US History 1973 - 2014 Commonplace Book: Lecture 21, Tabloid Nation II: Monica (Con't)

He couldn't stop thinking about the thong underwear. He couldn't believe Monica had pulled up her jacket to show it off. It so inflamed his imagination. At meetings, at briefings, at the most unlikely times, his mind suddenly reverted to the image of those straps, quickening his pulse, making him catch his breath. But it was the cigar that undid him. He was driven by the thought of what had been done with it. Suddenly the capital became a city of cigars. He saw them wherever he went. They ignited his desire. When he was alone or talking to other people, he took secret pleasure in letting smoke rings drift through his mind.... And, of all those naughty words he loved to hear, none filled him with more pleasure than ''impeachment.'' After all, nobody could impeach him. He was Ken Starr.

—Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, "Legacy of Lust" (September 23, 1998)

Introduction to (and explanation of) this quote series can be found here.  Read this tag to see all of them.