The issue boils down to a criminal offence, not a question of morals. If the President committed perjury and also used his position to oppress someone else into committing perjury then he deserves what he gets.
Langley McKelvy, USA

It is just a sex scandal. Even if he lied here, it still does not matter. I'm not saying he should lie. I just mean that in this particular case, he should not be impeached by this.
Tony Zhang, USA

I find it unbelievable that a special prosecutor has the power to pardon the person accused of perjury while trying to toast the person who allegedly told her to do so.
Jose Echeveste, UK

The real danger to the presidency is the seemingly unlimited powers of the Special Prosecutor. This office has now been abused for political purposes. Kenneth Starr is out of control, and I only hope that Clinton can stick it out and save his presidency.
Gene Schmidt, USA

I don't know if Bill Clinton can be trusted. What I do know is his accusers can't be trusted.
David Hopkins, UK

The news media in their frenzy to attain higher ratings seem intent upon bearing false witness and spreading what is so far only malicious gossip. Kenneth Starr has a history of tobacco company connections and probably has a right wing agenda.
Jim Wells, USA

The hype, the allegations, the media, the system, the man. They're all American and they all deserve each other.
Jim Curwen, New Zealand

Doesn't everyone realise that the efforts to disgrace Clinton began with his original Democratic nomination, not just with his election? There has been a systematic effort on the part of the right wing in America to regain the presidency for the Republican Party. You see, Bush was "supposed" to win re-election, despite his lack of personal qualities and his absence of any domestic economic policy.
The American people decided otherwise, and our country is prosperous today as a result. This "scandal" pales in comparison to the recent Iran-Contra scandal which involved a government sanctioned effort to fight a phoney war in Latin America paid for by importing illegal drugs from CIA-supported dictators in S. America!!! Where was the right wing's outrage at that truly Constitutional crime??? Bush, North, Poindexter, and Secord are war criminals and drug pushers, compared to this, Clinton is just a womaniser!
Mark Lind, USA

Mr. Clinton's alleged pattern of behavior is completely inexcusable and not worthy of our moral leader. His resignation would help restore some faith and credibility to the office of the President.
John Simmons, USA

I am concerned about the international impact this situation might have. The enemies of the United States (such as Saddam Hussein) might think it advantageous to take advantage of this "distraction" to fulfil their own agendas.
Elizabeth Haendel, USA

I think (and hope) that there are more pressing problems for the American administration than who or what Bill Clinton sleeps with. We have already seen Yasser Arafat's activities in Washington have fallen by the wayside in favour of rumour mongering regarding Bill Clinton's sexual exploits. Even if he suborned perjury - one is hard pressed, this one anyway, to equate it with the crimes of Richard Nixon. Oh well. At least I don't live there.
Michael Booth, Canada

The conservative right in the US has this strange, pathological hatred of Bill Clinton that totally obscures their ability to reason objectively, or to see things clearly. The ONLY issue is where Bill Clinton stands on the Middle East, US healthcare, US minimum wage, US unemployment, US childcare, etc., etc. I don't care if he's sleeping with mice. It's none of my business. The issue is where his head is at, not his willy.
William J. Jacobson, USA

It is no coincidence that this affair broke out just at a time of Pope's visit to Cuba. It's a fantastic way to divert attention of American public from calls to bring down unjust sanctions. And by judging the media coverage... they have succeeded.
Damjan Franz, Slovenia

I think Bill and all other politicians have weak points like this. The point is where they stand on Israel. Maybe Santa is the best person to lead America. Or maybe we should find a woman.
Mike Gerhold, USA

Now that he has so many problems at home it won't be surprising if we had a war in the gulf to deflect attention
Ramu, Malaysia

I believe that the President is twisting the truth to fit his particular brand of morality of the moment. His definition of sex and adultery do not include oral sex no matter how many times he is called to task on it. It would appear that his idea of marriage does not include Hillary most of the time. Only when he is forced to grovel back to her for political support. What a marriage !
Darrell Bryan, USA

His scandals are numerous, as is his lies to cover them up. He didn't have an affair with Jennifer Flowers, and he didn't inhale the smoke from his Pot smoking days. He didn't dodge the draft and he didn't collaborate with Russians during the Cold War. He isn't lying to us today and he wont lie tomorrow. Somehow I don't believe you Mr. Clinton.
Paul, USA

His lying is not the problem, his privacy, should not be debated. If, his actions were corrupt, as in the case of Robin Cook and his "secretary", then this is clearly a problem
Stewart Moore, UK

