LETTERS: MORE LIES AHEAD?

To the editor:

Hillary Clinton's appearance before a grand jury took place Jan.26, making her the first wife of a president ever to answer questions before a grand jury -- another Clinton first. Now was this all. The White House (it is still called white despite the tarnish done its reputation by the present occupants) released a 1993 memo by former White House aide David Watkins explaining that there would be "hell to pay" if he didn't "take swift and decisive action in conformity with the first lady's wishes" that employees at the White House travel office be fired. Another memo released by the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee and written by Todd Stern, A White House special assistant, also refuted Mrs. Clinton's claim that she wasn't a party to the firings. The dispute, and Mrs. Clinton's subsequent round of mind-numbing lies, prompted New York Times columnist William Safire to call Mrs. Clinton a "congenital liar."

What amazes the experts who watch the Clintons lie is their grace. Detectives, prosecutors and psychiatrists will tell you that even gifted liars seat or reveal some other physical signs of stress: darting eyes, twiddling fingers. Both Clintons lie with perfect aplomb. True, Mrs. Clinton's eyes can go a bit glassy, and she tends to smirk when delivering a whopper. But Bill Clinton betrays no sign of tension whatsoever. It is as though he has no conscience.

In the months ahead we will have opportunity to see our president at the height of his powers. There is little doubt that he will surpass the masterpiece whoppers he has performed in the past.

ED STEWART

Middlebrook