Daniel of the Year

According to some polls, Ken Starr's popularity is lower than Saddam Hussein's. What is it about this mild-mannered former judge that makes him such a reviled figure? WORLD asked some of his longtime friends about the character behind the caricature, and what we found reminded us of a certain biblical figure. Here's why we decided to name him our first Daniel of the Year. | Bob Jones

Washington has never seen anything like it. For almost a year now, the White House has waged war against a duly empowered government official for simply trying to do the right thing. Through all the harassment, accusations, and innuendo, Ken Starr has refused to bow to the pressure.

With an unflappable calm-and a persistent smile that seemed gratingly artificial to those who don't know him-Mr. Starr just kept serving a higher purpose, doing what he was called to do.

For that sin, like the biblical Daniel, he was thrown to the lions last week.

Unlike the biblical Daniel, however, the lions in this case did not have their mouths shut. In a grueling, marathon session before the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Starr was repeatedly mauled by Democratic members and the president's attorney, David Kendall. The bitterly partisan tone was set from the very beginning, as the committee's ranking member, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, accused Mr. Starr of being dishonest, unethical, self-righteous, heavy-handed, and obsessive.