URL: http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9808/09/se.01.html :: Special Event :: :: Investigating the President: Can Bill Clinton Escape the Perjury Trap? :: :: Aired August 9, 1998 - 4:00 p.m. ET :: :: :: Gene Randall in Washington :: DAVID CORN, "THE NATION" MAGAZINE :: DONALD LAMBRO, "WASHINGTON TIMES" :: ALEXIS SIMENDINGER, "NATIONAL JOURNAL" :: :: :: RANDALL: Don, you've got a story today about what could happen if :: Republicans press for impeachment on, basically, a sex case against the :: president. A Democratic scorched-earth policy against the GOP. Tell us :: about that? :: :: LAMBRO: Well, a number of reports, and I talked to other Democrats who :: confirm this, that if this goes to House of Representatives, if there is :: an impeachment inquiry, it is going to be a scorched-earth policy by the :: Democrats to go after the Republicans in the House, in the leadership, :: dig up all the dirt they can on leadership, on members, Republican members :: of the House Judiciary Committee. It's going to be the same thing they :: did in campaign finance scandal -- Everybody does it, what's the big deal. :: :: RANDALL: Would this fly? :: :: CORN: Well, people I talk to don't really have a -- it's more a sentiment :: than a plan. And I don't think it's actually going to come into being :: because we're not even going to get close to impeachment, because it's :: just not in the Republicans' political interest to drag this stuff up, :: and if people go back look at what Newt Gingrich did with his first :: wife, and all this stuff. It's just -- they have no political interest :: in doing this, so they will not do so. :: :: RANDALL: We got to get Alexis in here. :: :: SIMENDINGER: You don't need to execute the plan. You just have to let :: people think it's out there, and it's going to have a chilling effect. :: :: LAMBRO: The Democrats, I think, are closer than you think. They just hired :: three lawyers to prepare them for impeachment on the Judiciary Committee. :: :: CORN: Well, how many have the Republicans hired already; they have a :: whole task force on impeachment that has been studying the issue. They :: are going to blink. They are not going to do this. :: :: LAMBRO: All right, three attorneys to prepare them for impeachment :: proceedings. :: :: RANDALL: Let's all take time to blink, because we must take a :: break. Coming up, memories of Watergate and those who caution on getting :: those memories straight. Stay with is. :: :: (COMMERCIAL BREAK)