BY LISA DONOVAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
In this day of analyzing everything from fat content of a meal to relationships, it should come as no surprise that every word of President Clinton's four-minute, nationally televised admission of an improper relationship is being dissected.
A Tristate marriage counselor said Mr. Clinton's "coming clean" was healthy, while one political pundit was quick to point out what the president didn't say: "I'm sorry."
"I don't think he ever said he was sorry or apologized," said Timothy J. White, an associate professor of political science at Xavier University.
Instead, Mr. Clinton said he accepted responsibility for his actions.
"That came as an acceptable apology to his supporters," Mr. White said. "I think the comments he made last night will probably appease his supporters, not satisfy his opponents and go some ways in gaining some forgiveness from the Americans who have fallen between his hard core opponents and supporters."
Mr. White was one of several interviewed by the Enquirer last week before President Clinton testified before a grand jury on Monday and subsequently went on television to say he had had a relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
For many, Mr. Clinton's admissions did nothing to shift their views.
Wally Miller, youth pastor at Friendship Baptist Church in Groesbeck, said marital fidelity -- or lack thereof -- remains a fundamental issue.
"In this case, the issue is expanded . . . now that he has lied to us, how can we trust or believe him on other levels?
"If he's not faithful to his marriage commitment, how can we trust him to say he hasn't perjured himself?"
Joseph Tomain, dean of the University of Cincinnati's College of Law, called President Clinton's televised speech and related events "surreal."
"On the one hand it is an incredibly stupid thing to do and on the other, it is an incredibly private thing, and the fact that it may be the undoing of a president is beyond me."
Mr. Tomain questioned whether Mr. Clinton should have shifted his focus from his own culpability in his relationship with Ms. Lewinsky to questioning the motives of independent counsel Kenneth Starr.
"I can understand his antagonism toward Ken Starr, but I wonder if that couldn't have been expressed at a different place and time." Tristate marriage counselor Al Ebert said he viewed it as an unnecessary detour that weakened the president's apology.
"He did the right thing -- it might have been stronger and healthier if he just flat out apologized and said he made a mistake and said he was going to take steps to avoid it again," said Mr. Ebert, director of Cincinnati Counseling Service.
