Yes, the president's approval rating has taken a little bump up, but so has-at least in one poll-that of Congress. So what? The important number is that, depending on the poll, from 60-80 per cent of people thought that the president was lying to the grand jury. Are we really supposed to believe that Clinton's testimony was a great victory for the White House?

Meanwhile, the Monica-statement furor is ridiculous on its face. Starr doesn't quote the Monica statement, he paraphrases it. That's supposed to mean he smeared the president? Any honest reader of the Starr report must conclude-as Monica did-that the import of all the president's actions and words-even if he didn't actually say the word "lie"-was that Monica should stick to her cover story, even under oath.

The danger here is not that the fundamentals of the scandal have changed at all-they haven't. The president repeatedly lied under oath, and that's that. But politics operates a little like physics: when one side is up, the other starts to feel down. Now that Democrats are acting emboldened, Republicans are going to begin to act nervous. This will have long-term consequences only if Republicans give crucial ground to Democrats over negotiations on the parameters of an impeachment inquiry.

Dick Gephardt now wants to put a one-or-two month deadline on any inquiry, a move that would represent a disaster for the Republicans and anyone who wants to see justice done in this matter (just ask Fred Thompson). Henry Hyde, thankfully, is rejecting the idea. But it is going to take courage in the next few days for the GOP to withstand what is becoming another furious assault on Ken Starr and his methods.

The Dole Debacle
The Hill newspaper reports that the White House has approached Bob Dole about being a broker between it and Capitol Hill. As with so much Bob Dole has been involved in over the last 30 years, this would be a disaster for the Republican party--and the republic. The silver lining: if Dole were to undertake this mission it would spell the end of Elizabeth Dole's national political aspirations (just imagine her trying to explain it away to GOP primary voters).