(16 Sep 1998) English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton has faced reporters for the first time since the release of independent counsel Kenneth Starr's report on the president's alleged misconduct with Monica Lewinsky.
Clinton was hosting visiting Czech President Vaclav Havel to discuss foreign relations, but the only relations the press wanted to hear about were those between the president and the former White House intern.
When asked about accusations he lied under oath, the president continued his campaign of contrition, saying he admitted what he did was wrong but went into no further detail.
He also withheld his opinion on the likely release of his videotaped testimony in the case by the House of Representatives, saying it was the legislators' decision to make.
U-S President Bill Clinton and Czech President Vaclav Havel held a round of discussions on Wednesday on everything from Kosovo and Russia's economic crisis to the Czech Republic's admission into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
But when Clinton and Havel arrived for their news conference at the U-S State Department, they found a press corps hungry to discuss the U-S president's sexual - not foreign - relations.
It was the first time Clinton faced reporters since last week's release of the damaging report on his behaviour by independent counsel Kenneth Starr.
President Clinton praised Havel for leading his country towards greater democratic reforms and a greater international stature.
But after a few questions on foreign policy, Clinton quickly found that he could not escape the hottest topic in Washington - his affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and whether he lied about it.
UPSOUND: (English)
"Do you still maintain that you did not lie under oath in your testimony?"
SUPER CAPTION: Reporter asking question
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I have said for a month now that I did something that was wrong. On last Friday at the prayer breakfast, I laid out as carefully and as brutally honestly as I could what I believe the essential truth to be. I also said then and I will say again that I think that the right thing for our country and the right thing for all people concerned is not to get mired in all the details here, but to focus - for me to focus on what I did, to acknowledge it, to atone for it and then to work on my family, where I still have a lot of work to do, difficult work, and to lead this country to deal with the agenda before us."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President
With Clinton's Republican opponents steaming over the report and with criticism within his own Democratic Party growing, talk of resignation is echoing around Capitol Hill.
But when asked about the likelihood of that happening, the president reaffirmed his commitment to work through the crisis and get on with leading the country.
Clinton played down the personal toll the Lewinsky crisis was having on him, but said both he and the country want to put it behind them.
UPSOUND: (English)
"Can you foresee any circumstances where you might consider resignation, either because of the personal toll on you or the toll on the country?"
SUPER CAPTION: Reporter asking question
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President
The bombshells for the president surrounding the scandal and its portrayal to the public appear not to be over yet.
Congressional Republicans are actively planning to release videotape of Clinton's grand jury testimony, in which he reportedly appears angry and defensive.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
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