End of the affair?

If the judgment in the sexual harassment case against President Bill Clinton signals the beginning of the end for this tedious and unedifying saga, it will be all to the good. The series of allegations against Clinton has not hurt his personal ratings in the United States, but it has sullied the dignity of the presidential office and directed his attention away from international events of genuine concern to the world.

The judge's decision was, on the basis of the evidence, perfectly sound. She ruled that, even if the President had acted in the manner alleged, it did not amount to sexual harassment, since Paula Jones offered no evidence of lost job opportunities. That judgment may give rise to concern in feminist circles because it poses the question of whether such behavior is acceptable in law, regardless of whether it might jeopardize a woman's career prospects. But that is a separate issue.

This particular case, like others yet to follow, is more than just an indictment of the alleged private proclivities of the president. They are a reflection of our times. Clinton is not the first occupant of the White House, and by no means the first world leader, to be accused of being a sexual predator. The casual affairs of John F. Kennedy have been widely reported since his death, as have the extramarital activities of other presidents. But such things were not talked of publicly three decades ago when it would have been unthinkable for the details of any individual's sex life to be held up for public scrutiny, in the way that the charges against Clinton have been.

In an era when the spotlight shines relentlessly on public figures, however, interest is all too readily diverted from the official role and performance of leaders to their private lives. There are strong arguments to support the view that it would have been better to have shelved the Paula Jones case until after Clinton's term ends. Now, with major challenges requiring cool judgment from Washington and with Clinton preparing for his visit to China, the hope must be that he will be able to concentrate on doing the things for which he was reelected -- and not end his presidency under a cloud of scandalous allegations and endless legal contortions that can only demean the office he holds.

-- South China Morning Post