Updated: Apr 2 1998 5:34PM

Jones: Working out her frustration. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/AP

President Clinton is "pleased," Paula Jones is "tearful," and Ken Starr is just doing his job, m'am. One day after Susan Webber Wright threw out the sexual harassment suit of the decade, all of the main players have had a shot at spinning the story. For the White House, it's a fully fledged vindication of Bill Clinton that puts pressure on Ken Starr to wrap up his Lewinsky investigation. Starr insists it has "no effect on our authority." And for Jones spokeswoman Susan Carpenter-McMillan, the ruling is a travesty that declares "open season on women here in this country for groping and grabbing."

Nationwide plagues of sexual harassment aside, what can we expect in the days and weeks ahead? "One thing is certain," says TIME congressional correspondent Jay Carney. "House Republicans won't be very enthusiastic about pursuing an impeachment case over perjury and obstruction of justice charges that stem from a case that a federal judge threw out." Especially not in an election year. While Clinton's approval rating percentage is soaring into the 70s, the GOP is most likely to hear the one spin that speaks loudest of all: That of the ballot box.

-- Chris Taylor