Let My Potato Go

How long, oh Lord, must we suffer? A lot depends on the House -- a vote to impeach means at least another six months of Monica. Meanwhile, President Clinton travels to the land of Canan -- but not before uttering an impassioned plea: Let my people go.

How successful will he be? A look at the ur-Hollywood pic, Cecil B. DeMille's "Ten Commandments", is straight from the Democrats' playbook. A young, strong, and less-nutty Chuck Heston leads his people from the cruel bondage of the Pharaoh Ramses (Yul Brynner). Of course there's the must-see Red Sea parting, and for fantasy time, plagues of frogs, boils and locusts that the Big Creep might enjoy visiting on the special prosecutor.

For a less comforting (read Republican) vision, Clinton can examine the "Decalogue", Krzysztof Kieslowski's ten-hour, brilliantly dark retelling of each of the commandments. Poland never looked more beautiful, even if watching all ten earnest hours seems more than a little dutiful. But -- careful, Bill -- don't look to close, not at a series that has segments with titles like "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery."

In either event, as they've said in another, better film, tomorrow is another day, and the president has several big ones coming up. So perhaps the best course is to kick back on Air Force One, relax, suspend disbelief, and take in the spectacle of Paul Newman as an Israeli freedom fighter in Otto Preminger's story of the founding of Israel, "Exodus". Time enough tomorrow to lobby. As the pharaoh says, "So let it be written. So let it be done."