The question then becomes not what Clinton did in private but how he handled it in public. In the Watergate scandal, it was not the original sin but the cover-up that brought Richard Nixon down. But, despite what Clinton's sharpest critics say, his alleged affair does not compare in severity to Nixon's attempts to subvert the Constitution, actions that trampled all over the line that separates private conduct and public consequences. Nevertheless, the public has good reason to be troubled if this crisis sends the message that private conduct should not count for anything. It does count, or at least it should.
Page is a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist specializing in urban issues.