Tide Turning to Hot Water for Clinton

WASHINGTON: With friends like these, who needs Republicans? President Clinton returns to Washington this holiday weekend to find Democrats in a distinctly uglier mood than when he left. Ever since the respected centrist Senator Joe Lieberman gave the signal from the Senate floor with a searing moral indictment, lawmakers on the left have been preparing to jump the Clinton ship. "Lieberman laid the groundwork," says TIME congessional correspondent Jay Carney. "He made it possible for Democrats to bolt if the Starr report is as bad as people expect."

Before the independent counsel's dossier hits the Hill, however, there's likely to be little talk of retribution. Even the maverick Rep. Marcy Kaptur is holding back -- "he doesn't have to resign," she said Thursday -- and Lieberman himself thought it too early to endorse resignation, impeachment or a more mild Congressional censure. But once Starr files, all hell may well break loose. "Given the mood of Democrats on the Hill right now," says Carney, "getting away with censure would be a victory for Clinton... in this snapshot moment, it certainly looks bleak for him." Of course, given the Comeback Kid's record of escaping from tight spots at the last minute, all bets are off.