President as Role Model

The prudes keep bringing up the need of a virtuous presidency. As far as we can remember, since FDR, there has been only one American politician who could almost make it to sainthood, and that’s Jimmy Carter. All the others have systematically danced around the truth, been out to lunch, been caught with their pants down or claimed to be out of the loop.

Therefore the notion of a head of state as a role model is ludicrous and it befits only the designs of those who are seeking to turn our country into a theocracy.

LUIS FELIPE ALVAREZ

Los Angeles

* Re Michael Ramirez’s Feb. 13 cartoon: Attack Kenneth Starr? The longer the White House remains silent, the more embarrassed I am for voting for Bill Clinton. The longer he avoids this matter, the more we all become co-conspirators in defending this “good provider.”

The White House, the staff, the intern corps--all are being devalued because of the president’s fear. The longer he waits, the more serious it becomes and the more supporters he will drag into this mess.

As creepy and uncomfortable as this is, I am grateful for Starr and the news media. Whatever the truth is, I want to know it.

JAMES GLENNON

Malibu

* Regarding the Starr investigation, I never thought that I would see the day when Americans are dragged in front of a bunch of strangers and interrogated about their intimate personal lives and that of their children. Especially, in the case of Marcia Lewis (Monica Lewinsky’s mother) this amounts to torture. Aren’t there violations of human rights involved?

I always thought that interrogation was something that the KGB did during the Cold War. Disgusting as this was, they seemed to have been doing it when “state security” matters were involved.

S.A. HOVANESSIAN

Los Angeles

* I viewed with amusement Paul Conrad’s cartoon (Feb. 13) of Monica Lewinsky’s 15 minutes of fame. I can hardly wait to see his depiction of Bill Clinton’s 15 seconds of shame.

STEPHEN J. GLAZER

Seal Beach