CORRESPONDENCE

...This was followed by a defensive claim that Bill and Monica's actions were merely private matters...

...Abrams's arguments are also unfortunate in the cavalier manner in which he dismisses Sen...

...Clinton's inappropriately asking Paula Jones, a state employee, for oral sex...

...Finding a job where honor is an essential element may require flight beyond the Beltway, because what we see Clinton's aides exhibiting may not even be blind loyalty, but an open-eyed, partial implementing of Hillel's "If I am not for myself, who will be...

...Executive Editor Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Little Rock, AR Jay Nordlinger responds: Gene Lyons has earned a national reputation as a Democrat-Gazette columnist...

...Far from a device to gut future sanctions, the Sanctions Reform Act will provide for a more deliberative and disciplined approach to U.S...

...And if that weren't enough, the president then asks trusted advisers, his secretary, and other White House subordinates to vouch for his character, cover up traces of his indiscretions, and worst of all, defame those who have tried to disclose his egregious actions...

...Frank D. Kittredge Vice Chairman USA*Engage Washington, DC Elliott Abrams responds: Right now USA*Engage is promoting a trade mission to Cuba and does not support sanctions even in the case of the infamous SLORC in Myanmar...

...Invoking their names is not a policy argument...

...but which of these would Kittredge really back when push came to shove...

...Recall that the only point of Clinton's original agenda that he has not accommodated to Republicans is his adamant advocacy of abortion and that unlimited abortion is intimately linked with the sexual revolution—in fact, it is practically required by it...

...foreign policy—is thoughtless and untrue, as well as insulting to these two respected leaders...

...It goes without saying that a society genuinely devoted to freedom and fairness cannot function under such a system...

...Their legislation puts a thousand procedural roadblocks in the way of imposing any sanctions...

...He speaks for himself, not for us...

...Shouldn't we at least ask ourselves whether a new sanction will create a backlash against our national-security, foreign-policy, and humanitarian goals...

...To Go or Not to Go Your call for the president's resignation is remarkably reserved ("Clinton Must Go," Aug...

...The common root of his advocacy of abortion and his "private" sexual conduct is now clear and may, alas, also suggest why the public is reluctant to disapprove of his actions...

...Aug...

...When he states that "the explicit goal of the several hundred business and trade associations that make up USA*Engage is to end the use of sanctions as a tool of U.S...

...The newspaper's eagerness to distance itself from this particular star is both understandable and touching...

...William Peter Mahrt Stanford, CA Eyes on Sanctions Elliott Abrams misrepresents the position of USA*Engage and the business community ("Words or War," July 27...

...Edward J. Fischer Jersey City, NJ Lyons and Tigers and Spin Jay Nordlinger's article effectively highlights how Clinton loyalists such as Eleanor Clift, Geraldo Rivera, and Gene Lyons are serving as conduits of deception when it comes to the improper, and potentially criminal, behavior of our president ("Après le Speech," Aug...

...sanctions policy...

...All these questions—as well as consideration of effective alternatives—are too often overlooked...

...The truth is, we are not aware of any written document, testimony, press release, advertisement, or comment issued by USA*Engage or its representatives that states anything about putting an end to the use of sanctions...

...Proponents of a sanctions-based foreign policy need to face the fact that unilateral sanctions are usually ineffective because there are multiple sources and markets to which a nation can turn to meet its needs...

...What's wrong with knowing the economic costs to American industry and agriculture, including any long-term damage to America's reputation as a reliable supplier—before we impose a sanction...

...If we do, we set a dangerous precedent...

...I just disagreed with them...

...Lee Hamilton...

...Correspondence Of Resignation and Loyalty Perhaps you have supplied the answer to your own question about the honor of some, if not all, of the workers in this White House ("Where Are the Resignations...

...Unfortunately, Abrams conveniently overlooks these arguments and many others in his broad-brush defense of sanctions...

...This makes the notion that all the organization wants is "eyes open, informed decisions" rather hard to credit...

...Whether impeachment is appropriate remains to be seen...

...If they hang on, they could last far beyond his sooner-or-later departure, as countless other underlings have done in other corrupt, dishonorable political administrations...

...Andrew Ackerman Bowling Green, OH Contrary to Jay Nordlinger's statement, Gene Lyons is not an "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writer" nor has he ever been an employee of our newspaper in any capacity...

...The president's is not a private matter...

...objectives...

...I did not treat Lugar and Hamilton "cavalierly" or dismiss them, nor did I imply that they are less than honorable men...

...This is a simplistic view that overlooks the array of diplomatic, political, economic, cultural, and military tools that U.S...

