WASHINGTON, Aug 18: American President Bill Clinton's worries may be far from over. Despite his wrenching admission of adultery and deceit in an unprecedented nationally televised address, his angry defiance of what he clearly feels is a political witchhunt by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr has set the stage for more unseemly drama that has already sapped the nation for several months and provided a lurid spectacle worldwide.Political analysts say that any hope that President Clinton's mea culpa would draw a closure to the sordid affair has been dashed by his loaded comments about Starr's investigations, remarks that are said to be the handiwork of First Lady Hillary Clinton, who, despite the pain and humiliation of a perfidious and adulterous husband, is determined to pick up the political gauntlet and salvage his Presidency for him.Initial reports said Clinton's contrition-overriding bravado was a result of four hours of testy testimony at which the President was civil but taciturn, adopting whatsome experts described as a `limited hangout' approach. He acknowledged that he had an ``inappropriate relationship'' with Monica Lewinsky, but he declined to answer any graphic questions about the nature of the sexual relationship he had with her or elaborate on the contradictions with his earlier testimony. Clinton, who celebrates his 52nd birthday on Wednesday, also decided to end the questioning after four hours (it was the time limit previously agreed on) although the prosecutors said they had not yet finished. Although the total session lasted five-and-half hours, the President, who was testifying voluntarily, took several breaks.Experts felt that such a combative strategy raised the possibility of more legal battles between Ken Starr and the President. Starr could decide to subpoena the President now and force him to testify again in person before the Grand Jury. He could also send a report to the Congress - due some time in September - saying the President tried to impede a Grand Juryinvestigation, citing Clinton's refusal to answer questions.Besides, Starr is believed to have still more legal ammo. He has Lewinsky's reported testimony, including her version of how she and the President discussed ``cover stories'' to hide their affair. Then there is the still fully undisclosed contents of the taped conversations between Lewinsky and Linda Tripp.Despite Clinton's denial that he perjured or suborned perjury, Starr could very well produce more evidence, trash the President's legalistic interpretations, and make a case, although in the strictly legal sense under US law, answers that are technically true cannot constitute perjury even if they are misleading.Perhaps sensing that Starr's dogged pursuit will not end, the Clinton camp tried to move the issue to a political plane. That much was clear when moments after the President's testimony, his lead attorney David Kendall emerged from the White House and read out from a brief statement in which he referred to Starr's ``four-year, $40-million'' investigation that had gone on for too long and which needed to be ended following the President's mea culpa.So when Clinton took the pulpit - he addressed the nation from the same White Map room in which he testified hours earlier; also the same room where Franklin Roosevelt planned the Allied strategy in World War II - it was evident the speech was going to be as much about politics as about personal forgiveness.And Clinton, the quintessential political animal, did not disappoint. Looking in turn solemn, grim, and chafing, Clinton began in a repentant, confessional mode, acknowledging wrongdoing, but soon switched to attack gear, grating that the affair was a private matter. ``It's nobody's business but ours. Even Presidents have private lives. It is time to stop the pursuit of personal destruction and the prying into private lives and get on with our national life,'' Clinton fumed saying it was ``past time to move on'' and asking the American people ``to turn away from thespectacle of the past seven months, to repair the fabric of our national discourse, and to return our attention to all the challenges and all the promise of the next American century.''Quite noticeably, the President did not use the words ``sorry'' or ``apologise'' in his speech. Pundits were unanimous that the element was defiance and seething resentment outweighed the soupcon of contrition in his speech. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee and who will play a key role in deciding what the Legislature will do with Starr's report welcomed Clinton's penitence but chafed at the President's attempts to counterpunch Starr. Soon after the President's speech, the first opinion polls by CNN/ USA Today/ Gallup showed that by a 53-39 percent margin, Americans say they are satisfied with Clinton's explanation of his relationship with Lewinsky.The President's job approval rating remained high (62 per cent), but the public's favourable opinion of Clinton dropped from 60 per centto 40 per cent. However, 72 per cent of the respondents said no when asked if Clinton should resign, 69 per cent opposed impeachment and 63 per cent said his affair was a private matter.
