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 Willey Concedes 'Spin War' (03-20-98)

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 Report: Willey Wanted To Sell Story To Supermarket Tab (03-19-98)

 White House Strikes Back At Willey (03-16-98)

 Willey v. Clinton: Who's Lying? (03-16-98)


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Poll: Public Divided On Willey's Credibility

Clinton's approval rating remains high despite Willey, Jones and Lewinsky

By Keating Holland/CNN

clintonpoll

WASHINGTON (March 20) -- The public remains divided over whether President Bill Clinton made an unwanted sexual advance toward Kathleen Willey, but the White House attempts to raise questions about her may be working, according to the latest CNN/TIME poll.

Nearly half the country believes that Willey told her story on "60 Minutes" mostly for personal or monetary gain. Only a quarter believe that she did so to let the public know her side of the story while 21 percent say she went public in order to damage Clinton politically.

Also in this poll:

Half also say that they are less likely to believe her description of the incident after hearing about the friendly letters Willey sent to Clinton and her acceptance of several positions within the administration.

Only one in seven Americans have a favorable view of Willey although over half are still unsure how they feel about her. Clinton, by contrast, is viewed favorably by 58 percent of the public. That figure is exactly the same favorable rating he had in February, indicating that Willey's story has not affected the public's view of him.

The survey of 1,032 adult Americans was conducted March 18-19, 1998 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

Did Clinton Make Unwanted Sexual Advance Toward Willey?
Yes
No

41%
44%
Why Did Willey Tell Her Story Publicly?
Monetary/personal gain
Hurt Clinton politically
Tell her side of the story

48%
21%
24%
Less Likely To Believe Willey After Hearing About Letters?
Yes
No

51%
43%
Opinion of Willey
Favorable
Unfavorable
Unsure

14%
32%
54%
Opinion of Clinton
Favorable
Unfavorable

58%
37%
Which Allegation Is The Most Serious?
Monica Lewinsky
Kathleen Willey
Paula Jones

35%
28%
9%

Should Clinton be impeached?

clintonpoll

Most Americans believe that Clinton has engaged in a pattern of sexual misconduct while president, but they continue to believe that Clinton's moral standards are about the same as those of the average married man and only a third think that he is addicted to sex.

A majority -- 58 percent -- say that Independent Counsel Ken Starr is going too far in investigating Clinton's sexual behavior, and 60 percent say he should end his investigation now and present his results to Congress.

Most of the public does not think that Clinton should be impeached even if the evidence shows that he made an unwanted sexual advance toward Willey. Even fewer Americans believe that Clinton should be impeached if the allegations about him in the Paula Jones or Monica Lewinsky case turn out to be true.

And in any case, three-quarters say that if it were true that Clinton made a sexual advance toward Willey, they would be more bothered by his lying about it under oath than about the act itself.

Has Clinton Engaged In Pattern of Sexual Misconduct?
Yes
No

52%
28%
Clinton's Moral Standards Compared To Average Married Man
Higher
Lower
About the same

8%
37%
51%
Is Starr Going Too Far?
Yes
No

58%
37%
Should Starr End Investigation And Give Results To Congress?
Yes
No

60%
34%
Should Clinton Be Impeached If Willey's Story Is True?
Yes
No

32%
60%
If Willey's Story Is True, What Would Bother You More?
Clinton lying under oath
Clinton making advance

74%
15%

State of the nation

Another reason why Clinton remains popular is that the public thinks things are going well in the country and give Clinton credit for that.

Seventy-six percent say that things are going very well or fairly well in the country today -- about as high as that figure has been in 25 years. And 77 percent approve of how Clinton is handling the economy, up significantly since January.

And Clinton's overall approval rating is 67 percent, essentially unchanged for the past eight weeks -- more evidence that Willey or any other allegation has not affected Clinton's standing with the public.

Things Are Going Well These Days
Yes
No

76%
24%
How Clinton Is Handling The Economy
Approve
Disapprove

77%
16%
How Clinton Is Handling His Job As President
Approve
Disapprove

67%
28%
In Other News

Friday March 20, 1998

Clinton's Lawyer Wants Jones' Lawsuit Thrown Out
Bennett Flip-Flops On Jones' Sexual Past
White House Scandal At A Glance
Washington Lobbying Tops $1.2 Billion A Year
Bennett Says Willey Not Relevant To Jones' Case

Poll:
Public Divided On Willey's Credibility





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