President Clinton received a ringing endorsement last night from President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, who said the world supported him.
Speaking at a White House reception for African-American religious and education leaders, who gave Mr Clinton a whooping, cheering endorsement, Mr Mandela playfully abandoned a pledge not to interfere in another country's internal affairs.
He has also spoke earlier yesterday, at a South African embassy lunch, in support of Mr Clinton.
Mr Mandela said Mr Clinton's standing ovation at the UN General Assembly on Monday "sent a strong message as to what the world thinks on this matter. If you judge from the reaction. . . the United States is completely isolated on this question," President Mandela said.
"We are aware of the national debate that is taking place in this country about the president, and it is not our business to interfere in this matter," Mr Mandela said.
"But we do wish to say that President Clinton is a friend of South Africa and Africa. And I believe the friend of the great mass of black people, and the minorities and the disabled of the United States," Mr Mandela said to great applause.
"We have often said that our morality does not allow us to desert our friends. And we will doubtless say tonight - we are thinking of you in this difficult and discouraging time in your life," he said.
"But if our expectations - if our fondest prayers and dreams are not realised, then we should all bear in mind that the greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall," he said.
"He has my full support," Mr Mandela said at the lunch.
He said in his country and elsewhere, "a person is regarded as innocent until he is proved guilty." He added: "I will support my friends even if they have been deserted" by others. He departed from his text to make his tribute.
He said he had been telephoned two days ago by President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia. "He was instructing me, `you must support President Clinton.' I was tremendously impressed as he was articulating the feelings that I had about President Clinton," Mr Mandela said.