WERE FIGHTING FOR POLICIES OR BELIEFS. NOW, HIS ENERGIES ARE DEVOTED TO FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN CAREER. .... HIS CHARM AND THEATRICAL ABILITIES MAY SEE HIM THROUGH FOR A BIT LONGER, BUT IT IS, SADLY, TO NO PURPOSE. HE CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF; HE CAN ONLY DEGRADE HIS OFFICE FURTHER." TEXT: ACROSS TOWN, "THE SUN" NOTED: VOICE: "THE WORLD KNOWS HOW THE PLOT WILL END. AND THERE ARE FEW EPISODES LEFT .... THESE ARE REMARKABLE TIMES. BUT FOR ALL THE PERSONAL SHAME OF CLINTON, AMERICA CAN HOLD ITS HEAD HIGH. THE LAND OF THE FREE HAS UPHELD ITS FINEST DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONS. THE PRESIDENT MAY BE WEAK BUT THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE ARE STRONG." TEXT: QUICKLY CROSSING THE CHANNEL, FRENCH RADIO INTER BROADCAST THIS REACTION: VOICE: "WHERE WE ARE MISTAKEN IN FRANCE REGARDING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS AFFAIR, IS IN THE CONCLUSION THAT THE HARSHEST ADVERSARIES OF THE U-S PRESIDENT ARE TO BE FOUND IN THE OPPOSITION. IN FACT, THEY ARE AMONG HIS OWN PARTY ... AS HE STANDS TODAY, BILL CLINTON NO LONGER HAS ANY MORAL AUTHORITY OVER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ... AND EVENTS ARE MAKING DECISIONS IN HIS PLACE ...." TEXT: IN THE WRITTEN PRESS, FRANCE'S "LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR" WEEKLY SUGGESTED: VOICE: "THE SITUATION IS PARADOXICAL FOR A PRESIDENT WHO REMAINS POPULAR, BUT WHO IS MORE AND MORE FRAGILE POLITICALLY. BECAUSE THE STARR REPORT COULD BE EVEN MORE DAMAGING THAN IMAGINED, THE QUESTION IS WHETHER [MR.] CLINTON WILL BE CONDEMNED TO BECOME A PUPPET PRESIDENT, A HOSTAGE OF A HOSTILE CONGRESS. ..... EVEN IN FOREIGN POLICY, THE PRESIDENT'S LOSS OF CREDIBILITY IS BEGINNING TO BE FELT ...." TEXT: FOR AN IDEA OF GERMAN PRESS REACTION, WE BEGIN IN THE FINANCIAL CENTER, WHERE THE RESPECTED "FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG" SUGGESTS: VOICE: "THESE ARE BAD DAYS FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON. THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE MANY AFFAIRS IN WHICH IS IS INVOLVED ARE NOW BECOMING INCREASINGLY PROBLEMATIC. ..... TODAY, HE HAS NEITHER THE FORCE NOR THE POWER TO PUT THE BRAKES ON." TEXT: LOOKING ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THIS DISMAL SCENE IS "THE ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG" IN MAINZ, ALONG THE RHINE, WHICH SEES HOPE FOR MR. CLINTON. VOICE: "DESPITE THE OUTRAGE EVEN FROM PARTY FRIENDS, IT DOES NOT SEEM VERY LIKELY THAT THE U-S SENATE WILL FORCE A SITTING PRESIDENT FROM OFFICE. PUBLIC OPINION IS STILL AGAINST THE PRESIDENT STEPPING DOWN." TEXT: BUT TAKING THE OPPOSITE VIEW, ONE OF THE LEADING PAPERS IN BAVARIA, MUNICH'S "ABENDZEITUNG" CONCLUDES IT COMMENTARY BY SAYING: VOICE: "CLINTON HAS NO OTHER CHOICE. HE MUST GO." /// OPT /// TEXT: IN ITALY, MILAN'S IL SOLE-24 ORE" SUGGESTS: VOICE: "FROM NOW ON, THE BALL IS IN THE COURT OF THE HOUSE JUSTICE [ACTUALLY "JUDICIARY"] COMMITTEE ... IN THE END, [MR.] CLINTON COULD EVEN GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT IN THAT CASE AMERICA ... WILL BE FURTHER DISAPPOINTED, WEAKENED BY THE NEW REVELATIONS AND POLEMICS, AND PARALYZED BY A LAME AND DISTRACTED PRESIDENT." /// END OPT /// TEXT: FROM TURIN, ITALY, THERE IS THIS EXPLANATION FROM THE PAPER'S NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT: VOICE: "POLITICAL STABILITY IS BY NOW A MEMORY IN THE FAMILY ALBUM OF WHEN BILL CLINTON WAS A SMILING PRESIDENT ... HIS SURVIVAL NO LONGER DEPENDS ON HIS FRIENDS, WHO HAVE ABANDONED HIM, BUT ON HIS ENEMIES, WHO ARE POSTPONING THE 'COUP DE GRACE' FOR REASONS OF ELECTORAL CONVENIENCE ... HIS DIGNITY BELONGS TO THE PAST: NOW HE IS A CHILD CAUGHT WITH HIS FINGER IN THE [EDITORS NOTE: WE WOULD ADD HERE " C O O K I E"] JAR AND FORCED TO REPEAT 'I AM SORRY. I WAS A BAD BOY'." TEXT: IN BARCELONA, SPAIN, WHERE "LA VANGUARDIA'S EDITORIAL MADE THESE POINTS : VOICE: "THIS CONCENTRATION OF BAD NEWS FOR [PRESIDENT] CLINTON [MEANING THE STARR REPORT'S ARRIVAL AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANOTHER PROBE OF HIS CAMPAIGN ELECTION FINANCES] DOES NOT EXACTLY PRESAGE THE END OF HIS PRESIDENCY. THE HOUSE JUSTICE [JUDICIARY] COMMITTEE WILL NOW STUDY THE FACTS PRESENTED BY [MR.] STARR, DECIDE WHETHER IT WILL VOTE TO RECOMMEND AN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING AND, IF SO, PRESENT THE MATTER TO THE WHOLE HOUSE. IF A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE VOTES THAT [MR.] CLINTON BE IMPEACHED, THE PROCESS WILL THEN FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE SENATE WHERE A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE PRESIDENT. THUS, A LONG ROAD LIES AHEAD. BUT [UNFOLDING] EVENTS ONLY ADD TO MISGIVINGS ABOUT WHETHER [PRESIDENT] CLINTON, IN HIS DARKEST HOURS, CAN CONTINUE TO GOVERN THE UNITED STATES IN A NORMAL FASHION". TEXT: AND LASTLY, FROM ISRAEL, AND "HA'ARETZ" IN TEL 'AVIV, THE PAPER'S WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT WRITES INCREDULOUSLY: VOICE: "THE SPECTACLE IS UTTERLY INCREDIBLE. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, WHOM THE AMERICANS REGARD AS ONE OF THE BEST PRESIDENTS IN DECADES, MAY BE THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY TO BE IMPEACHED ..... KENNETH STARR HAS BEATEN THE SMOOTH DEMOCRATIC PARTY MACHINERY, THE WELL-OILED WHITE HOUSE PUBLIC RELATIONS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS [MR.] CLINTON HIMSELF AND EVEN THE ORDINARY AMERICANS .... IT MAY SEEM RATHER [INCREDIBLE] BUT UNLESS [PRESIDENT] CLINTON MANAGES IN SOME MIRACULOUS WAY TO RESTORE HIS PRESTIGE, HE WILL HAVE TO GO". TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF VERY EARLY EDITORIAL REACTION FROM ABROAD TO THE ARRIVAL INTO THE HANDS OF CONGRESS OF THE LONG-AWAITED STARR REPORT ON PRESIDENT CLINTON'S AFFAIR WITH FORMER WHITE HOUSE INTERN MONICA LEWINSKY. (SIGNED) NEB/ANG/PT 10-Sep-98 6:09 PM EDT (2209 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .