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Bill Clinton should never have been "on the hook" to begin with. What he does in his own time is up to him as long as it does not interfere with his job. Interference caused by the Lewinsky affair resulted from the nit-picking of his "holier-than-thou" Republican opponents. The mid terms have just gone to show how much more sensible, realistic and modern the American people are in comparison to the "bad loser" Republicans.
Katelin, Wales

Newt obviously thinks so!!!
J Rogers, UK

In the present set of morals, minor transgressions are acceptable. There are far more important things to worry about. There never was a hook in the first place except in the media and the congress.
Joseph Alapat, India

Off the hook for impeachment hearings? No. Off the hook for impeachment...probably, After all, when weighed against their own reelection, their constitutional consciences are less burdened with the weight of his high crimes. And while we're dispensing judgement for crimes in office, le'ts not fail to include the Congress that bluntly told our embassies in Africa there was no money for security, while making millions available to Starr's investigation.
Betty St John, USA

I think Clinton won because many persons in the Congress could not vote againt him. This gets logical when you ask the American people if they are happy or not with their president. The most important thing that I see here is that the American people vote with their wallet. I mean, if the President is doing a nice job with the economy, why sould we fire him?
Juan Carlos Ríos, Mexico

I don't think he's off the hook yet, then again I don't think he should ever have been on the hook. This is almost all political and has now backfired. I still haven't met anyone who thinks it is anything but a waste of time and money.
Chris Hann, USA

I hope so. Its for him and his wife and family to sort out this mess, not the public. To have faught a election campain on this issue gives me much food for thought.
Henk Hoijtink, Spain

It's interesting that the comments from OUTSIDE the US seem to believe that he's either off the hook or should never have been on the hook in the first place while many of the comments from the US seem to go the other way. I believe he is off the hook at least in terms of impeachment. We're being forced to grow up a bit and not just blindly accept the quaint notion that the President is automatically a paragon of virtue. That has NEVER been true. Now, we have to come to terms with it and adopt a more realistic and practical view more in line with our friends on the other side of the Atlantic.
Stephen Fielder, USA

If the issue of this election was a referendum on President Clinton and the impeachment inquiry, then it must be said that it was a tie. The election did not make for a significant change. While it is easy to point out that some big Republicans lost, you must also remember that some Democrats lost their seats. There was no major gain for either party. I also do not feel that this election was a referendum on the President simply because it was not an issue of any of the campaigns for the House or Senate in my area. The people had other concerns that were greater. We also must remember that the Impeachment Inquiry is NOT over whether Clinton had sex with an intern or not. It is over whether he intended to mislead a court of law over whether he did or did not have the affair. No election can change his actions.
Tom Daugherty, USA

He may and should be "Off the Hook" with the American public as his AFFAIR is none of their business (speaking as an American living in Australia). He will only be off the hook with his family and God when he truely repents and is granted forgiveness in return - that is between them. Time to let it go - everyone knows that Monica went into the situation with her eyes wide open so what is she screaming about. She is only after the notoriety and $$$ she can get out of the situation. Now there is a person who has no shame in how she gets to where she is going.
Sheldon Spadafore, Australia

Republicans used to insist that impeachment proceedings weren't political. However, now that they no longer see any advantage politically they lose their enthusiasm. Paula Jones' attorneys no longer wish to pursue that case either now that the Republican leadership no longer sees advantage in continuing. This not only shows the dishonesty in the stated motivations of Republicans but also shows what was truly behind Paula Jones' support.
Bill Faulk, USA

The American public has shown itself to be far more mature in judging the real meaning of "high crimes etc" and what is important in a presidency, than the politicians .
N G Wilson, Canada

I feel that he shouldn't be let off the hook but, in this age of the political pollsters, the Republicans will let him off irregardless of him lying under oath. It's very sad that government officials are more concerned with reelection then upholding the ideals of my nation's constitution.
Brian Carr, USA

