"He Has My Total, Absolute Support -- Until Next Week"

Ron Brown, former Democratic Party chairman and now the Secretary of Commerce, has been accused of accepting a $700,000 bribe from a Vietnamese businessman. But President Clinton is behind him. "He told me that he hasn't done anything wrong," Clinton said of Brown. "I think he's done a great job, and I have no reason not to believe him." As the examples below indicate, a person lasts, on average, about seven weeks after such an expression of presidential support.

SCANDAL

Accepting gifts

PRESIDENTIAL SHOW OF SUPPORT

"I personally like ((Assistant to the President Sherman)) Adams ... I respect him because of his personal and official integrity." -- President Eisenhower, June 18, 1958

TIME UNTIL RESIGNATION

14 weeks

SCANDAL

Kickbacks

PRESIDENTIAL SHOW OF SUPPORT

"My confidence in ((Vice President Spiro Agnew's)) integrity has not been shaken -- in fact, it has been strengthened by his courageous conduct and his ability." -- President Nixon, Aug. 22, 1973

TIME UNTIL RESIGNATION

7 weeks

SCANDAL

Personal debts

PRESIDENTIAL SHOW OF SUPPORT

"I don't know of anything illegal or even unethical that ((Budget Director)) Bert Lance has ever done." -- President Carter, Aug. 23, 1977

TIME UNTIL RESIGNATION

4 weeks

SCANDAL

Wedtech

PRESIDENTIAL SHOW OF SUPPORT

"I have no evidence of any wrongdoing on his ((Attorney General Edwin Meese's)) part in the allegations that are being kicked around." -- President Reagan, May 17, 1988

TIME UNTIL RESIGNATION

7 weeks

SCANDAL

Misuse of government planes

PRESIDENTIAL SHOW OF SUPPORT

"Do we call him ((chief of staff John Sununu)) 'Nunu'? Yes, I do ... My wife has great affection for John, great confidence in him." -- President Bush, Nov. 20, 1991

TIME UNTIL RESIGNATION

2 weeks