What If Linda Trip Sent Her Tapes to China?

October 29, 1998 John Fund of the Wall Street Journal asked a question recently. What if Linda Tripp had sent her tapes to China? Intriguing question. And it gets at the heart of an issue that has been largely ignored in the White House scandal. It's not just about sex, it's also potentially about blackmail.

Those who serve in government must receive an FBI background check. Applicants with a history of reckless sexual behavior are routinely declined because they may be subject to the risk of international blackmail. There is one exception: the President is not subjected to an FBI background check.

The Code of Federal Regulations makes it clear that sexual behavior is a security concern if it is "compulsive or addictive" and "self-destructive or high-risk." A person may lose a security clearance for "personal conduct or concealment of information."

We now know that Monica Lewinsky discussed her affair with 11 people, one of which was Linda Tripp. Linda Tripp recorded the conversations. But what if she took those tapes to Chinese or Iranian diplomats? Is it possible that they might try to blackmail the president?

In a sense, President Clinton was blackmailed by Monica Lewinsky. According to her testimony, she wrote him a "Dear Sir" letter after he ended the relationship. She threatened to tell others about the relationship unless she was relocated back to the White House. The next day, the president hauled her in and yelled at her that "it's illegal to threaten the President."

Apparently the threat worked because immediately the president began to call on advisors and friends to find Monica Lewinsky a job. But what if the threat came from a foreign government? The current scandal is not just about sex, it's about the threat of blackmail.

I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.