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THE Left has vilified Ken Starr as, among other things, “slimy,” “sex-crazed,” an “ideological zealot,” a “modern-day Joe McCarthy.” The President’s attack dog James Carville has declared “war” on him, apparently with President Clinton’s approval. Conservatives have been defending him through it all. Should they? Six months after the Monica Lewinsky story broke, those of us who defend Starr—and, in my case, know and like him—need to take an objective look at his performance.

Without question, Starr has an enormous task. Past independent counsels have primarily focused on one investigation. Yet Janet Reno and the three-judge special division have assigned Starr’s office at least five separate probes— Whitewater, the Travel Office firings, the events surrounding Vincent Foster’s death, the misuse of FBI files, and the Monica Lewinsky matter. Starr has had to manage two different offices, one in Washington and one in Little Rock. Moreover, no independent counsel has dealt with anything like this Administration’s brazen stonewalling or personal attacks. Starr has also been hampered by concurrent House and Senate probes, which required Starr’s prosecutors to expend precious time and resources fending off congressional investigators.

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Daniel E. Troy

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THE Left has vilified Ken Starr as, among other things, “slimy,” “sex-crazed,” an “ideological zealot,” a “modern-day Joe McCarthy.” The President’s attack dog James Carville has declared “war” on him, apparently with President Clinton’s approval. Conservatives have been defending him through it all. Should they? Six months after the Monica Lewinsky story broke, those of us who defend Starr—and, in my case, know and like him—need to take an objective look at his performance.

Without question, Starr has an enormous task. Past independent counsels have primarily focused on one investigation. Yet Janet Reno and the three-judge special division have assigned Starr’s office at least five separate probes— Whitewater, the Travel Office firings, the events surrounding Vincent Foster’s death, the misuse of FBI files, and the Monica Lewinsky matter. Starr has had to manage two different offices, one in Washington and one in Little Rock. Moreover, no independent counsel has dealt with anything like this Administration’s brazen stonewalling or personal attacks. Starr has also been hampered by concurrent House and Senate probes, which required Starr’s prosecutors to expend precious time and resources fending off congressional investigators.