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Outside the Partisian Boxes: Other Views of Senate Trial

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By now, the public is very familiar with the partisan arguments over whether the Senate trial of President Clinton should continue. This week, loyal Democrats and Republicans are spinning as fervently as ever. But some other positions don’t fit into the partisan trenches.

The Institute for Public Accuracy offers different perspectives on impeachment and the Senate trial. While these views vary, all are outside the standard partisan boxes.

The following analysts are available for interviews:

CLARENCE LUSANE
Professor of political science at American University and author of “Race in the Global Era: African Americans at the Millennium,” Lusane said: “Much of the Congressional Black Caucus has spent their energy defending Clinton instead of focusing on issues of importance to their constituency. The scandal has ironically helped Bill Clinton because progressive and liberal Democrats have subsumed their differences with the Clinton agenda in the interest of defending the president at all costs.”

BARBARA EHRENREICH
A widely published author and political analyst, Ehrenreich has commented on sexual subtexts of disputes over examination of Monica Lewinsky. Meanwhile, Ehrenreich observes: “In case anyone needed further proof, Clinton’s State of the Union speech demonstrated once and for all that it’s possible to be a sexual scamp and a good Republican too.”

LORETTA ROSS
Executive director of the National Center for Human Rights Education, Ross said: “This is a serious distraction from the real issues of the day. We’re killing people in Iraq, yet we’re obsessed with Clinton’s pants and Monica’s dress. We’re moving away from the values of the New Deal, where people had an entitlement to help in their old age, to a gambling mentality of betting it on the stock market.”
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DAVID COLE
Professor of law at Georgetown University and author of the new book “No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System,” Cole said: “The offenses that Clinton has committed, perjury and obstruction of justice, are impeachable offenses…. But there’s been an absence of reasonable discretion by Ken Starr, the House and the House managers. Common sense argues in favor of not pursuing this.”

For more information, contact the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167