One More 'Sorry'?

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WASHINGTON: Will Bill Clinton have to do this himself? As his lawyers drag constitutional experts, politicians and anyone else in front of the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday, White House aides are fighting over whether the President should go public one more time. The thinking is that a once-again-doleful Clinton will appease the two dozen moderate Republicans who will decide his fate next week. "They finally appear to be getting the message that one more act of contrition might do the trick," says TIME congressional correspondent John Dickerson. "And thats something the lawyers cant do for him."

Special Report Any man that has gotten himself in as much trouble as Bill Clinton has over the years has to have more grasshopper in him than ant. But it's been Clintons deep fear of postpresidency prosecution that has him on the brink of impeachment; all that legal hairsplitting has galvanized Republicans against him despite the publics tolerance. Should Clinton concentrate on the here and now, and make an honest play for that all-important constituency of two dozen? One longtime Clinton adviser told the Washington Post that it may already be too late. "If he wants to go out and apologize for the umpteenth time, fine," he said. "But it won't do any good." When have we heard that before?