What Might Have Been

Are you ready to rehash the Clinton years? I suppose most people would rather not, but perhaps it's worth examining in light of a new book coming out.

Prosecutors investigating Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton were prepared to seek indictments of them for their roles in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky affairs, an explosive new book about the former president's scandals charges.

When independent counsel Kenneth Starr left office, his successor, Robert Ray, "took steps to instill the fear of God" into the White House -- sending a message to the former first family that he was prepared to prosecute Bill Clinton for lying about his affair with Lewinsky.

"I wanted them to know I was coming," Ray said, according to "The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr," by Ken Gormley, due out in February. "I was fully of the view that if I was not prepared to carry out the threat, it wasn't worth making."

In other words, cowardice ruled the day. Recall back a decade ago there was virtually no alternative media save for Rush Limbaugh and public opinion, we were told, was steadfastly against impeachment and harassing poor Mrs. Clinton even though evidence pointed toward her extensive involvement in Whitewater, not to mention those mysterious Rose Law Firm billing records that turned up in her closet with her fingerprints all over them.

Then there was TravelGate, which was a hamfisted attempt at taking over the White House travel service and handing it over to their cronies. Billy Dale has never received an apology for that.

Now suppose both Clinton were indicted. We may have avoided ever having her being elected to the Senate, running for President and subsequently becoming Secretary of State. If Bill was removed from office and prosecuted, we of course would have had a President Gore, a nightmare scenario if ever there was one. As an incumbent, he surely would have won the 2000 race against George W. Bush and ...

OK, I'll stop there. It's too horrific to contemplate.