THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, August 29, 1994                TAG: 9408270019
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   44 lines

CLINTON'S WAY IS WRONG

Columnist Cal Thomas wrote ``Clinton is not perceived as honest,'' and on the same day Perry Morgan notes that ``Clinton's image simply won't hold polish'' (op-ed, Aug. 14).

Columnist Don Feder berates the Clintons for being hypocritical (``If liberals walked the walk'') while columnist Tony Snow reminds us that ``The Presidential Legal Expense Trust is unlawful'' (op-ed, Aug. 15).

Each columnist reminds us of Clinton's various character deficiencies, meaning his lack of integrity or penchant for duplicity. Surely, Slick Willy has earned his present dilemma or credibility gap with the American people and Congress, for even his new biographer, John Brummett, has written that Clinton seems to have an almost pathological inability to tell the whole truth.

George Bush paid handsomely for breaking his pledge to the voters not to raise taxes, and thus lost the election. The lesson should have been clear that character and truthfulness are more enduring than the economy, even amid a mighty recession.

In our hearts, the American people want a standard bearer in the White House who is honorable, honest, straightforward, and clothed in the dignity the highest office in the world deserves. This cannot happen amid Whitewaters, unexplained suicide, unjust riches, open support of homosexual behavior, a belief that the unborn can be scuttled at whim of the mother, and lawsuits alleging sexual harassment.

Never before in the history of the United States has there been as serious a threat to our families, to our children and to our individual liberties as there is today, and unfortunately the threat comes directly from the very office that should be protecting us.

Today, the thing that is standing in the way of Mr. Clinton implementing his warped agenda is his own flawed character and lack of integrity, which is fortunately being clearly discerned and written about by our news media.

ROBERT D. RUFFIN JR.

Virginia Beach, Aug. 23, 1994 by CNB