Wednesday, July 31, 2002 Legal Opinion Sought     In an act of chutzpah worthy of them, William J. and Hillary R. Clinton are seeking reimbursement for their Whitewater legal fees -- because there was no indictment.  I will consider being the plaintiff in a civil suit against the Clintons should they be successful.  My standing to bring such suit, I believe, is that I'm a taxpayer and will be monetarily injured by the payment, and  will suffer severe emotional distress if  these two crooks get away with it.  I argue that there was, and is, sufficient proof (which I am prepared to produce) to have warranted an indictment -- especially in Hillary's case (Castle Grande, perjury, obstruction, etc.), and that no indictment was forthcoming because of political considerations by Kenneth Starr.     My question: on the face of it, can I succeed? UPDATE: A federal court ultimately denied payment.

As this onslaght shows, there is a public good done by bringing bad people to trial, even if they're let off by a California jury.  O.J. Simpson similarly escaped, but only the gas chamber.  Because we got to look at the evidence, the testimony, and the quality of the defense,  and despite what the ignorant women on his jury "felt," he is forever judged guilty by public opinion, and will die alone in ignominy.

Ken Starr's failing, and it was a doozy, was to ignore the impassioned pleas by many on his staff  to take Bill and Hillary to trail for Whitewater, and other crimes.  In the end Starr felt that he could not win convictions, and I agree that's probably true, but had we been allowed to read the trial transcripts of these two bandits from Arkansas, Hillary and Bill would spend the rest of their days riding around in O.J. Simpson's golf cart.

That's what I think.