Appendix Q Details ...

THE UNSPUN TRUTH

By William Westmiller
09/14/98

There appears to be an inverse relationship between the number of depositions given by Bill Clinton and the amount of spin applied to the truth. Only during his second deposition was he willing to disclose part of the truth. Perhaps a third deposition would have garnered "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." The Starr Report should have included a third deposition, and another "Appendix Q" to uncover the complete truth on a variety of important issues:

Is Global Warming a threat to world survival?

Spin: "Petroleum use has created a global climate crisis. Industry must reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases."
Appendix Q: "There's really no change in world temperature, but fear can justify all means of government controls."

Can you save the current Social Security System?

Spin: "Saving Social Security is our first priority. We must maintain the current program without cutting benefits."
Appendix Q: "With a big tax increase, we can sustain the current system for the next two years. After that, it's somebody else's problem."

Does Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke cause cancer?

Spin: "Restrictions on second-hand smoke reduce the risk of death and injury."
Appendix Q: "Tobacco smoke stinks. That's good enough for a ban and higher taxes toharass smokers for the next decade."

How have you battled crime?

Spin: "We're putting 100,000 new police on the street."
Appendix Q: "After four years, we've paid for half of 800 new beat officers, who are now working at high-paid desk jobs."

Are we winning the drug war?

Spin: "We've committed vast resources and new federal police powers which are having an major impact on illicit drug use."
Appendix Q: "It's a total failure. Nothing we've done has had any beneficial effect."

Has the Brady Bill reduced handgun assaults?

Spin:"We've prevented 60,000 fugitives from buying guns legally."
Appendix Q:"We've prevented 200,000 citizens from defending themselves."

Have government programs improved employment?

Spin: "Our policies have created more than 8 million new jobs."
Appendix Q: "We managed to prevent the creation of 12 million new jobs, but nobody notices what was never there."

Will your budget be balanced next year?

Spin: "We balanced the budget last year, while maintaining our spending priorities."
Appendix Q: "The deficit has never been below $300 billion. It'll get a lot worse."

How are you dealing with international monetary problems?

Spin: "We need to increase our support for the International Monetary Fund and their reform programs."
Appendix Q: "The IMF gaurantees that no nation will ever be held responsible for the financially bankrupt policies we encourage."

Can we stop Sadam Hussein?

Spin: "We will not stand idle while Iraq develops weapons of mass destruction."
Appendix Q: "We will stand idle while Iraq develops weapons of mass destruction. Maintaining a UN consensus is more important than preventing war."

Will you resign from the Presidency?

Spin: "Never"
Appendix Q: "Less than 24 hours before the Senate takes away my pension."

You've taken the Oath of Office twice?

Spin: "To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Appendix Q: "We'll do whatever we can for our supporters. Let the Supreme Court worry about the Constitution."

The Clinton Administration has brought spin to a new height, not just characterizing the issues in their own light, but hiding truth and distorting facts to support fundamentally flawed policies. It doesn't matter whether the issue is the President's sexual deviance or his policy on foreign affairs. Overshadowed by the Starr Report were the facts about the "Lewinsky Bombing" that immediatly followed the President's second deposition disclosures.

Far from being a "measured response to terrorist bombings", the President spent over 30 million dollars to send 70 cruise missiles into two foreign nations. A few dozen Afghan "freedom fighters", armed by our own military, were killed. A dozen tents were destroyed. Another attack destroyed a pharmaceutical factory. The facts, known today, are that there was no evidence that the dead Afghans were involved in any terrorist plot or that the factory was producing anything other than medicine. Even more critical is that the President should undertake such a military action without Congressional, or even United Nations, consultation or support.

Perhaps we should require the President to give Congressional testimony, under oath, before he conducts any military adventures or issues dictatorial Executive Orders. We should have the truth - before our nation's reputation is destroyed by a reckless executive.

c1998, William Westmiller
California Coordinator of the Republican Liberty Caucus
Past Candidate for the Republican Nomination for (24CD) Congress
Former National Secretary, California Chairman, Libertarian Party
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