Cass Ballenger: “coverup is a nasty word in Washington. It is a powerful word, one that conjures up scandal and sin. It's a word that…”

“coverup is a nasty word in Washington. It is a powerful word, one that conjures up scandal and sin. It's a word that brought down a President. I hesitate to use the word ``coverup,'' so I won't when discussing the Whitewater affair. Instead, I will use the word ``neglect.'' By refusing to hold hearings or mount an investigation into the Whitewater affair, the Congress neglects its sacred oversight duty. The chairman of the Banking Committee acknowledged yesterday that his committee should and will investigate this affair. But he changed his story later in the day, no doubt under considerable pressure from the White House and the Democratic leadership. Mr. Speaker, the Congress investigates many different things every year, from the ridiculous to the sublime, from the October surprise to BCCI. But when it comes to a sordid story that has the Nation's newspapers intrigued, the Congress falls strangely quiet. I do not like to use the word coverup, but let me say this. We should not neglect our duty to investigate this affair.”