Lewinsky Team: Prelude to a Negotiation

WASHINGTON: We have contact. Monica Lewinsky's new lawyers, it emerged late Wednesday, have already made overtures to Ken Starr's office -- and an immunity deal for the former intern may not be far behind. Plato Cacheris and Jacob Stein paid the prosecutor a courtesy call hours before the news broke that Lewinsky had hired them, ostensibly to make a clean break with the Ginsburg regime. Starr, it seems, was pleased with the tribute. Where immunity was concerned, his spokesman said, "the door is open."

"The dance begins," a source close to the defense told Reuters. "Like any good criminal lawyers, [Cacheris and Stein] are going in with the premise, 'If we can work something out, let's do it. If not, we'll kick Starr's butt in court.'"

Meanwhile, the man who never came close to kicking Starr's butt -- William Ginsburg -- spent Wednesday insisting to reporters that his rapid departure was "by mutual agreement." However, the once and future medical malpractice attorney admitted he did not know in advance that Lewinsky's family had selected new lawyers. Unlike Starr, Ginsburg did not warrant a courtesy call.