Raising the minimum wage. Fast track. The President’s Initiative on Race. A possible shutdown of the federal government. Iran on the verge of attacking Afghanistan. Russian political, economic and social upheaval. Venezuela nearing financial chaos.

These issues affect Americans. These issues have consequences for millions of people. These issues need attention from our leaders and the media.

But how many people are aware of President Clinton’s plans to address these issues?

Probably few. But how many people have not heard of the Starr report or seen the video of Clinton’s grand jury testimony? Once again, probably few.

It is a sad day when both the president and the public spend more time thinking about a sex scandal than they do about affairs of state. Most polls show Americans still highly approve of Clinton’s performance as president. Those same polls say the American public is sick of hearing about Monica Lewinsky.

But the coverage never ends, it only seems to intensify. It’s true the fact that Clinton’s Oval Office escapades could result in impeachment, but the media and politicians should realize that other issues directly affect Americas. It is perfectly understandable that the media reports all the latest details, but does the scandal merit constant updates and super-saturated coverage?

The attention of the president and the American public has been distracted from national issues by the ongoing Lewinsky-Starr saga. It is time for all the players involved to take a step back and realize that other important issues deserve national attention.