Clinton. Do I want the distinction of being probably the only columnist in the world not to have voiced an opinion about him?

I was intending to be, but then I had a letter from regular reader Kathleen Yates whose attitude seems to reflect one of two diametrically-opposed points of view of the embattled US president.

People are either for him or against him. Few couldn't care less one way or the others. Kathleen is for him.

"Bill Clinton is an attractive, handsome man," she writes. "He is also President of the United States, which gives him power and status. All these women fell for him, and although he is President, he is no different to any other normal bloke who is bound to be flattered by their attention. If the man is doing a good job, his personal life is of no concern to the rest of the community.

"In this day and age, we are bombarded with sex and sexual harassment from breakfast, through lunchtime, till dinner. Let him that is without sin cast the first stone. I say leave Bill Clinton alone and let him remain in office, as President."

That's what a lot of other people are saying, too - particularly in the United States, where the Clinton years have coincided with a period of affluence for many Americans.

But it does rather miss the point. The case against Clinton isn't that he has used his powerful position to attract and seduce young women or has been a willing victim of their flattery. It isn't that he betrayed his wife (although that could well be her case against him should she ever choose to pursue it). If, when challenged, he had owned up, apologised to Hilary and told the rest of us that it was none of our business, he would have been forgiven and perhaps even admired for his honesty and directness.

But he didn't. He lied and lied and lied. And when he was finally found out in his lies, he grovelled for forgiveness so that he can stay in office and enjoy all its trappings. It was transparent and it was pathetic.

The man is dishonest from top to toe. He has no respect for anyone: not his wife, not his daughter, certainly not the women he has indulged himself with, not the American public who still seem more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Above all, he has no self-respect. He is driven by a keen survival instinct which over-rides any pride or integrity.

A tragedy for America is that most of the people who live there seem to think he's the best person available for the job. A worse tragedy for us all is that they're probably right.

Enjoy Mike Priestley's Yorkshire Walks

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.