No one expects President Clinton to speak out very strongly on human rights during his upcoming trip to China. About the only way the Chinese could upset him is if their checks bounced.

- Clinton has a certain fascination with Chinese history. After all, this is a country whose leaders still had concubines well into this century. And none of them had lawyers.- I would hate to be the speechwriter putting together Clinton's remarks for his appearance in Tiananmen Square. The expression "so-called massacre" could have the same repercussions as "I never inhaled."

- It is a very delicate situation if Clinton stands up there and says, "Free the dissidents! Free Tibet!" The president of China would respond - "Free Susan McDougal!"

Join the Conversation
We’re testing some changes to our moderation system. You’ll see two changes:
  1. Fewer comments automatically sent to moderation (we hope).
  2. Lower tolerance for uncivil comments. If you encounter a warning that your comment will be sent to moderation, try revising before you submit for the best chance of approval.
Your feedback is welcome and can be submitted here.
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.