Asked about Juanita Broaddrick's recent allegations that Clinton assaulted her 21 years ago in an Arkansas hotel room, [Health and Human Services Secretary Donna] Shalala said she has reached no conclusion about whether she believes Broaddrick or the terse denial issued by Clinton's lawyer—and said she doesn't need to in order to do her job."I take all of this very seriously," Shalala said of Broaddrick's allegations, adding that "I do not compartmentalize" by making separate judgments about personal conduct and public performance. At the same time, Shalala said, "I'm both a patriot and a professional; I serve the nation and the president."
This conviction, she said, allows her to pursue what she considers important issues on Clinton's behalf without knowing for sure what to believe about his past.
[Ed.: Broaddrick's rape allegation came just as Vice President Gore announced $223 million in "grants to help detect and stop violence against women," an effort that he said would "hold abusers accountable." Also, concerning potential corroborative evidence backing up Broaddrick's account, presidential flak-catcher Lanny Davis wondered aloud, "How do we know she didn't lie to all her friends?" Good question, Lanny!]
