 Chance of Clinton's Removal Today: 14% (down 1 since Oct. 7, down 3 since Sept. 25) | ||
| Oct. 9 | The House votes to launch an impeachment inquiry. Key numbers: 1) 31 of 206 Democrats (15 percent) vote for the Republican resolution to launch the inquiry. 2) Of these 31, 5 (2.4 percent of House Democrats) vote against the Democratic alternative resolution that would have limited the inquiry | |
Wondering where the "Frame Game" went? Click here.
NATO is preparing airstrikes against Yugoslavia to stop the atrocities in Kosovo. Massacres of ethnic Albanians by Serbian police have driven at least 50,000 civilians to nearby mountains, where they may soon freeze or starve to death. U.S. diplomats have persuaded the U.N. Security Council to approve a vague statement that NATO countries can interpret as authorization for military action. U.S. officials say if Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic doesn't stop his ethnic cleansing campaign in Kosovo within two weeks, NATO will really, truly make him sorry this time, unlike past times when its leaders talked tough but did nothing. The superficial media spin: Editorialists are urging NATO and the United States to use force and teach Milosevic a lesson. The sophisticated media spin: Reporters deserve the true credit for publicizing Yugoslavia's atrocities and shaming politicians into doing something about it. (10/2/98)
President Clinton's lawyers upped their offer to settle the Paula Jones case. Their latest bid is $700,000, minus the apology Jones demanded last year. Jones' lawyers are still holding out for $1 million. Absent a settlement, the Jones team will seek to slap Clinton with a contempt citation next week for lying in his deposition. The Clinton camp's spin: Jones' lawyers are infuriating Clinton and blowing their chance at a deal by spinning the settlement as an admission of guilt. Cynics dismissed the official spin as a bargaining ploy. New York tycoon Abe Hirschfeld, who has nothing to do with the suit, offered to pay for the settlement just to get it over with. (10/2/98)
California moved its presidential primary to March 7, 2000. This is several weeks earlier than the primary's calendar position in 1996's election and three months earlier than in 1992's. California politicians say they did it to grab more influence in the nomination process. Critics predict other states will follow suit, creating in effect a national primary in which only candidates with big money can compete. In 2000, the expected beneficiaries are Gov. George W. Bush, R-Texas, and publisher Steve Forbes, R-$. Since candidates will have no time to attract media attention and raise money in 2000, they'll spend 1999 attracting media attention and raising money. (10/2/98)