Call Ken Starr!

WASHINGTON: In a world turned upside-down by Tuesday's election, this is the most surprising result: While leaving the door open to further surprises, House Judiciary Committee chair Henry Hyde has announced plans to call only one witness at his committee's scheduled impeachment hearings. His name? Kenneth W. Starr. Clinton's pursuer is "anxious to testify," according to Hyde. That the GOP majority would think of calling the less-than-telegenic independent counsel at all is evidence of a seismic shift in the Clinton impeachment process. Not that it means they’re throwing Starr to the wolves: "They think he can make a compelling case and rise above his low expectations," reports TIME congressional correspondent John Dickerson.

So much for the Watergate model. But as Hyde admitted, Starr could turn up on November 19 with a few surprises of his own. His office is said to be working feverishly on Kathleen Willey's accusation that Clinton made an advance and then attempted to prevent her from speaking out about it. But with the first referral now a weighty albatross around the GOP's neck, Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark) pleaded with the prosecutor: "We've got to conclude this matter. The public wants Starr to wrap this matter up as well. It is critically important that if he has anything, to send it over immediately." Says Dickerson: "The Republicans want to know if there's another shoe to drop." Which sounds an awful lot like what Democrats were saying before November 3. Don't be surprised if Dems themselves now turn around and ask Starr to cool his heels; after all, the independent counsel has been very good for them.