BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Three days after the release of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's report, hundreds of calls, faxes and e-mails poured into the offices of the Tristate congressional delegation Monday.
Not in years, many offices said, had an issue generated such a strong response.
John Townsend, press aide to Rep. Scotty Baesler, D-Lexington, and U.S. Senate candidate, likened it to the gays in the military issue in 1993.
"It ranks up there with other hot button issues, such as abortion," added Jack Sparks, press secretary to Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio. While national polls showed the president's job approval ratings holding steady and most people not thinking he should resign or be impeached, the input on the telephone to area congressional offices was another story.
Even among some Tristate Democrats that was the case.
Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Nashville, Ind., said that up until Friday his calls were running about evenly for and against the president. Over the weekend that changed to 3-to-1 against him, Mr. Hamilton said.
At the offices of Sen. Glenn, the calls were running 2-to-1 in favor of resignation or impeachment, Mr. Sparks said.
In an incident typical of the widespread response to the
Starr report, Rep. Rob Portman said Delta employees at the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport approached him and wanted to talk about Clinton and the need for Clinton's resignation. "The response I'm getting from people is not consistent with the polling data I am seeing nationally," said Mr. Portman, R-Terrace Park.
Reps. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, and John Boehner, R-West Chester, also reported a flood of calls.
As of about 6 p.m. Monday, Mr. Chabot reported, his calls were running 331-8 in favor of impeachment or resignation.
"That's pretty consistent with what people were saying to me over the weekend at the festivals and parades when I was meeting a lot of people," Mr. Chabot said.
Mr. Boehner's office said their calls were running 97 percent against the president.
"The prevailing sentiment is that the president should not remain in office," said Boehner aide Dave Schnittger.
Area members who read the report over the weekend found it disturbing. "I, like most Americans, am shocked and dismayed by its contents," Mr. Hamilton said.
While refusing to speculate on impeachment or resignation, Mr. Hamilton said the document represents "a very strong case of presidential misconduct."
