By Eric E. Clingan
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 18, 1998

A left-wing conspiracy

Arizona Daily Wildcat Eric E. Clingan

Two weeks ago, the administration's standard bearer of idealistic tones once again sounded her trumpet of alarm. Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted on NBC's "Today" program that her husband's latest problem with Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr was the creation of "A vast, right-wing conspiracy!" It would be interesting to hear if the First Lady believes the membership rolls of that "vast, right-wing conspiracy" include David Barret and Donald C. Smaltz.

Mr. Barret is the Independent Counsel initially assigned to investigate and, now, to prosecute President Clinton's Secretary of Housing, Henry Cisneros. Cisneros was recently indicted for lying to FBI agents investigating his fitness for the position. It seems details surrounding an extra-marital affair and hush money paid to his mistress were somehow omitted from his FBI interviews, where one is expected to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Now, introducing Donald C. Smaltz. Mr. Smaltz is the Independent Counsel appointed by Clinton's own Justice Department who has indicted the President's former Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Espy. This second cabinet member to face criminal charges stands accused of taking favors from businesses regulated by his department. That's called bribery.

In fact, Clinton's cabinet that, also includes Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman and Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt. These two smarmy characters are also under investigation for selling access to the White House and accepting bribes, respectively. Babbitt's pending indictment should especially be of interest to Arizonans. It will mean

that the last three elected governors of this state will have faced criminal charges. "A vast, right-wing conspiracy"?

Further investigation produces Robert Reich, Clinton's first Secretary

of Labor. Reich escaped Washington just before revelations came to light that he perjured himself to Congress. In testimony given under oath, Reich swore that he never circulated memos throughout the Labor Department instructing non-partisan staff to gather political material against the Republican's "Contract with America." Those memos have since been recovered and published, making Reich yet another cabinet member unencumbered by a conscience.

Let's not forget Hazel O'Leary and Ron Brown. O'Leary is alleged to have used her term as Energy Secretary to sell access to herself to Johnnie Chung, a prominent fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee. Chung told NBC's Tom Brokaw that, in return for a $25,000 donation to her favorite charity, he received favorable consideration from O'Leary for his interests. Journalists like Brokaw didn't hold O'Leary in high esteem as she also sought to blacklist those reporters who were critical of her while uncovering her spendthrift management practices and unjustifiable, wasteful travel expenses.

Ron Brown, former Secretary of Commerce, died in the midst of yet another Independent Counsel investigation of allegations that he, too, sold access to DNC fund-raisers and accepted a $700,000 bribe from the Vietnamese government in return for favorable consideration of business contracts.

Perhaps Hillary knows something we don't. Perhaps when her friend, Craig

Livingstone, illegally collected over 800 FBI files on prominent Republicans, she discovered this sinister network she now decries.

"A vast, right-wing conspiracy"? Or has Bill Clinton offered this country a most unfortunate reflection of the results inherent when he practices leadership by example? Of every cabinet member he has appointed, all but two have either been under investigation pending indictment, presently indicted or criminally convicted.

They came to Washington, DC, in 1993. Joyfully, they rode the tide of a new idealism, promising to change the way business is done on the Potomac. Among other watery pontifications, President Clinton promised a cabinet that "looks like America." Six years later, that idealism has sunk, leaving the swampy riverside brown, dirty, and scummy. If his cabinet "looks like America," Bill Clinton sees his country as one made of greedy thieves, corrupt liars and political prostitutes.

Eric E. Clingan is a senior majoring in political science. His column, "The Provocateur," appears every Wednesday.