Students can send a message to senator

Wednesday evening, North Carolina's junior Senator John Edwards will make his way from the Senate chamber to the Grandfather Mountain Ballroom in Plemmons Student Union for a town hall meeting.

There have been whispers in the national media that Edwards is eyeing the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. This is plausible, especially after Al Gore's narrow defeat at the hands of President George W. Bush in November's election.

If this is true, the Appalachian State University community has a unique opportunity: help shape the platform of a possible candidate for the highest office in the land.

As a student body, we have a rare opportunity to participate in the political process in a non-election year by asking tough policy questions of Edwards.

Usually a newspaper editorial will challenge the powers-that-be, but today we are calling the student body of Appalachian to action. Wednesday evening we must send a message to Edwards that candidates for public office can no longer ignore the vote of college-aged Americans.

We can do this by filling the Grandfather Mountain Ballroom to capacity and asking the senator tough questions during this town-meeting style forum.

Edwards states on his Web site that improving public education is one of his top priorities, striving to achieve this as a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Improving education is certainly a noble goal, but what is Edwards really doing to help public schools in North Carolina and across the nation?

Is he really working for this dignified cause, or is this merely a well-crafted public relations slogan designed to paint the would-be presidential candidate as a man who cares about our children?

There is one way to find out: attend the town meeting Wednesday evening and ask the senator if he will pursue any education improvement legislation during the 107th Congress or if his possible run for the White House will interfere with working for our public schools.

This is an opportunity to change the growing perception that the "A" in Appalachian stands for apathy. We have a chance to show Edwards that if he intends to run for the presidency, the road to Washington runs through Boone.

One step forward, two steps back was the theme for Bill Clinton's time in office

John T. Bennett

No one can accuse former President Bill Clinton of going away quietly.

The very man who brought us Whitewater and Monica and was constantly ridiculed and impeached by the political right, refuses to follow the lead of other former presidents who opted to quietly fade into private life after their respective tenures were complete.

Mr. Clinton seems to be obsessed with creating controversy.

Since time expired on his administration, Mr. Clinton has put together quite a list of controversial shenanigans.

The former president refused to allow President George W. Bush to enjoy the spotlight of the Jan. 18 inauguration ceremonies, giving several "farewell speeches" and drawing the attention from the mainstream media away from Bush.

Just when the smoke had cleared from Clinton's goodbye antics, the media broke the now-infamous story regarding Clinton's final hour list of pardons. Since the story broke, America has been subjected to the Marc Rich saga.

Did Mr. Clinton accept monetary compensation in return for the Rich pardon? The former president did not deny the accusation late last week saying only that there is not one shred of evidence to prove his guilt.

But wait, there's more.

There are also accounts in the media that Mr. Clinton and his senator bride began funneling furniture from the White House almost a year before his term ended.

Conservative columnist George Will pointed to the irony of the fact that some "borrowed" furniture from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue looked to be the straw that broke the camel's back in regards to Mr. Clinton's public approval ratings that soared during Whitewater and impeachment, but have sunk since "Furniture Gate" hit front pages around the nation.

Mr. Clinton attempted to mold a legacy by tirelessly working for a Middle East peace agreement.

When that failed, the former Arkansas governor turned his quest for a non-Monica legacy from the Middle East to the Midwest. Mr. Clinton used the power of the presidency to place large chunks of land under protection of the federal government, a move the Bush Administration is currently looking into.

The problem is, for every step forward, Mr. Clinton always takes two steps backwards, each time stumbling into another scandal.

After standing by their man through impeachment, powerful Congressional democrats are bailing from the Clinton bandwagon faster than water seeps through the Holmes Center roof.

These Democrats have finally come to see something the former president fails to realize: he sealed his political legacy long ago.

Mr. Clinton, no office space in Harlem is going to erase Monica from the minds of the American people.