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*1998 began with reports of the President allegedly having sex with a Whitehouse intern, Monica Lewinsky.
Going before the national ( international? ) television cameras, he made an emotional and pointed denial. Though few believed Bill Clinton at the time, it took 9 months for the President to come clean ( sort of ), in a vicious attack " apology ".
*1998 was also the year Bill Clinton declared, " war on terrorism ".
The problem with this, is it was just as phoney as the " Sitzkrieg " in pre-World War II Europe. Clinton's Neville Chamberlain like appeasement of rouge nations and terrorist organisations probably will lead to big conflicts in the future. These will most likely happen in the Mideast and Asia ( Palestine, Iraq, North Korea and Red China ). He coddled Arafat and the PLO, along with it's Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad buddies. He actually cut the ribbon opening ' Terrorist International Airport ' in Gaza City. He bombed UNSCOM out of Iraq, thus putting an end to on the ground based weapons inspections ( now you see 'em and now you don't ). He bribed North Korea by sending them nuclear reactors ( boom, boom, boom ). He sold out to Red China for DNC campaign dollars, and gave them the missile technology needed for their ICBMs to accurately hit targets in the United States ( clear out the bomb shelter, Martha ).
*Sadly, 1998 became the year that the Department of Justice became a political arm of the Whitehouse.
The Whitehouse under Bill Clinton became a clearinghouse for laundering DNC campaign contibutions from dubious sources. This Whitehouse also appropriated approximately 1,000 FBI files on it's reported enemies. While, as of this date, no one has been adjudicated responsible for this commandeering of DOJ and FBI materials, the fact is the files were found in the Whitehouse illegally. It becomes even more disturbing, when the Clinton appointed Attorney General, Janet Reno, refuses to appoint an independant council to investigate the campaign finance abuses of the Clinton Whitehouse. She goes further, by opening preliminary investigation after preliminary investigation, in what seems to be obvoius to all, as a stone walling action to aid her benefactor!
*1998 heralded the arrival, in earnest, of the 24 hour news cycle.
The lying antics of Bill Clinton in January ( wag this ), really fueled the fledgling 24 hour cable television news cycle. The left wing CNN cable news monopoly was challenged by Fox and NBC, in supplying the nation's growing appetite for every detail of the sex based scandal. As of December 1998, these networks were giving the populace it's constant daily fix: CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and FNC. Taking advantage of this new found watershed of propaganda opportunities, the Whitehouse enlarged it's media efforts at mind control.
*1998 saw two Speakers of The House resign.
Speaker Newt Gingrich and speaker-elect Bob Livingston both resigned their posts and pledged to retire in 1999.
*1998 ended with the House of Representitives impeaching the President.
The House of Representitives voted 2 out of 4 articles of impeachment on Bill Clinton for trial in the Senate, including perjury before the Grand Jury and obstruction of justice. 5 Democrats out of 200 plus, joined with all but a few Republicans in voting to send these charges to the Senate.
1998 was not a good year for our Constitutional Republic. The President impeached, DOJ politicized, the people of the nation polarized and the world terrorized!
My favorite opinion articles of the year from " Bongos Fallout Shelter " were:
Duck and cover... Different is Evil? ( 10-28-98 ) .
Is it really safe in here? What's in a Letter? ( 7-2-98 ) .
Nuclear Reactions? The Fix is In ( 10-23-98 ) .
On the lighter side, The Iraqi Wheel of Misfortune. ( 11-18-98 ) and Ho Ho Ho ( 12-21-98 ) were great!
- Bongo ( In Major League Baseball, Mark McGwire hit a record 70 homeruns, but the National Basketball Association struck out! )
Updated ( 12-30-99 )
(c)1998 Bongo.