There's too much smoke for no fire - Clinton must be the most corrupt President in history! Whitewater greed, Commodity greed, FBI alliance with highly placed bar bouncers in the White House, Carefully worded denials, Travelgate, Vince Foster, Close associates in prison or disgrace etc., etc. etc. How many more of his staff and associates are going to be ruined to protect this amoral man and his ambitious wife?
L. Holihan, USA

You cannot trust a liar! He cannot lead. In the service, if you have an affair, your put out of the service. As the Commander In Chief of the Services, he should be treated as any other serviceman and be fired.
Fred W. Aron, USA

He is an embarrassment to the nation! Let's not forget that he lied to the people during the '92 election about Gennifer Flowers...recently, in a deposition in the Paul Jones case, he admitted he had an affair with her. This man will say and do anything that is politically expedient. Why are people so idiotic to believe that he is not lying now? This Lewinski character is no sweet 16er either. She had her own agenda and deserves whatever publicity she gets to for this shame.
Jerry Sebastian, Texas, USA

If the man will lie to his wife, then he will lie to the country. The people of America seem to forget this is also a matter of national security.
Michelle McCook, US

Mr Clinton has elevated prevarication into an art form. He deliberately misrepresented himself, during the 1960's so he could avoid the draft. As governor of Arkansas he constantly entered into questionable financial deals. As president, he seems to be a creature of his sexual appetites and unable to attend to international affairs.
John Pope, USA

How can you believe anything a proven liar says?
Richard Wells USA

If a man cannot be honest with the most important person in his life i.e. his spouse, how can be truthful with the rest of us? He has degraded the office of the President of the US.
John Smallshaw, USA

Character does matter! The lies and Cheating show a character that is difficult at best for a foreign country to put their trust in, not to mention the American peoples trust. How are we to know he didn't sell secrets to a foreign country? Because he took an oath to uphold the Constitution? Just like he took an oath under God to be faithful to one woman. Trust is character, and character does matter!
M. A. Spoto Unlimited Scandalous Affairs (USA)

If his marriage vows mean so little to him, what does the oath of office he took mean to him?
Jerry Werner, USA

The issue is not about adultery, it is about trust. In a democracy, the tie that binds a people to its elected leadership is trust. The bond is easily broken if that trust has been based on lies and deceptions. Most troubling to many Americans is that a pattern of risky, unethical, and deceitful behaviour is emerging.
Whereas many people have been willing to overlook personal peccadilloes on the part of Mr. Clinton, continued revelations about alleged abuse of power, obstruction of justice, tax fraud, perjury, sexual harassment, subornation of perjury, ad nauseum, cause even the most reasonable person to take pause.
The Clinton apologists will (just as the Kennedy and Nixon apologists have done) cite all sorts of "successes" in an attempt to obscure fundamental character flaws.
J. M. Galloway, USA

If he had an affair or even if he just told her to deny the affair, then it shouldn't be that big a deal. If, however, the affair happened and he told her to lie to the grand jury - perjury and obstruction of justice - then he should be thrown in jail.
Jerry, USA

Why does the media demand instant answers? Lets wait until the facts are known before reaching conclusions. Obviously, the truth could range from "It's all a pack of lies perpetrated by Republican reactionaries" to "Clinton is a liar and an adulterer." But we don't know yet. So stop trying to reach a premature conclusion!
D. White, USA

Everyone has lied at some point to their employers / electorate. I think this episode is trivial compared to Presidential knowledge of illegal activities of the CIA, or secret policies of supporting the likes of Iraq during their war with Iran. But in the end its all trial by media.
Josh Chapman, UK

What is the point on making a judgement over Clinton's worthiness as President when only two people know the truth at the moment. Whether Starr is politically motivated or not I agree with Hilary Clinton when she says 'the truth will out'. If the truth is that he has lied and tried to make Lewinsky lie then he is not fit to run America, but if he is innocent then one has to consider the possibility that there really is a 'right wing conspiracy'. Personally I wouldn't touch her with his!
Samuel East, United Kingdom

Surely I can't be the only person who finds the timing of these latest allegations of sexual misconduct by the President suspicious. Just as the Paula Jones affair comes once again into the spot light, we are presented with an implausible tale of taped confessions and laughably foolish (and illegal) advice given to Ms. Lewinsky by the President of the United States and a very experienced and politically astute advisor.
I would like to hear and read a reminder of who is financing Paula Jones's case. Perhaps this simple fact would remind people inclined to prejudge Mr. Clinton that he is innocent until proven guilty.
Bryn Lane, USA

