President Clinton still has remarkably high approval ratings, in spite of the sex scandal whirling around him. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, why most Americans are willing to overlook Mr. Clinton's personal flaws, while the media are not. Also, the making of a great President -- Abraham Lincoln.
Jay Rosen teaches journalism at New York University. He talks with Steve Paulson about the distinction most Americans make between President Clinton's job performance and his sex life, between his "public" and "private" character. David Frum, a contributing editor to The Weekly Standard, tells Judith Strasser that the real problem is not Clinton's behavior, but the attempts to cover-up that behavior.SEGMENT 2:
Douglas Wilson, Director of Monticello's International Center for Jefferson Studies, talks with Jim Fleming about Abraham Lincoln and the difficulty of separating the man from the myth. Wilson is the author of Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln.SEGMENT 3:
Gore Vidal's novels are full of American History. The new one - The Smithsonian Institution - features cameos by Lincoln, Washington and other presidents. In his inimitable style (i.e. outrageous but entertaining), Vidal tells Steve Paulson that the Monica Lewinsky affair is great comedy and that Clinton is a lousy president because America's real rulers won't let him be anything else.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 98-03-22-A.
flemingj@vilas.uwex.edu
Page Design and Management by Jim Fleming at Wisconsin Public Radio.
© Copyright 1998 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.