...Rather, it establishes a process to ensure that policymakers implement any new sanctions with their eyes wide open...

...This suggests why Clinton was so defensive: His words and actions represent a consistent endorsement of the sexual revolution, which separates sexual activity from the purposes of marriage and erodes societal support for marriage...

...If he chooses not to, then he must be formally punished...

...Clinton may ride out the next two years and his aides may be loath to surrender a White House working address, its varied perks, their salaries, and their pensions...

...Economic tools include sanctions and other forms of trade and financial pressure (i.e., the elements of economic warfare), all of which I favor...

...To the extent that its internal memos have surfaced in the press, they are not full of thoughtful cost-benefit analyses of proposed sanctions...

...You have adequately questioned the legality of this claim, since this behavior has an effect on the country's business...

...He is almost always identified in the rest of the media as such...

...But we have always stressed that there are other ways to achieve our foreign-policy goals instead of relying so heavily on ineffective and counterproductive unilateral sanctions...

...foreign policy," he is simply incorrect...

...policymakers have to implement foreign policy...

...After all, his mea culpa was not a heartfelt confession, but a political necessity, forced by the revelation of the spotted dress...

...We have gone to great lengths to point out that, yes, sometimes sanctions are necessary—and that national security should always be the paramount concern...

...Even more troubling is the claim that "the elimination of economic sanctions would leave our government facing its adversaries with just two alternatives: words and war...

...Eyes open, informed decisions...

...Griffin Smith jr...

...He then goes on to say the other options are "diplomatic, political, economic, cultural, and military tools...

...We lay the groundwork for a political system where public officials, especially popular ones, are free to mistreat public employees and then cover up their abuses without facing due consequences...

...they are instead tactical guides to how to kill off sanctions against even the most gruesome human-rights violators...

...It proceeds into his presidency where he gropes Kathleen Wil-ley, a White House volunteer, after she asks for a promotion...

...The Lugar-Hamilton legislation is not intended to prevent future use of unilateral or multilateral sanctions, nor will it end present-day sanctions...

...But from a broader, ethical point of view, adultery itself is not merely a private matter, since it is a violation of a marriage, and marriage is a public covenant between two individuals, not only for the protection of the individuals and their children, but also for the good of society...

...That's all we ask...

...Once a week we carry an opinion column by Lyons because we believe some of our readers are interested in his views...

...Kittredge says that I was "simplistic" in holding that the alternatives are words and war if we abandon economic sanctions...

...To imply that these leaders are only doing the bidding of the business lobby—to the detriment of U.S...

...The visible trail of victims starts with Gov...

...After all, shouldn't policymakers want to know up-front if a proposed sanction is likely to be effective in achieving U.S...

...Military tools are precisely what I meant in the shorthand phrase "war...

...If he wishes to criticize us for our official position—which is to encourage the United States to seek alternatives to unilateral sanctions—let's debate the issue...

...Gene Lyons is a self-employed freelance author who lives in Little Rock...

...These are two of the most thoughtful and highly regarded members of Congress, both of whom are widely recognized as experts on foreign-policy issues...

...Political and diplomatic pressures are fine, but how effective will they be if not backed by the clear prospect of economic or military moves...

...As for "cultural" pressure and the likelihood that it will change the behavior of the savage rulers of places like Myanmar, Iraq, and Cuba, well, Ill stick with sanctions...

...Moreover, casting off any discussion of the Sanctions Reform Act with a flip comment about how future sanctions would be "gutted" misses the point...

...Nevertheless, we as Americans cannot ignore his actions...

...The legislation is an attempt to provide a common-sense approach to a process that has all too often been driven by short-term considerations and partisan politics...

...To disregard the benefits of engagement in favor of attempts at isolation also ignores the realities of today's global economy...

...It is unacceptable public behavior by an elected official who habitually mistreats subordinates...

...From there, the president shamefully exploits Monica Lewinsky, an intern, both emotionally and sexually...

...History has shown that cutting America out of the equation is usually not effective in influencing behavior...

...But worse, his admission that "legally accurate" language had deceived the public was immediately followed by legally accurate language denying other wrongdoing...

...We cannot stick our heads in the sand like Clift and Rivera...

...As such, the noble thing for the president to do is resign...

...If, however, we go into the situation having analyzed both the costs and potential gains of a proposed sanction, and we decide that sanctions are the right thing to do despite the costs—so be it...

...Richard Lugar and the legislation he has cosponsored with Rep...

...It also reveals that these pundits are recklessly ignoring the heart of the Lewinsky scandal, which lies in Bill Clinton's pattern of abusive treatment of government employees...

...He sells his work to many publications, including ours...