I don't care if Bill Clinton is still doing his job as president or not. The point is, if he can't be loyal to his wife, how can he be loyal to millions of people? I have heard the comment made by one of the Presidents staff members that "all he did was be unfaithful to his wife..." That comment sickens me. It humiliates the whole female race by erasing the importance of fidelity between a man and a woman. This should be doubly important in regards to people(men) who are in the public eye or in positions of power. Men such as Bill Clinton should remember that it is their country's citizens, most often youths, who look to him as a role model. Is this the standard we should be setting for them? Family values should be among the top priorities. If more people had this view, maybe the world in general could become a better place for all of us. Finally, as a female, I am outraged that, after all the supposed progress we (females) have made, we once again have had the label pasted on us that we don't have the same value as men. In my opinion, Hillary should be ashamed of herself for so adimantly standing by her poor example of a husband. She too, as the First Lady has a reputation to uphold and I do not believe it should be as a doormat.
Connie Fraser, Canada

He is off the hook as far as being impeached. He should, if he were a righteous person, have already resigned since he disgraced the office of the presidency asnd the White House itself. But that is not Bill Clinton's way. Impeachment is the wrong route given the facts of this case; it would damage the institution of the presidency more than it would punish this man.
Steve Pasternack, USA

President Clinton is a prominent leader with dynamism and vision. I assess his performance from the records of his achievement. Although none of us who value integrity and moral rectitude in private and public affairs, would condone moral lapses, those who set up themselves to judge Bill, cannot claim to be free from the same sin. He is certainly not a saint but has done more for the world to appreciate than deserves the insults and embarrassments his detractors have poured on him. I still feel that those seeking to impeach him know quite well that they just do not want him as the president of the USA not because he is a weak or inefficient leader. Bill has performed brilliantly in office. As a political analyst, I score him highly and thank the millions of American people who still have love and confidence in their great leader who is also an asset to the world. History will record him as one of the most influential and successful leaders this century has produced. Let us give him the support to enable him complete his term of office and deliver the good things he has planned for the people.
Dr Udobata Onunwa, UK

Whether or not people voted Democrat in these elections has nothing to do with Mr Clinton getting off the hook. Candidates ran their own races on their own platforms and the people they would potentially represent voted accordingly. Let's just remember that Clinton is not the Democratic party.
Caleb Klinge, USA

If he is off the hook, and I hope he is, it is a hook he should never have been on. The only legitimate hook he should have been caught on would have been that cast at him by his wife. Whether she left him floundering, or took her time in easing him off, should be a private matter between them.
Sue Williams, South Africa

If we examined the private lives of everyone we employ, including doctors, would we still hire them? He is still leading the country.
Judith Ecker, USA

With the mid-term elections already over with, it's time for the Republican-led Congress to just drop the long-running matter entirely and stick to the issues at hand. The American people should let their Congressmen and Senators know how they feel about the issues affecting them, but no more of this Lewinsky matter. That's the end of the story for that long-running scandal.
Brian Hudson, USA

Bill is not off the hook, although it will be hard for the Republicans to justify lengthy impeachment hearings. Americans made it clear that they want progress and vision, not investigation and stagnation.
Will Havemeyer, USA

We forgive him for what happened, but the law is the law. I'm sure a speeder would say he's sorry he did what he did, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get a ticket.
Tom Walker, USA

Exit polls suggest there is no real support for continuing the investigation. Even the Republicans can't ignore that, and the shift to moderates amongst Republican governors will pressurize the conservative right.
Giles Edwards, USA

If he's not he certainly should be. It's pathetic, ugly and sickening the way bodies in the US obsessed with sensationalism and self gain have seized on this and exploited it for all they possibly can. While I'm sure they're proud of damaging one of the best presidents they've had, I wonder if they ever paused from their 'feeding frenzy' to consider the damage their near obscene self-indulgence has done to America in the eyes of the world? No, I doubt it. I believe America is a great country. It's a shame nobody had the gumption to stand up and call 'enough' long before now. When I heard Newt Gingrich's self-satisfied speech about how the Republicans now seemed to have split power everywhere, I wondered where his loyalties lay - with America or with himself?
Ewen, Scotland

Deserves a censure or wrist slap. Newt Gingrich et al made the election a referendum on the impeachment of Clinton in the campaign's final weeks; a political blunder of massive proportions. The president is a sleaze but his low morals don't really affect governance. We need to move on to critical issues like the economy, Kosovo, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, terrorism, war crimes/genocide in the Balkans, etc.
Rich Evans, USA

