Clinton's Testimony: Monica keeps a low profile

WHILE PRESIDENT Bill Clinton sought to explain himself yesterday, the woman at the centre of the storm, Monica Lewinsky, has dropped out of sight.

She was assumed to in California with her family. Doubtless she was eager to see what her ex-boss had to say. There cannot be many people who have had their office affairs exposed in quite this way, with speculation on the nature of her sexual activity debated in the media and made the subject of jokes around the world.

Ms Lewinsky's first lawyer, William Ginsburg, thought it good for her to have a relatively high profile. He arranged for her to do a photo shoot for Vanity Fair, appearing in one shot only in purple feathers. After he was dropped, her new legal team took her out of the public eye. Since then, she has barely been seen in public.

Her image, however, has become a daily feature in papers and on television. While the President will find it tricky to recover from the scandal surrounding their relationship, Ms Lewinsky will find it harder.

She has been taped by her "friend" Linda Tripp, has given evidence to the grand jury and been profiled by nearly every magazine and newspaper. On the tapes, she described herself as a liar. Her sexual habits with the President and other boyfriends have been revealed and questions have been raised over how she got jobs after she left the White House. Her name and reputation have suffered, and, unlike the President, she cannot take refuge in the fact that in two years she can step down and return to private life.