"The president was barely in better voice than [Chief Justice William] Rehnquist, with his simian lips tripping workmanlike over his prose."

Said Koch:

"Payne described the president as having 'simian lips.' The definition of simian in Webster's Dictionary is, 'Relating to, characteristic of, or resembling an ape or monkey.'

"Payne is entitled to his journalistic opinion," Koch continued. "However, he is not entitled to use the columns of Newsday to voice his racism. I believe that Newsday's senior editors had an obligation to edit out his vulgar and racist remark."

When Payne defended his remark in a subsequent column, Koch responded:

"Racists, whether they be white or black, whether their victims be white or black, Jews, Catholics, or in this case, a Protestant, should be shunned by the public. Payne defends his use of simian imagery to attack another human being by saying there is no record of this biting label being used to crush and ostracize white Anglo-Saxon Protestant males.'

"There is now," he added.

Editor's note: