By Steve McGourty

Apr. 21, 1996

Time can distort perspective. For example, compare the major scandals of the last two Presidents' administrations: Iran Contra for President Bush and White Water for President Clinton.

Iran Contra was about an illegal arms deal with a sworn enemy of our country, to illegally fund a war, all in order to work a deal with terrorists. As a result of those hearings there were several convictions and at least 5 Presidential pardons (or was it 10) to protect administration cronies. President Bush let convicted people walk away free from this contemptible violation of our laws.

In White Water they are not sure yet, but they think the President and most likely his wife lost some money on a land deal, and there was a questionable banker involved, all before he was in the oval office. After endless hearings there still has not been one indictment in the administration, and there have been no Presidential pardons. This President has had to stand up to an endless dissection of his life by extremist legislators, quite reminiscent of Joe McCarthys' inquisitions (a witch hunt sanctioned by another Republican majority in Congress). After years of investigations they still have nothing.

There is a high contrast between the ethical and moral standards demonstrated by the two parties in these scandals. The choice is clear -- you can vote for a party that has a long history of letting criminals and cronies go (remember Richard Nixon?), or you can vote for a party that will devote more time and energy to solving working families' problems than to undercutting justice. Time has shown that if it's cleaner, more open and more accountable government you want, you must vote Democratic.

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