President Clinton said sorry yesterday for his affair with Ms Monica Lewinsky - the first time he has explicitly apologised for his conduct. His apology came amid rising expectations in Washington that, as former political supporters turned against him, he would face at minimum a reprimand or censure in the Senate.
The apology followed a startling attack on him in the US capital by a leading Democrat senator, Mr Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, hitherto a friend and faithful supporter of the President.
From the Senate floor on Thursday, Mr Lieberman denounced Mr Clinton in Old Testament tones for his "disgraceful", "inappropriate", "immoral" and "harmful" behaviour, "particularly to our children," in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
"He failed to show that he understood that his behaviour had diminished the office he holds and the country he serves," he said.
Briefed about Senator Lieberman's attack, Mr Clinton set aside a few moments as he was meeting the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in Government Buildings, to take questions from American journalists. Asked to comment, the President Clinton said he would not take issue with what the senator said.
"Basically I agree with what he said," said Mr Clinton added. "I've already said that I made a bad mistake. It was indefensible and I'm sorry about it . . . there's nothing that he or anyone else could say in a personally critical way that I . . . would disagree with since I have already said it myself, to myself. And I'm very sorry about it."
The attack was the latest in a barrage of criticism levelled at the President which in the US has tended to overshadow his Russian and Irish visits.
The White House chief-of-staff, Mr Erskine Bowles, had personally appealed to Senator Mr Lieberman to delay his speech until the President returned from Ireland. Senator Lieberman, a rather humourless conservative, is respected for his stand on moral issues. Few legislators reject a presidential request.
The seriousness of the attack by the Senator was underlined when two influential colleagues, Mr Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, and Mr Bob Kerry, of Nebraska, joined Mr Lieberman and made similar remarks following his.
US House of Representatives leaders will meet next Wednesday to prepare for receiving the report of the Special Prosecutor investigating Mr Clinton, Mr Kenneth Starr, and discuss the logistics of any impeachment process, a house leadership aide said yesterday. Mr Clinton is also expected to make further expressions of contrition, following his Dublin statement, the White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, said in Dublin.