The public view of the President at this present time is perhaps reflective of the status of American politics in that sincerity is suspect, trust is suspect, integrity a misnomer... the day of transparency is a dim recall from the past. In spite of 'innocent until proved otherwise being the cornerstone of the judicial system, it seems, the up and coming mid-term elections influence the view of the president as a leader. We live in an anti-trust age and thus an individual who may be authentic, transparent, open and genuinely real is only proved as such when taken through the darkened corridors of innuendo, implication and suspect.
Terry Cowland, New Zealand

What we are experiencing is nothing less than a right wing coup; they have been after the President right from the beginning. "Bimbo eruptions," special prosecutors, "hate radio," they have been firing away for 6 years and appear to be on the verge of victory. It is a sad day for democracy, indeed!.
Ed Noponen, USA

I'm deeply suspicious of the timing of these revelations. Dems on the rise in the polls! Prez more popular than ever! Netanyahu's visit. The extreme and religious right have been out to destroy Clinton from the get-go. Now this! I believe we're witnessing the assassination of Bill Clinton - without the bullets.
Adrian Dightam, Los Angeles, USA

Hillary states it is a 'right-wing extremist' conspiracy to bring down her husband. If anybody is conspiring, it is the Democrats; to get Bill out in time to make Gore 'Presidential looking' before the 2000 elections. Bill isn't doing much to help their chances in local elections this November either.
Bryan M. Hirsh, USA

What we have in America is two scandals, NaughtyGate and StarrGate. The behaviour of the independent prosecutor in using such tactics as "wiring" witnesses without a warrant will eventually lead to evidence being thrown out in many criminal cases. It is amazing to me that conservatives are so willing to destabilise our society over a political point.
Alan Greenspan, USA

The "Independent" Prosecutor is still investigating the facts. The only "allegations" have been generated by the press. The Republicans, Democrats, and "Independent" Counsel have not made any formal allegations. Many facts are still to be discovered; we do not know how it will unfold.
Will the sex starved American and world press please stop salivating for one moment; if only one half of the attention was focused on George Bush by the so called "liberal" press in the critical breach of the constitution during the Iran-Contragate he never would have been President.
Chris Chimera, USA

We voted for Clinton because we figured he would do less damage to the middle & lower class people that Bob Dole & Ross Perrot. As for the accusations ... a giddy, flirtatious Beverly Hills debutante can say that she had an affair with he president but where is the evidence? Jeez, haven't people heard of girl's & boy's sexual talk, all sound & fury signifying nothing. As a septuagenarian I can remember: sex makes us do lots of foolish & very pleasant, life affirming things. There ain't no evidence that he did it, just Republican women's accusations. Is Bill fit fit to be prez? Are Major, Reagan, Gorby, Bush, Kohl, Chirac, Gingrich, etc. fit to be leaders of a nation? Sheesh! Get a political life! Very good news source, BBC. Keep up the good work.
R.J.Freesinger, USA

Clinton's capabilities as a politician have never been in doubt. Here I think we are dealing with a question of his own private morality more than anything else. This is not so clear cut. However, whoever said politics was for decent men? Of course it's not. Clinton's sexual proclivites should not be for public consumption, yet he can not really complain since it was his hero, JFK, who elevated image over substance. Perhaps Clinton should choose his heroes more carefully.
Lee Hill, USA

I think people should stay away from his personal life. He is also a human being too. Let him do his own work. The guy is doing well. USA should be proud of him.
Mirza, M.Q, New Zealand

I think he has denigrated the office of The Presidency of The United States, and if proven he should be impeached.
Kate McCartney, USA

I don't care if he had sex with other partner, as long as he do his role. It's a private thing. So we need not to talk about this.
Lee Dong Ook, Republic of Korea (South Korea)

"Personality ends at the waist." The President has the same right to have a hopelessly screwed-up personal life as any of the rest of us. He has done a good job as President, although I don't think he can claim all the credit for what has happened on his watch. However, if he has to leave office, his failure will be similar to Nixon's in not coming clean with the American people.
I also think it is ridiculous to call Kenneth Starr an "independent" prosecutor; he is plainly partisan. If he is able to force Clinton out of office, there will be no effort spared to find "dirt" on the next Republican President, and our country will be worse for that as well.
Carl Clark, USA

Yes he is fit. It is Tripp and Starr who are conducting a vile campaign that risks the good government of the United States. Janet Reno should suspend Starr and investigate his activities which now have ranged far beyond his mandate of investigating White Water. Starr appears to be on a mission that risks destabilising the governance of the United States - this must be stopped.
Michael Sutton, New Zealand

