Stephen M. Jones - Above The Law: THE UNTOLD STORY THAT IMPEACHED A PRESIDENT AND ROCKED A NATION

I n 1994 there was a grassroots movement going on by conservative fundamentalists to take back the country before it turned into a Canadian totalitarian society. Many foundations came together to form this coalition of conservative thought. The Jones vs. Clinton case was just a pawn to a bigger game being played. The effect of Clintons shenanigans was a change in power in both the house and the senate. This was by design, not fate, or blind luck, as some might suggest. It was a calculated move as the other side capitalized on the weakest link. This change of ideological control is not new. It has been happening since civilization began and will be replayed again and again long after were dust.

The infamous Ken Starr, at that time not yet a household name, talked to Paulas attorney about strategy concerning presidential immunity. He almost submitted a brief in support of Paula, only to bow out due to conflict of interest in his newly appointed role as independent counsel.

There we were lining up all our ducks in a row, ready to prove Clintons pattern of behavior with women, and boom! Starr shows up at the penny arcade with his Red Rider BB gun, and pings one of our ducks. He crosses over from Whitewater to Lewinsky to drive a stake deep into the heartbeat of the case.

Judge Wright set the parameters of which women we could subpoena. If Clinton had any sexual relations that resulted in harassment, job promotion, or an appointment, then they were fair game. If any of the many women we subpoenaed fell into this category, it was Lewinsky. Starr called Judge Wright to say we were interfering in a possible federal indictment, so the Judge disallowed Lewinskys deposition, reneging on her own parameters she had set.

King Starr was about to sacrifice the pawn.

How on earth did a quest for an apology for sexual harassment evolve into a conservative crusade? Easy, most conservatives believe they hold the moral high ground, and liberals are immoral and corrupt. I capitalized on this thinking. The problem was you cant have it both ways. You cant use people without being used yourself. Theres always collateral damage, so the question is, is it manageable? I thought so, but I was wrong. Clinton thought so, and he was wrong.

Do you think Robert Bennett, Clintons lawyer, believed his client? Remember, I said believed, not believed in.

Bennett let the goose out of the bag when he said he wanted the sealed affidavit containing the description by Paula of Clintons lower extremities. Bennetts own words were, I want that affidavit. I think its horseshit, but I want it.

Theres the twitch. Did you see it? I did, when he said, I think, and I want.

Heres a big roller, high stakes lawyer boy who had just made an elementary mistake. He let his big mouth ego overload his insecurities about his client, and he spilled the beans. Hey now, hold on just a cotton pickin minute. Dont believe for a second that Bennett simply wanted the affidavit to prove there were no characteristics. Collateral damage is the name of the game. Bennett knew about Clintons womanizing. It was easy to win a he says, she says case. Throw into the mix distinguishing characteristics, and you have a lawyer with a perplexity.

Is he going to ask the president to prove it, or is he going to take his word for it. Looks to me like he went with the latter, and that has to get under the skin of a big shot like Bennett. If youre going to be in a position to wheel and deal, you better damn well have all the answers to all the questions, especially if youre representing the president of the United States. Law School 101, dont ever ask a question to which you dont already know the answer. When opportunity knocks, take it. There is leverage when the other side, right under your nose, uses words like, I think, and I want.

Think about it. Why would a big dog attorney want to negotiate to buy worthless horseshit? I guess theres a fine line between horseshit and being full of it.

Too bad I didnt learn about Bennetts comments until almost two weeks after the fact inside another Little Rock hotel room the night before going in front of Judge Wright to schedule the case for trial. That bit of knowledge most definitely reinforced my resolve to stick to my guns when secret negotiations were going on behind our backs between Paulas and Clintons attorneys.

On the flip side, Paulas attorneys werent a hundred percent sure of their clients credibility given her past. So there you go, pretty much a stalemate with political overtones from both sides. Like Arkansas road kill, all the buzzards surrounded the courthouse posed for a media feast.

In 1989, I was working for an airline as a customer service agent in Memphis. The airline cut their staff, so I, along with four other agents, used my seniority to bump into the Little Rock station.

The Little Rock station was small, about three flights a day, so you had to work the ramp loading planes as well as providing passenger service at the ticket counter.

I liked the change. Little Rock, like the station, was small with an air of tranquility and serenity. I was just getting over a seesaw relationship, so it was a clean slate for me. I leased a house in North Little Rock and started to settle into my new country homey life.

It didnt last long. One night when I left the airport at the end of my shift and headed home down Roosevelt Boulevard toward the expressway that would take me north, I was about to turn on the exit ramp when I noticed a woman at a Texaco service station in distress. She was waving her hands above her head frantically trying to get my attention. Being of a southern gentlemen, I pulled over to see what, if any, assistance I could render in her moment of need. I came to a stop, rolled down the window on the passengers side, and asked her what happened? Were you in an accident?

She kept saying something about her head, but I didnt see any cuts or bruises. As she tried to lean in further, I noticed her breasts were nearly exposed. Could she have been raped? I couldnt understand a word she was saying. Finally I turned down my car radio and her words became clear and direct. She wasnt saying her head was injured, she was asking me if I wanted some head. Hells bells, she was a prostitute working the street corner, not a damsel in distress. Ive seen things like this in Las Vegas, but not in Dog Patch USA.

Boy that popped my perception of Little Rock in a hurry. Embarrassed by my premature interpretation of events, I took off without her fully moving clear of my vehicle.

After about six months went by, I was informed by my landlord that his son would be getting out of a half-way house in thirty days and would be moving back home. I said, Thats nice, but how does this exciting news concern me?

Well, he replied, I was a renting this here place for my son until he got out of jail for drug running. I musta forgotten ta mention it. But dont you worry, not one little bit. Ive told my son all about ya and hes happy to have a roommate. Sort of like a big brother and all. You know, to help rehabilitate him back into society..

I acted like I was thinking about it for a second or two, just to be polite. Then I wished him all the luck in the world with his boy, and that Id be out as soon as I could find a new place.

It seems that Little Rock was on the cutting edge of redefining my perceptions. So, I moved a little further north into a two-bedroom townhouse in Sherwood, which suited me just fine.

I worked the afternoon shift like the other guys that came over from Memphis. Since we were all new to town and pretty much in the same situation, we flocked together. Soon a tradition was born in the employee parking lot. After work guys would back up their trucks back to back, let down the tailgate as if it were a tailgate party. We would pop the top of a few cold ones and shoot the breeze, or someone would bring out some fishing rods and wed fish the Arkansas spillway until the wee hours of dawn. It was a simple, but effective psychological rehab from being home alone.