Middletown Finds It All A Trial

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday February 2, 1999

JOHN HUXLEY

It's the small American town to beat all others but, writes JOHN HUXLEY, its residents like to think big.

FOR the best clue to what Middle Americans hereabouts think about the impeachment of their President, just check out some of the bumper stickers plastered over the Chevvy pick-up parked outside the Little Cowpoke Cafe on main street.

"Impeach the President . . . and her husband," reads one. "What's yellow, hen-pecked and lays chicks?" asks another. "Re-erect Clinton," suggests yet another.

The consensus is that the trial is a joke. An expensive joke, according to Fred Pospiech. "Why, it's the biggest waste of taxpayers' money I ever heard of. Bill did bad and deserved a scolding - but this is just folks playing politics. It's time for the nation to let go and move on."

So angry is the retired print worker that he refuses to watch or listen to coverage of the trial. "I just change channels or switch to another station. I like the sound of the '50s. Specially Sinatra."

Pospiech's attitude typifies that of the 1,100 people of Middletown, a relatively poor, remote, mountain-encircled community, in far northern California. The town is probably too far west and too far north to be wholly representative of that mythical place, Middle America, but it is about as far away, in location and political outlook, from Washington DC as is possible.

It scrapes by on mining, ranching, retailing and some grape-growing, and has four churches, four bars, one casino and a wholly respectable massage parlour. "There's not a heck of a lot going on here, to be honest," concedes Leonard Fadeeff.

A local teacher, Fadeeff plans to continue watching the impeachment, when he can, on the cable TV network C-Span. "You can't help it. You get pulled into it, especially now the witnesses are appearing. But at the end of the day it's just a political contrivance. A piece of shit politics by the Republicans. They've got a lot to lose," says Fadeeff, who normally votes Democrat.

"But they are going to push on and demonstrate that Clinton's behaviour was atrocious. The President's legacy will be tarnished. But, hey, we knew that already. Sooner or later, we have to put this thing behind us.

"Meanwhile, we know it: Australia, Europe, the whole world is laughing at us for getting caught up in this whole mess."

Yolanda Williams, a secretary in Santa Rosa, 45 minutes' drive from Middletown, agrees. She has been appalled, though not surprised, by Kenneth Starr's revelations.

"Clinton's messing around? Well, that's typical politicians, isn't it? But the inquiry has already come up with stuff I didn't want to know, didn't need to know."

Williams believes that the impeachment process has achieved so much momentum that it is unstoppable. "It's just got to run its course, for a few more weeks, I guess."

Despite their alarm at how easily the world's most powerful nation has become sidetracked into discussion of stains, cigars and the meaning of sex, most of the Middletown residents interviewed did confess that they would be interested in seeing Monica Lewinsky give evidence.

"That poor girl," one woman said, innocent of the double meaning until her friend started giggling. "I can't see how she's gonna handle it."

Probably like most of America, Middletown is less concerned with what Clinton did or did not do in his private life than with what he plans to do about pressing public issues such as social security and education.

"Thing is, he's good on these things that really matter to a town like this," says Pospiech. "I say, let him get on with it."

Even in Middletown views are coloured by big-city, Washington Beltway cynicism. As one man, who did not wish to be named, explains: "The view is, Bill did bad, he lied about it, but the economy's booming so let's forget it.

"OK, but just say Bill did nothing bad, he told the truth and the economy was bust . . . sure as anything we'd all be for lynching him."