A Tale of Two Scandals

(Cross-posted at Unclaimed Territory)

Compare these two headlines.

March 15, 2006: Democrats Beat Quick Retreat on Call to Censure President

March 15, 1994: Open Season on Clinton's Veracity: What the Whitewater Fuss Is About

Here's an excerpt from the 1994 article:

Q. Is President Bill Clinton in trouble?

A. Politically, he is in big trouble. A growing
number of Americans think he did something
wrong or illegal in the so-called Whitewater
affair, but they're not sure what. Republicans
are maintaining a drumbeat of criticism and
demanding hearings in Congress. Journalists
are scratching for every shred of new material.
In short, it is open season on Bill Clinton's
veracity, even though critics can only
speculate on what he might have done. If the
storm does not abate, Democrats may be hurt
in the November congressional elections.

The article also notes that:

No evidence has yet emerged of unlawful acts
by the president or his wife, Hillary.

So, as of March 1994, no one seemed to understand what Whitewater was about and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing on the Clintons' part. Nevertheless, the Republican minority in Congress had created such a ruckus over the issue that the Clinton administration, under pressure, had appointed a special counsel to investigate (in January 1994). A few months later, Republican pressure led the Banking Committees of both the House and Senate to launch investigations into Whitewater. And, in case you're wondering, throughout this entire period the president's approval rating was never lower than 50%.

Well, the rest is history. The Republicans badly miscalculated. Their accusations of presidential wrongdoing made them appear "extreme" and alienated swing voters. The GOP was thoroughly crushed in the 1994 midterm election and has never been heard from since.

Oh wait, you mean that's not what happened?

Seriously, though, let's compare the situation in 1994 to the one the Democrats face today:

• Unlike Whitewater--which involved financial dealings that took place long before Clinton took office--the NSA scandal involves activity that occurred while President Bush was in office (indeed it's ongoing).
• Unlike Whitewater, the NSA scandal is easy to understand. Whitewater was so convoluted that even the press didn't understand it.
• Unlike Whitewater--where there was never any evidence of wrongdoing on Clinton's part--President Bush has admitted to authorizing the exact type of surveillance that FISA explicitly criminalizes.
• Unlike Whitewater, polls indicate that a majority of Americans disapprove of what the president is doing, and without any real effort by the Democrats to educate the public. Polls during the Whitewater affair were driven solely by unified Republican criticism; no one even understand Whitewater well enough to form an opinion on their own. If Democrats were to "beat the drum" on this issue, as Republicans did in 1994, the poll numbers would only improve.
• And, finally, unlike Whitewater, Democrats are faced with a president whose approval rating is only 33% according to the latest Pew poll. That's a full 17 points lower than Clinton's approval rating at this point in 1994 (and his approval rating was still in the mid to upper 40s at the time of the November 1994 midterm election).

Despite all this, Democratic strategists continue to worry about calling any attention to the President's illegal activities. They worry that supporting Feingold's resolution will unify Republicans and cause them to rally around the President. As if Republicans running for re-election are eager to associate themselves with a guy who's polling at 33%. And if they do, good. Let them tie themselves to that sinking ship. Proximity to Bush can only damage them at this point.

I'm sympathetic to the fact that many Democrats were apparently caught off guard by Feingold's announcement. But that bell cannot be un-rung at this point. The issue is out there, and it has to be addressed. The Democrats can either jump on board and find their collective voice on an issue of unparalleled importance, or they can succumb to irrational fear and play into every negative stereotype about their party. The choice is simple.