Letter: Clintons distort, stonewall the truth

Friday, March 27, 1998 | 10:32 a.m.

"Mendacity 101" seems to be the only college law course that made a lasting impression on the passel of lawyers currently operating out of the White House -- and I most certainly include Yale Law School Alumni Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton in my assessment of these "legal manipulators."

From the very start of the Clinton administration, their tactics have been consistent -- i.e., smear, discredit, destroy, stonewall and distort the truth. The Travelgate fiasco is a perfect example of how these shysters operate.

When members of the press questioned and criticized the White House for the firings of Billy Dale and the other long-term employees of the Travel Office, their mendacious mentality went to work and spun a tale of suspicion of fund embezzlement against Dale.

The truth of the matter was the Clintons simply wanted a relative and some Hollywood friend to run the Travel Office. Since the truth smacked of political favoritism and would cast an unfavorable light on the Clintons, the "lawyerly" decision was made to destroy the reputation and career of Billy Dale.

Of course, Billy Dale was cleared of all these false charges -- at a cost to him of every dime of his savings, and over a year of his life, to say nothing of his career.

Sadly, the majority of Americans appear to care less about truth or candor or integrity or honor. Mendacity has reared its ugly head, and our nation is poorer for it. Oh, that's right -- "The economy is good!"

Nancy McKay