The investigation has involved, what, over four years of investigations amounting to millions upon millions (in the neighborhood of $30,000,000)of tax-payers dollars, hundreds of hours of reporting, and tying up the time of leading politicians which could have been better spent in providing proper government.

One would think if one couldn't discover improprieties in a year or two, one would start entertaining the possibility the Clintons not being guilty of any illegalities had become a probability and recommend the case be stopped due to lack of evidence.

So, why wasn't it? Why has Starr, and the Republican Party, driven to keep trying to find evidence where there was none? Why was there an attempt to coercice Susan McDugal into making false statements against the Clintons? That was according to her in an interview by Tim Russert, May 11, on Meet the Press.

In case the reader isn't familiar with the interview, Starr wanted a proffer (in this case, an incriminating statement) from Susan McDugal. She didn't have any statement to make which could have involved the Clintons in any impropriety so the attempt was made to get her to make one up, to lie.

Susan McDugal, still in prison at this writing, refuses to tell the special prosecutor anything other than the truth and only if it is testimony given under oath to Congress or a court.

As this writer understands it, she will freely testify but not to Starr or his staff or to any other body unless she is under oath to tell the truth. She is willing to tell the truth but refuses to make up anything incriminating against the Clintons. Her statement stressed the attempt was made to get her to lie, if necessary. According to her, she refused to do so.

So, where did the investigation leave Starr? As far as indicting the Clintons and formally charging them, he was up the creek without a paddle. But, he kept going anyway. Maybe, he just liked the limelight.

It must have been terribly frustrating for him to not be able to get any evidence against the Clintons in what, at first, seemed to be an open-and-shut case based on Republican reactions. And, as long as he could keep the investigation going, he was a big man on campus, so to speak.

But, that illusion has been slowly eaten away by his inability to find any evidence that the Clintons were involved in even a small illegality. The solution for his frustration? Stop the investigation of Whitewater specifically but leave the American public with the thought he had some evidence that Mrs. Clinton could be indicted but he wouldn't do so unless he was certain of a conviction.

But, Starr, if you don't have evidence to convict, then isn't it true, should you indict, it would have only been with the intent to smear the Clintons? And, by making the statement that you could, isn't this also just an attempt to smear the Whitehouse? We all know that some people will believe any charge, or charge by innuendo, whether it be true or not.

So, maybe, Ladies and Gentlemen, just maybe, the entire case has been one of smearing the Clintons, a smear campaign led by the Republican Party, that the goal hasn't been an actual attempt to indict.

Thus, it seems Starr is actually relying on guilt by innuendo while drawing to a close a case which has proved to be a case that should never have been, a case that was initiated without proper evidence to do so.

Nothing he, or the Republican Party, could come up with could sway the public against the Clintons. The American public was not misled as Mr. Clinton was elected to office for a second term by quite a wide margin, regardless of the smearing Starr and the Republican party attempted to do.

This writer believes that Whitewater will eventually be one of the most misrepresented, expensive, unnecessary, cases involving a special prosector in history. It is, and has truly been for three-and-a-half years, a fleecing of American tax dollars and is evidence only of the dirty pool politicians will resort to.

Sadly, this was obvious to many of us during the first few months of the investigation.

But, Mr. Starr need not worry about his future. Based on publishers wanting juicy stuff, whether true or not, and giving out huge contracts as they have been to prosecutors who have failed to prosecute, it is almost certain Starr will profit greatly from his four years of failing to find enough evidence to indict, let alone prosecute, the Clintons.

Special Addendum: I didn't know how desperate Starr and the Republicans were until what I believe to have been a conspiracy, a scam, was initiated.

I didn't know how thoroughly corrupt and dirty Republican leaders and Starr could be until this nation had to suffer through Lewinsky-Clinton.

This was a situation which should have never been publicized and would not have been had it not been for the probability of the Republican Party hiring or promising Jones great benefits for making what I believe to have been a fabricated claim of sexual harassment.

Whitewater was dead in the water as was Jones as far as undermining President Clinton was concerned. The failure of Jones to turn the public against Mr. Clinton led to Willey and Lewinsky.

Will I ever believe these three women to not have been part of a Republican conspiracy? Not a chance.

The entire ordeal leading up to the impeachment of Mr. Clinton while allowing an admitted felon to remain as House Speaker clearly proves Republicans don't care about truth and justice except when they find it to their advantage to do so.

However, their scheme, from the probable hiring of Jones, Willey, Lewinsky, and so on, backfired on them and, with a more aware society, perhaps all Republican leadership will be replaced with men and women of honor.

And, no, I don't have any proof to support my beliefs other than the feeling it was too pat and women kept coming forward at the right time to keep Starr's non-productive investigation going. More on this in later articles - a lot more.

Suffice it to say at this time I do not put anything above politicians when it comes to maintaining their individual and party power. Be assured - it is not your interest they ever have in mind.