Well, Frank. I have a feeling that this issue is not going to go away and with the unprecidented meanspirited partisanship of the currebt batch of Repubs., that the Dems are going to take off the gloves in '04 and make some of these character issues campaign issues. Yeah, Gore wasn't up to exploiting Bush's many character flaws (dishonesty, alcoholism, womanizing, cocaine, etc.) and look what it got them. No, it seems that if the Dems are gonna win back the White House then these issues will have to be *carefully* played. Especially if Clark is on the ticket, wyhcih I have a felling he will be. He can take Bush on on this issue.
But as a sidebar, let me get back to the "carefull" playing of these issues. The Repubs have done two things very well. First, they have instilled anti-governemnt feelings in way too many of the voters. All they gotta say is, "Do you want "Big Governemnt" in your pocket? Heck no, you don't! Vote for me!" The they go about fleecing the tax pay payer worse many time than the Dems would have done.
Secondly, they have also instilled in many voters that personal attacks are off limit. They had to do this after personally attaqcking Bill Clinton on a daily basis for the entire 8 years that Clinton was president. But they have achieved this abnd will be quick to lean on their buddies in the media to run stories on the news about the Dems using personal attacks and lots of folks will be turned off to the Dems... Meanwhile, the Repubs will run ads that say, "Congessman X is a baby killer! Call Congressman X and tell him that America isn't about killing babies...". Now will the media report that as being an attack ad? Heck no, they won't... But you'll be hearing more "Call Congressman X" attack ads in '04 run by Repubs than ever... And then they will squeel like stick pigs if they percieve their guy's lack of integrity being called into question. That's why it's going to have to be done with utmost care and by Wesley Clark...