Leaders assess Clinton future

An editorial on page 12 addresses this issue and gives this newspaper's opinion. Here are the responses of the leaders:

* Sister Margaret Straney, president of the Sisters of Mercy: "I think it will be very difficult, not so much retaining authority but retaining the respect of the American people. I think the man has to prove in fact that he is concerned and understands that he has diminished his responsibility and ability to lead.

"At some point, we have to change the requirements for president to a value-oriented life or say that their personal life has no place [in the public arena]. I think they should have stayed out [of his personal life]. I don't think now is the time in the country's history to change presidents."

* Rev. Geoffrey Burke, diocesan chancellor for personnel and public information: "I think in light of the allegations and what [Clinton] has admitted to, it would be in the best interest for him to step down, because he has lost credibility with those who work with him and it would be difficult to overcome that."

When someone is in such a situation, "whether what was done is impeachable or not, because of our own personal actions, we forfeit our rights, and we need to be accountable as well. He has to think for the well-being of those with whom he works, those accountable to him and the entire country. He has to look at the bigger picture.

"I think there's a tremendous sense of sadness because of this issue. I think people were basically in shock because of the Starr report. I think there's a real sadness regarding the office of the presidency right now."

* Dr. R. Mark Sullivan, president of The College of Saint Rose in Albany: "I think it all comes down to his ability to come across as a moral leader, one who is embraced for his attention to family values and someone who is attuned to moral and ethical leadership. I think that's questionable.

"As a college president, we're stressing the need for students to be concerned about their own moral development. He wouldn't exactly be a standard bearer in that area."

Dr. Sullivan doesn't buy the argument that the Monica Lewinsky case deals with Clinton's private life and that society should only be concerned about his public life. "I think that when you're the president, you can't easily divorce those two behavioral traits. I just have real problems with that sharp schism."

While the report from Kenneth Starr may have gone too far, Dr. Sullivan pointed out, "the President admitted that he lied to his colleagues, his family and the country. How believable will he be in the future?"

A resignation or impeachment would be a "wrenching experience" for the country, but Dr. Sullivan thinks resignation "is an option that should seriously be considered."

* Rev. Robert Hohenstein, Albany City dean and pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Albany: "I think he's lost his moral authority, and it takes more than an apology to ever restore that. It takes a long time to regain the trust in that person. Politically, he may be able to deal with the situation."

Although Father Hohenstein said Clinton's apology during last week's prayer breakfast sounded sincere and that he should be forgiven for his sins, the damage done to his own political career and the presidency is irreparable.

"I think the noble thing for him to do would be to resign. That would be a true mark of his sincerity and of his leadership. I know he won't."

Despite the President's admission of wrongdoing, Father Hohenstein noted, "there are certain people who, no matter what he did, will support him and believe in him."

* Rev. Leo O'Brien, vicar general of the Albany Diocese and pastor of St. Vincent de Paul parish, Albany: "I think he can [retain his leadership] if he has the support of the people. If he doesn't have the support of the people, a leader can't lead.

"I think he shouldn't resign. He should continue to come forth with honesty, bring himself to the people and say, `I'd like to continue.' Then he has to wait for Congress to see whether he is impeached or censured.

"It's upsetting to have this situation, but it's also upsetting to have a president leave during his term. It's kind of a dilemma."

* Sister Mary Kenan McGowan, RSM, parish life director, St. John Francis Regis parish, Grafton, and Sacred Heart, Berlin: "If Mr. Clinton died today and if Kenneth Starr died today, I think Clinton would stand before St. Peter and say, `I sinned.' And I think Starr would go up and say, `Yeah, I nailed him.' And St. Peter would say, `Somebody else was nailed 2,000 years ago. Think about that while you're in purgatory.'

"Jesus came to save sinners, not the self-righteous. If I were standing before Him, I'd rather be considered a sinner than self-righteous. I don't know how many of us sinners could stand to have 445 pages of our sins put out on the internet where everyone could read them, even children.

"I think Clinton should stay where he is and try to keep going, if he can. I don't think I could, with that cross. I think if anyone should get him, it should be Hilary and Chelsea. Forgiveness should be [our focus]."

* Sister Miriam Ukeritis, CSJ, a member of the leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet: "Whether he can or cannot retain his authority is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we say yes, he will; if we say no, he won't. It's not just an issue of what the President should do, but what we as a people do. We have a long history of leaders who sinned who went on to become saints and significant figures in our tradition. We need to be challenging and forgiving.

"The President needs to live out his responsibility, and so does Congress. There is a debate going on whether more information needs to be released. How does that information relate to the marginalized, the poor and victims of violent crime? There are people suffering because of welfare reform. We need to call for responsibility on these issues. The President and Congress need to address critical issues of justice beyond this."

* Rev. Kenneth Doyle, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Albany: His leaving office is "a separate question from forgiveness. What we're bound to do is forgive people, particularly those who ask for forgiveness, as the President has now done. But to forgive him personally for what he has done is a different question from whether he still has the moral authority to lead the country. I just think people look at him in a different way."

Father Doyle noted that the timing of the recent strikes against suspected terrorist sites in Afghanistan and Sudan led many people to wonder whether Clinton simply was attempting to divert attention away from the Monica Lewinsky case. "That's an illustration of how people view him now -- with some suspicion," he said.

In the wake of the Starr report, Father Doyle believes that Clinton should step down as president. "I think that he should resign. I'm not sure that what he has done rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors to satisfy, technically, the grounds for impeachment. I'm sure the perjury charges are enough to warrant impeachment hearings."

* Rev. Edward Pratt, pastor, Corpus Christi parish, Ushers: "It's demoralizing that this has happened, but human nature being what it is, sometimes it does. What bothers me about the whole issue is the power that's evidently been used. A person in [Clinton's] position should be sensitized that anything he might do would be coming from a power base. Misuse of the power that he has over people is among the greatest sins; you don't hear that very often.

"We have to be forgiving. Unfortunately, people in this society are not very forgiving. [However,] I don't hear a contriteness coming across.

"It sounds like perhaps he would be censured. I can't imagine Congress is going to impeach him. Perhaps some good can come from that without total disruption of the government. There are other agendas that have been just frozen: hunger, and problems in the former Yugoslavia, Africa, the Near East.

"I don't think impeachment is going to prove anything. I'd much rather see the President much more contrite. The legislators need to get back to the business of the world and this country. `Let he who is without sin cast the first stone'; any one of us really needs to learn that lesson. [This is] an opportunity to be contrite and convert, and go on from there."

(Contributing to this story were Kate Blain, assistant editor, and Maureen McGuinness and Paul Quirini, staff writers.)

(09-17-98) [[In-content Ad]]