Clinton has made himself morally unfit to be the President. He should do the honourable thing and resign. Having sex with a subordinate employee and then encouraging her to lie about it in a court of law is stupid as well as illegal . I don't think he can lie his way out of it this time. The American people as well as people elsewhere are getting fed up with this over-sexed lying pretty boy. VP Al Gore is the next President of the US and the sooner the better.
William Kennettle, Canada

Clinton is a draft-dodging womaniser - neither of which make him unfit to the President. If proved to be a liar - that will disqualify him.
Gerry Howland, UK

This is all mob justice to the President. Those vilifying the President could be the worst adulterers and sinners of the world. It does not take much sense to discern the dirty tricks involved in the whole saga. The President is doing a good job. If he is a skirt chaser and a liar, he portrays the behaviour of many Americans.
Kim Loe

From draft dodging, pot smoking, land deal shenanigans, and sex this guy is one rotten apple.
John Glosek, USA

He is a bum and a womanizer. He's been chasing skirts for the last 20 years. Hillary should have "bobbitized" him years ago!
Xenophon, USA

He needs trousers with a locking zipper. Let Hillary hold the key.
J.P. Aardvark, USA

So we elected a president with a libido for once!!! Is that such a problem???
D. Lynch, Texas, U. S. of A.

Over thirty years ago Pierre Trudeau stated that the government should stay out of the country's bedrooms. Now, perhaps, the country should absent itself from the president's bedroom or library or kitchen or wherever.
Guy Gammon, Canada

A fifty year old man at the average American office complex would be fired and the company under investigation for sexual harassment if this occurred on company time and property. This president gets the free ride as always.
Michael Browning, USA

Bill Clinton is a global disgrace.
Ernest Prikday, GB

Clinton seems to have replaced Diana as person whose sex life most fascinates the media. At least he's better able to defend himself. And when you think about the kind of leader some countries have to put up with the whole thing seems to have floated off from any sense of proportion.
David Kennard, England

He and all of his scandals are an embarrassment to the U.S.
Renea Walker, USA

Mr Clinton's obsession with sex conquests definitely makes him quite unsuited for the most powerful job in the world. I wonder what will be uppermost in his mind in the midst of a crisis? I shudder to think of the answer!
David Chen, Malaysia

Ambition needs to be fuelled and sex is the most potent fuel of all. Therefore, it's no surprise that the world's most powerful man allegedly has a weakness for women.
Brian Gaze, UK

His personal life should be completely separate from him doing the job we elected him to do. If he wants to drop his pants, that is his affair. Robin Cook did it, the French do it all the time. What's the problem?
Robert Jones, USA

For me, the issue isn't who he sleeps with, it's whether he tried to hush it up by intimidating witnesses. That is what will determine whether he's fit to remain -- it's the issue of obstruction of justice that really matters.
Scott Bidstrup, USA

If the president had kept his pants on he would not have got himself in this kind of trouble to begin with. As an example, he should be a man of high standards and good morals, both of which he needs much improvement. A person that lies about one matter, will lie about another. He needs to clean out his camp before he and his wife take on the world. God states that where there is sin in the camp there will not be success.
Canales, USA

I grew up with the Clintons. Little Rock is still a relatively small town. I've seen them at the library, dining out, at the movies and (every Christmas) at the performance of the Nutcracker Ballet....which Chelsea took part in almost from the day she could walk. I've watched her grow from a chubby little baby into a beautiful, intelligent young woman (whose heart must breaking).
I've seen scandal come and go since Clinton first took office as our Governor. He did a lot for our state and he's done a lot for our country and the world. This is nothing less than a witch hunt. I don't deny there's a possibility that the affair actually took place, but I think you're getting into dangerous waters when you start peeping into people's bedrooms. Do we really want to live in a country or world where someone can be kicked out of political office because of his/her sexual encounters?
There wouldn't be anyone who could run. And, no I don't believe that he told Lewinsky to lie - he's not anywhere near that stupid. Sorry if I've taken up too much room, but I've had enough of the whole thing.....leave the man and his family alone.
Sammi Ridgeway, USA

If the polls can be believed, we may be seeing the demise of sexual hypocrisy. One in three US wives cheat on their husbands, and husbands cheat on wives more often than that. Do we want a faithful bungler or a virile competent. Maybe competence and virility go together. Almost all the successful Presidents have had girlfriends. Maggie was quite safe with Reagan, as I suspect was any woman. Leave Clinton's private life alone and judge him on his service to the nation, not his girlfriends.
Frederick G Young, USA

