![dek](https://content.time.com/time/98_moy/gallery_pics/02.jpg)
The President fought back, ignoring the Monica madness and delivering an unexpectedly strong State of the Union Address. Meanwhile, the First Lady took to the airwaves to denounce a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Confounding the pundits, the President's approval rating remained above 60 percent while the independent prosecutor's popularity plummeted.