I don't think I could stomach a paragon of virtue in high office. The remark about flawed individuals still managing to be good presidents resonates for me.

I like Bill and Hillary, but critics need to remember that the nation was subjected to a concerted smear campaign against the Clintons by an old Arkansas rival for the entire time they were in the White House. I don't remember his name--he kept it mostly out of the Whitewater stories. He's the guy who dug up Paula Jones at the eleventh hour within the statute of limitations on her possible complaint, and financed her court case. He's the one who dug out the Monica stuff. I don't want to know about Monica, I don't care about Monica.

As people cover their own indiscretions, there's a heckuva lot of dog-wagging going on out there, not just with international crises, but trashing of other people's reputations. It's all pretty hopeless looking from here.

SRS