The President is not some demi-god, he is HUMAN after all... it doesn't matter whether or not he did have sex with one (or all three at the same time), just that he does his job to the best of his ability: defend and preserve the Constitution.
Will Korin, USA

He lacks the integrity, ethics, and judgement to be President. Many attribute the good times we now enjoy to Clinton, but it is more likely to be the combination of circumstances rather than his leadership that brings prosperity. Many offer assertions, none offer proof. Lastly, would you trust your daughter with this man?
Donald, USA

If we're to ride Clinton out on the proverbial rail for his transgressions with women, we'd better ride most of Congress out, as well. If only there were an over-zealous Special Prosecutor for ALL the transgressors in the government! We'd turn into an anarchy... for a while... and then get real.
J Goodall, USA

A very Anglo-Saxon scandal. On the continent, a head of state can have a love child, or keep his mistress in an official residence, and nobody will turn a hair.
S. F. Joseph, Belgium

I have read comments from people from other countries who are critical of Americans disapproval of Clinton's sex life. America is the greatest, most moral nation that has ever existed on the face of the planet. Just because lesser nations of the world think it is ok for their leaders to be unfaithful to their wives, it does not mean that America should follow the lead of those lesser nations.
Dale Murphy, USA

When Clinton was elected and re-elected, the American people knew what kind of a President they were getting. Clearly, they prefer an exciting albeit venal leader (a la JFK) to a dull but honest one.
Chris

Let's consider the evidence...
(1) Marijuana: - he did smoke it, but didn't inhale.
(2) Lewinsky: - he did have a degree of closeness to her, but didn't consummate the relationship.
Call me a cynic, but I see a pattern beginning to develop.
Chris Hughes, UK

Four words: Storm in a teacup!
Steve Olson, UK

An amazing story of a man who came from nowhere to win the highest post in the land. And the right just can't stand it !
James Barnett, USA

A lot of fuss over nothing. His sex life, even his "economy with the truth" have little to do with his ability to govern, and I'm not sure if any president's private morals have made him deserving of the role model tag. Lincoln was probably the last.
Ben Broadbent, U.S.

Bill Clinton is the subject of not one isolated allegation, but several. As a leader, he should set an example that people can look up to and follow. He has attracted a lot of adverse publicity, which if proven to be true, makes his authority untenable and should lead to an immediate resignation or impeachment.
James Fletcher, Cape Town, South Africa

The most interesting comments I have heard so far were the ones from America's teenagers. In every interview the kids have said how ashamed or shocked they were and thought what the President did was bad enough to cause him to resign. They said he should be a role model for them. I was so proud of their resolve. The children should become a role model for the adults. America is a young country and has much to learn from the 'continent'. I do not agree that it should be condoning sexual affairs by their leaders. Go back to the caves until you have evolved a bit more.
B.J. Khalek, USA

As a mother of young impressionable boys I am appalled at the role modelling our president. Are there any morals left in our Country?
Paris Arcediano, USA

When the truth of this scandal investigation is complete, do not be surprised it will be bigger than 'The Profumo Affair' back in the sixties in Britain. President Clinton is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States. If you commit adultery in the armed forces you are instantly "out". Is he excluded because he is President? President Clinton is supposed to a role model for the people of the USA. What a joke!!
The rest of the world must be laughing at us.... we sit back and allow this to happen. His popularity is 62% the highest of any president in recent times. The American people do not care how many people he has sex with. The Republican Congress are instrumental in this country having a good economy, NOT Bill "Slick Willy" Clinton....now nick-named THE UNIBANGER.
Colin Cape

When I was a boy, I was told anyone could become president...Now I know its true.
Peter J McMullen, USA

A country's leader has to set the tone of the nation he is leading. Such a tone should be of the highest possible moral order. Sadly, Bill Clinton, in the light of recent revelations, has shown himself to be unworthy of his high office having descended into sexual impropriety and transparent deceit.
Rob Porteous, Australia

Six years of half truths and lies finally caught up to him. It is a sad commentary on America that so many people and the press wanted to overlook his lack of morals. How can we explain this to our children?
Patrick O'Brien, USA

The proper course of action for Mr. Clinton at this point is to go back down to Little Rock and crawl under it.
Mark Williams, USA

If B-actor Ronald Reagan was fit to be the President of the US, then how could Bill Clinton not be?
Luc Van Rompaey, Belgium

Stick a fork in him-- he's done.
Terry Elliott, USA