If we accept Bill Clinton's pattern of lies and depraved behavior as a "private matter" and "above the law," we can expect our legal and political systems to fall into the kind of corruption that has characterized banana republics and totalitarian regimes around the world. The American people are at the point where they must decide what kind of government we will have.
MJ Brannan, USA

My sense is that the dramatic results of the mid-term elections are, in essence, the voice of Americans telling the Republican majority that they are fed up with what's been going on the past year, to keep Clinton's private life in perspective, and to start focussing on the things that really matter.
John Bosma, Canada

The election results will probably lead some Republicans to seek a deal (such as official censure of the president) short of impeachment. The president may yet be impeached, but the chances that he would be removed from office - already remote - have been extinguished. However, Monica Lewinsky was only the top interest for media types. Ordinary Americans voted on important issues like education, Social Security and the advisability of the Republican plan to pass huge tax cuts for their wealthy backers. On these issues, the public sided mostly with Democrats and a few moderate Republicans like Pataki in New York and the Bush boys in Texas and Florida. The election is a complete repudiation of the Religious Right wing.
Thomas Threlkeld, USA

I think Clinton cannot be impeached now, even if the investigation goes on, the necessary majorities to remove him from office cannot be obtained. Therefore, I doubt that the investigation will press on very much.
Andreas Massing, Germany

If he is off the hook then perjury must no longer be a crime. Can any American expect that they too can commit perjury with impunity? I don't think that will be the case. It sets a dangerous precedent to let this case be settled in the polls and by the media spin doctors and people need to wise up and realize the real issue here. I think justice needs to be equal for all and the president is no exception.
Karl Markowicz, USA

He was off the hook before the elections. Star and the Senate Judiciary Committee should be made to refund the amount involved in the investigation. Because Monica never complained of harassment. It was a mutual agreement which both enjoyed and that was private.
Ernest Kingsley, UK

If the investigation is honest and continues on the real issues, Clinton is a ghost. He is a congenital liar and if he gets off, we have no rule of law.
Charlie DeVoto, USA

Was he ever on the hook? A great economy is always going to be more important than a few a few salacious morsels to the average voter. This must be especially true when the alternative to a Democratic president is a Republican one!
Nick Forro, England

He should never have been on the hook. And in the same vein, let's leave Mr. Davies alone in the UK.
Pete Burrell, UK

Mr Clinton seems to have behaved in a manner not befitting his office and some sort of formal action against him seems fitting. However, his protracted public humiliation has been so great that it's not unreasonable of the voters to feel he's suffered enough. I certainly do.
Murray C Park, UK

The popularity of Clinton demonstrates that he represents something about contemporary Americans: a lack of patriotism, a lack of sexual morality, a lack of integrity. This should hardly be surprising. He is part of that post-war generation which pretended to make love, not war, which burned flags and draft-dodged. They are a disgrace and Clinton is their man. America is not in good shape.
Norman Ravitch, USA

Almost universally admired around the globe, President Clinton's confident leadership has been vindicated by the election results.
Jay Mandeville, USA

Oh God, I hope so. Bill Clinton is the most politically influential person in the world, and to see his country bickering over some sordid love affair when it has so many 'real' problems is sickening.
Ian Chard, Scotland

Looks like the apathy of the voters once again, lets the morals of the country go down the drain. Clinton did NOT create the economy of today. He should still have to pay for lies. Who cares about his sex life, his lies are more worrisome. He is a poor standard bearer for the US and a pitiful example to our kids. As far as the women standing behind Hillary, she is just as much a sham as he is. The first couple are peas out of the same pod.
Jack Morgan, USA

I think that the entire Clinton thing is extremely funny. The Republicans milked it for all it was worth, and they got the two-fingered salute from the American electorate. Newt is left with a large amount of egg on his face, and rightly so.
Simon Coote, UK

Political posturing and obfuscation of the issues aside, the election results change nothing. President Clinton has a penchant for lying and deceitful behaviour. What's worse, the president can count on public apathy that excuses his failings. He will not change. Wishing that he will is like adding extra quarters to a football game when your favourite team is hopelessly behind. He is unfit for the job of leading the country.
Steven Wartenbee, Germany

