President Clinton has given sworn testimony this weekend concerning allegations that he propositioned a woman for sex seven years ago when $2m in damages for what happened. This is the first time an American President has ever been made to testify as a defendant. For the time being there's a media blackout on what he said. But there's wide speculation about the damage the case is doing both to Mr Clinton personally, and the institution of the Presidency. The BBC's Edmond Butler reports.

This was surely one of the lowest moments of Bill Clinton's tenure as President. At his lawyer's offices in Washington DC, he spent nearly six hours hearing testimony against him and giving statements of his own, regarding an alleged meeting in 1991 when he is accused of dropping his trousers in front of Paula Jones and requesting oral sex. Mrs Jones is now suing, claiming sexual harassment and the infringement of her civil rights. She has eye witness testimony supporting her claim to have met Mr Clinton when she was a state employee. She even claims to be able to identify distinguishing characteristics of the President's private anatomy - claims Mr Clinton's defence team deny as a sham. Mrs Jones' adviser, Susan Carpenter Macmillan, dismisses opinion surveys that show most Americans don't believe her testimony:

"It doesn't really matter to Paula who believes her except for the people that she brought the law suit for. She brought it for her family, her friends, and her acquaintances - so that they would know the real truth. She always knew that they would believe her but it was very frustrating for her to open up a magazine and see the kind of things that were said about her. Paula hasn't really cared what the rest of the country thinks. Paula has to be worried about what 12 jurors in Little Rock Arkansas are going to think, and I think that is the most important thing."

The President's testimony has been videotaped. It may now be used as evidence if the case goes to trial, as expected in the next few months. Only then will it become apparent exactly how the President has defended himself against the charge. Already, though, his lawyers' general strategy has been made public. Frank Clines is the Washington correspondent of the New York Post.

The last thing we heard from his lawyer was flat denial. And as we have got into details of the law-suit, the basic response has been that Mr Clinton has no recollection of ever having met Mrs Jones on the day in question in 1991. Other people who have given depositions, including a policeman who was a bodyguard for the then Governor Clinton, recalled escorting Miss Jones to meet the President. But that same trooper said it seemed to be an innocent meeting, and the President's people say he just has no recollection of it. He meets an awful lot of people over the years.

This is the first time an American President has given evidence as a defendant in a court case. And already it's much more than a simple lawsuit. It's a challenge to the character of the President of the United States. Retired US judge H. Lee Sarokin says it will inevitably leave a stain on the Presidency itself.

It will make the OJ Simpson case look like a minor blip if the president of the United States is on trial for these types of charges.

Although she's claiming $2m damages, Paula Jones says the money is not so important as the admission of guilt, and an apology from Mr Clinton. To most ordinary Americans, the whole case has become sordid and long-winded, and many think she ought to drop the proceedings.

"It's none of America's business what he is doing in his personal life."

"I think she should just settle out of court and forget about the whole thing and let the country get back to the business at hand."

Opinion polls suggest that Bill Clinton's popularity has been surprisingly unaffected by the allegations. Most give him an approval rating of around 60% at the moment - that's the highest level he's reached during his second term as President. But if the case does go to court, and it finds against the President, the political consequences could be serious. According to the independent pollster, Andy Kohut, they could even affect his successor in the next presidential race.

Bill Clinton's successor - maybe Al Gore - will depend a lot on the support of women. And if Bill Clinton were found guilty and there really was a convincing case made against him, it might hurt the feeling that many women have about the Clinton administration.

President Clinton has faced other embarrassing allegations about his private life in the past, and has survived them. But this is the most determined yet. Its effect on him personally can only be guessed at. With legal bills of $3m and rising, the financial impact alone could prove very damaging.
 

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