European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Americans fascination with the private fives of Public figures now focuses on Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton and Gennifer Flowers of Little Rock Ark. Scandal when does enough become too much by Jill Lawrence associated press the latest sexually charged spectacle is unfolding with weary familiarity he says one thing she says another and in the end there May never be a tidy Resolution. Just Relief that its behind us. Bui that s looking ahead to judgment Day in new Hampshire and then the South a where Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton will discover whether his presidential ambitions can survive marital problems he says Are in the past and the tabloid claims of Gennifer Flowers a Little Rock woman who says they had a 12-year affair Quot thai allegation is false Quot Clinton said flatly on National television Quot he is absolutely lying Quot said Flowers flatly also on National television. And we re in real trouble says Suzanne garment author of scandal the culture of mistrust in american politics Quot we re dealing with facts whose truth we cannot know we re creating a poisonous atmosphere we re engaging in incredible hypocrisy. And we re really skewing the political  Todd Gitlin a sociologist at the University of California Berkeley said Quot candidates should not be put in a position of having to choose Between humiliation and deceit Quot he blamed the Media for asking such questions we have been Here before in the abyss Between two diametrically opposed assertions one on each Side of the sexual Divide there was Anita Hill s self assured allegations of sexual readers action Lin help on the horizon for isolated Ghedi a it a Quot Force regulation 39-11 up 59 Para 3-28 describes the procedures for being selected for an assignment to and from a conus Continental United states isolated station and goes on to describe the criteria Lor determining what locations Are considered isolated i would like to know what my family members Are doing Here with me at Ghedi a Italy Tor three years if we Are 81 Miles from the nearest military medical facility commissary open mess with any Type of toed service Mam Exchange recreation facilities to include any Type of Hobby shop or programs military banking facility that i can open an account at or apply for a loan Chapel sunday school for my children and the list goes on the regulation says that 50 Miles is the guideline the air Force uses it states that overseas returnees will not involuntarily be assigned to one. It states 24 months is the Standard tour length and nothing of an extended Lour of three years if i were stationed in the United states following my last assignment in Japan instead of being stationed Here m Italy. I would not be eligible for a conus isolated assignment yet Safe has my family at an overseas isolated station that according to afr harassment against Clarence Thomas and his outraged Point Blank denials. There was Patricia Bowman s tearful account of the night she says she was raped by William Kennedy Smith and his grave refutation. The Senate gave Thomas the Benefit of the doubt and sent him to the supreme court. The jury found for Smith and sent him on to resume his medical career. The democratic voters of new Hampshire will deliver a preliminary verdict on Clinton on feb 18 in their Lead off presidential primary. Initially they faced the dilemma of How to treat Clinton s acknowledgement that he a committed Quot wrongdoing Quot and caused his wife pain. Now they must also determine whether he a leveling about what did or did not occur with Flowers the part time cabaret Singer who sold her Story to a supermarket tabloid. With polls showing Many americans have had extramarital dalliances Quot adultery is not nearly As serious a problem As credibility Quot says Veteran democratic analyst Ann Lewis. The question is will we Ever know enough to make a reasonable judgment is the governor telling the truth when he denies any sexual relationship with Flowers what about Flowers a can we Trust someone who took Money from a gossip Sheet and apparently lied on her resume Quot we have to assess credibility All the time and people do it reasonably Well Quot says Benjamin Page a Public opinion specialist at Northwestern University. Quot but the Tricky thing is they have to be exposed to enough information so they can really do  that s not Likely to be a problem in the Clinton Flowers 39-11, does not even exist my children go to school 41 Miles away my mail is being withheld As it is delivered just three Days a week it costs $20 in Gas and tolls just to go to the commissary but my cola is the same As if i was stationed at Aviano a could you Imd out what my family is doing Here and then advise me As to How i can tight my Way out of this assignment ? master sgt. Thomas a. Mastroddi Ghedi a Italy it. Col. William b. Horne director of assignments he Safe replies a there Are insufficient students to establish a Dodds school at Ghedi so most students experience a 70-minute bus ride to Verona As the Only education alternative there is a Lack of family oriented mar programs and facilities like those which exist at other installations Check cashing services Are on occasion limited by the availability of dollars and so on at the same time our information suggests that at All Levels Here at he Safe at 16th air Force Torrejon and at Aviano. People Are working hard to provide the Best possible support under the circumstances for example chaplains Are required 1o make quarterly visits but do so More frequently. The cola rate for Ghedi is $7 06 per Day higher than Aviano which can offset much Case Given the glut of graphic information flooding an electorate at once puritanical and fascinated with its leaders sex lives. Garment attributes the current focus to a fateful convergence in the late 1960s. She said that a when personal morals until then the preoccupation of conservatives became a cause of the women s movement As Well. Some feminist writers looked at sex and saw a potential tool of oppression of rape and assault and harassment. Thus Quot the personal had to become the political Quot garment said. Quot the private had to become Public. Character had to be viewed As something unified. The Man who will lie to his wife will lie to his country Quot that s not necessarily True of course and the pendulum swing to fullest disclosure May yet swing Back to an earlier time when there was a zone of privacy around Public figures. That time can to come too soon for Gitlin. Gitlin said Clinton is in an impossible situation. But Page said he May yet Salvage something from it Quot there Are character issues that have to do with things other than truth telling a Page said Quot one of the major ones is the personal strength that people show when they re being accused of something. And at least in a preliminary Way it seems like Clinton is pretty Tough and  the Tumuli Over Clinton May be a net negative for society he said but Quot it s not at All Clear to me what can be done about it except for Ordinary voters to make up their minds about what a important and what a not Quot of the inconvenience of travelling to Aviano to do commissary and Exchange shopping. Perhaps of greatest importance to master sgt. Mastroddi the air Force military personnel Center afm pc is considering a 16th air Force initiative to discontinue extended Long Tours at Ghedi because of the limitations he mentions. If approved accompanied Tours would be 24 months and unaccompanied. 18 months. Extended Long tour volunteers already assigned would have their Tours prorated if they desire. Master sgt. Mastroddi would qualify Tor a tour proration and should stay m close Contact with his local personnel folks pending the afm pc decision to write us readers action line is the readers court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues Tor answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 16 b the stars and stripes Friday january 31, 1992