Given that the election was considered a referendum for impeachment, and that the right-wing extremists out for Clinton's blood have much to answer for as it is, they may retreat from their hawkish stance with reference to impeachment. Clinton will never entirely be "off the hook" for his indiscretion (ie with the public). However, given the health of the US economy as well as his role in the Wye negotiations, it is clear that Clinton can still perform his duties as head of state much more than competently. He got a result in the Netanyahu-Arafat negotiations - no mean feat for any G7 head of state - indicating that world leaders and governments still take him quite seriously.
In my opinion, if the right-wing extremists in the US legislature were to continue to attack Clinton for what should have remained a private matter, they will lose power to a much greater extent; these recent elections should make that quite clear to them. This petty niggling at an indiscretion is something that most other G7 governments would not bother with (with reference to their leaders - imagine Tony Blair being brought down for such an affair, or Chirac or Schroeder). Having failed in this attempt to discredit their arch-foe, the right-wingers will have to lick their wounds and attempt to salvage their situation.
Charlton Barreto, USA (Scotland)

He should have been "off the hook" from the beginning. Starr should have been reined in a long time ago.
John, Canada

He needs to step down and let the vice president do the job. He has lost his credibility.
Ron Juneman, USA

He's off the hook because the GOP would rather have him twist in the wind for the remainder of the century rather than see him gone. The message that we (especially us Californians) sent in this election is that we are sick and tired of seeing our president - and by association, our great nation - dragged through the mud over tabloid garbage. The Republicans no longer have us shocked, but instead have effectively desensitised us to the whole affair. In fact, they have succeeded in reinforcing the martyrdom of "The Comeback Kid", indirectly providing his comeback by triggering a voter backlash.
Manuel Alderete, USA

Clinton should not be let off the hook. Sexual harassment court cases are difficult to win because the harassment almost always takes place with no witnesses. If there are no witnesses, the courts require proof of a sexual harassment track record of the accused. When Clinton lied under oath, he pulled the carpet out from under Paula Jones' court case and quite likely set a precedent for future sexual harassers. So it was not just a little white lie to save his marriage. He should go to jail.
Dianne, US

If Mr Clinton wasn't able to resist a 22-year old girl, my question is: Would he be able to resist himself from selling, somehow, his own country if offered an irresistible proposal?
My question about Mrs Clinton would be: Would she ever be able to repudiate her husband after all the lies and deceit, knowing that that might cost her the role of the First Lady for one of the most powerful countries in this world?
And my question about the image of the government of the United States of America: Is it possible to break the rules and get away with it? What would the Catholics do if the Pope had sex? What if Prince Charles stole a watch from a supermarket?
Royro Pattison, Canada

I hired him to do a job. I'm not concerned with his private life. Secondarily, I believe Clinton's private life is no worse than that of his tormentors, perhaps better. HG Wells has pointed out that 'Moral indignation is no more than envy wearing a halo'.
Warren Abrams, USA

I can't condone what he did was right but is that any of our business. His biggest trial is happening at home with his wife. The world is telling you to leave the poor man alone. He has enough problems to worry about.
Denis Liboiron, Canada

Yes, I think the election was at least partially a referendum on Clinton's impeachment and the country does not have the taste for it. The crimes, if they even amount to that, are petty, and the founding fathers intended impeachment to be only for treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanours.
Rosemary W, USA

He has shown himself to be strong under fire; just the kind of person we want to negotiate for us. Obviously he will lie over sexual matters. Every sane person knew that from the start. So what? He needs to get these urges out of his system so he can concentrate on other things. He is not a Catholic priest vowing to abstinence just because he gets to be president. We do not expect politicians to ever tell the whole truth anyway. That is part of the game. The people who are trying to bring him to heel are wasting the country's time and money. All the other heads of state who have easy access to outlets must feel it odd that the president of the most powerful nation is denied what they believe to be their normal right.
ERD, USA

Wonderful to see that the right wing scare mongering hasn't worked. Americans are a lot more liberal these days - maybe they are becoming more European in their outlook. Hopefully this will begin to be reflected in US foreign policy in the near future!
Ngozi, England

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