European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sex Cal Thomas the Clinton people could not have devised a More Brilliant plan for advancing their Domestic legislative and political Agenda than that provided by the accusations of Paula Corbin Jones. Jones who is making history by charging a president of the United states with sexual harassment and lewdness has managed to shift almost All attention discussion and debate from the presidents positions on such Ong term and vital subjects As Leith care taxes spending regulation and big government to questions about the physical characteristics of his private parts. A / conservatives have taken the bait. Many have left the Arena of ideas and policy to indulge themselves at the dirty Bookstore. Eighteen months after the # 1992 election they Are still grousing about being robbed and stating the obvious a a that Clinton fooled enough people with his a new democrats Lingo to get him elected. But they should realize that dwelling on the past and looking for the kind of easy outs that Paula Jones seems to offer threaten to add other losses in the future. Other elections Are coming this year and in 1996. A conservatives Are wasting valuable time amusing themselves by noting the obvious hypocrisy of feminists who believed Anita Hills testimony against Clarence Thomas but who disbelieve Paula Jones because of the political and religious company she keeps. Do they really believe this lawsuit is a better Way to bring Down Clinton than by targeting his unwise policies if that is their strategy they will fail and when they do Clinton will get a sympathetic Bounce in the polls. V v a. A conservatives should debate policy not foolishly pursue a fruitless journey through the Valley of prurient interests. A v a a. A a a \ a a a a there a something off putting about excessive glee. Conservatives Are enjoying themselves too much. At least with Anita Hill supporters positioned themselves so As to appear that they were concerned about an important Issue sexual harassment. That Hill was merely a tool to trash a decent Man and keep ideological control of the supreme court from shifting further to the right was buried in her supporters supposed High mindedness. With Paula Jones conservatives Are engaging in self stimulation Over details of Clinton a alleged behaviour in a Little Rock hotel room. A liberals feigned disgust Over Thomas alleged behaviour with Hill. Conservatives Wallow with Delight in every detail of Jones lawsuit. In the Battle for Public opinion this can be an important distinction. Conservatives Are too Public with their premature Celebration of Clinton a demise arid their telegraphed strategy of trying to destroy him with sucker punches. Instead they should be going toe to toe with him on his Agenda which is being implemented while conservatives fiddle. Republican National committee chairman Haley Barbour has the right idea. He told me a a we re staying out of the Paula Jones matter and letting it run its  conservatives should refocus on the fall elections. In 1978, they won enough seats in Congress to thwart president Carters legislative Agenda for his last two years in office and pave the Way for Ronald Reagan they should strive to do the same this year. Whatever becomes of Jones lawsuit she Isnit going to be serving in Congress voting for or against Clinton administration measures and supreme court nominees.,.a a a. / a a v a a a a a a a conservatives would do better to return to the Arena and Start mixing it up with Superior ideas about issues that will affect us for decades to come. Give them Points for having stayed with this sexual Issue until it cracked through the big Media a Glass censorship ceiling. But now the Jones Case has a life of its own and conservatives will do themselves no More Good and can possibly damage their cause by too avidly prolonging their association with this kind of indecent Politi Lafex pos Urc. The Jones Case is better left to the talk shows the tabloids and the courts. C los angles time Paula Jones does t deserve a honk his briefcase from one hand to the a How come your women a groups the defense of Paula my neighbor approaches me with what i have come to recognize As his a a gotcha smile. A Well a he drawls swing other Arentt Rushing to Jones a. Now How exactly women a groups became a a mine in his mind is a Story for another Day. But the Point that he wants to stick to me has become a Needle in the conservative Arsenal. Any number of people Are asking with the same slight Smirk about those of us who wore a honk if you believe Anita stickers on our car bumpers. How come we Haven to made a beep since Paula Jones officially filed suit against president Clinton for sexual harassment does no to this prove that we a that a we for a. Feminists b. Democrats c. Hill supporters d. All of the above a Are guilty of maintaining a double Standard for Bill and Clarence this accusation of a double Standard comes largely from the very people who regarded Anita Hill As a dastardly liar but find Paula Jones a pure truth seeker. It also comes from Bob pack Wood the senator who said this month a the thing that intrigues me most is the Way the women a groups look for a Way to absolutely excoriate me and look for some Way to attempt to exonerate the  i have no doubt that double let alone triple and quadruple standards exist. We Are All More Likely to believe the worst about people we already believe the very bad about. We weigh the importance of accusations against what we like and dislike. If you doubt that compare the recent assessments of Richard Nixon by his political friends Ana foes. As for sexual harassment it was easier for the opponents of Clarence Thomas to Welcome Anita Hill. Its easier for the people who wish Clinton ill to wish Paula Jones Well. Just for the a record however it was not easy for worn ends rights activists to turn on Packwood until he made it easy. But the Assumption behind my neighbors Needle is that those who stand for women Are always supposed to stand with women. That those who oppose sexual harassment Are required by the canons of sisterhood to believe any woman Ellen Goodman who charges sexual harassment. Not exactly. You done to have to Check your scepticism at the door of feminism anymore than you have to Check your Bra. You done to Nave to Trade in objectivity for Faith. Nor do you have to give up the ability to distinguish Between True and false right and wrong just because they Cross gender lines if there is a party line in the women a movement it looks like the old Telephone party lines with everyone talking at once. Two and a half years after Anita Hill made a sexual harassment household words Many of us Are still defining and refining it. Case by Case. In my own Small line of vision i have seen one abusive Man finally get his just deserts. But i have also seen one Man whose jokes deserve an occasional groan get slapped with a suit. In the Post Hill atmosphere it has finally belatedly become possible for victims of sexual harassment to speak up and be believed. But taking the charge seriously does no to mean taking every accuser seriously. Not every woman is a victim and not every pass is a Federal offence. As for president Clinton and Jones i done to have a clue what if anything happened in a Little Rock hotel room where she alleges now that her civil rights were violated. I know if Bill were just another Joe she would have trouble getting a lawyer. It is not Clear if even her version fits the charges of harassment or a intentional infliction of emotional  but there a probably enough Here to get to trial. So emerges the Specter of a True spectacle featuring a woman being asked to describe what she meant by a distinguishing characteristics in Clinton a genital area a Hail to the chief. You done to need a double Standard to find this an appalling Prospect. Nor do you give up your membership in the a a movement because you have doubts about Paula. Her original coming out party at a conservative press conference her earlier attempt to Trade Money for silence not to mention mixed reports from her family about her motives a done to make for a perfect profile. A was a society a Anita Hill said recently a we have to decide Are we serious enough about these kinds of behaviour to contemplate the fact that sometimes we re not going to like the outcome of the cases a pair enough. But honk if you believe in Paula for the moment keep both hands on the wheel. C Boston Globe