Clinton's popularity grows

President Bill Clinton's popularity increased after he held a televised news conference focusing on the Whitewater affair, according to two new opinion polls, AFP reports from Washington. In a survey by USA Today/CNN/Gallup, Mr Clinton's approval rating rose to 52 per cent, up two percentage points from a similar survey on 13 March, when the Whitewater scandal threatened to paralyse the White House. Approval for his handling of the Whitewater affair, which concerns land-development investments he and his wife, Hillary, made in Arkansas in the late 1970s, shot up from 39 per cent to 50 per cent.

A second poll taken on 25-27 March also showed a swing back to Mr Clinton. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 57 per cent approved of his performance, a 10-point gain from a 22 March poll.