Bill Clintons affair with Monica Lewinsky

[undeterred]

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/01/28/clinton_monica_gallery__550x408,0.jpg

[smoogatz]

1. Actually elevated his status in civilized nations

like France and Thailand, where powerful men are expected to keep mistresses.

[MrModerate]

2. I often wonder how history would be different . . .

If on the day that Clinton came out and waved his finger at the press to deny having sex with "that woman," instead had said "this matter is none of your business and I will answer no further questions on this topic."

Following a period of phony outrage from the press, I think the whole thing would have faded away.

[BurtWorm]

3. Other...Is enabling TV gasbags to change the subject from Watergate

yet again. :eyes:

[oasis]

4. Lucianne Goldberg/Linda Tripp get medals for going beyond the call of duty

for their ultra right wing boss Richard Mellon Scaife.

[MichiDem]

5. I voted that the affair

was nobody's business but his and his families.

And I don't see how anyone could dispute that.

Where things got all tangled up is in his testimony
in the Paula Jones debacle.

[UdoKier]

3, 8 and 9.

I have more than a few gripes about Clinton. But where he put his penis and his cigars was of no concern to me whatsoever.

[undeterred]

6. I never dreamed it would turn out to be such a big deal

And it makes me sick that he still has to answer for it in every single interview. Of course, he's pretty good at turning it back on the sensationalist press.

I was in Brazil when the story broke in August 98. And believe me, they had no idea what all the fuss was about.

[flordehinojos]

7. it gave the republicans the excuse, the nail and the cross by which to try

to crucify him... but i agree that it was nobody's business but himself and that of his family's.

[Bryn]

8. They All Laughed

in France when it first came out.

It was never a big deal to me!

[eissa]

9. Not only do I not think it was nobody's business

I just LOVE telling repukes that it was one of the most well-deserved blow jobs in history -- makes their little heads explode!

[undeterred]

11. Thats a good response!

:rofl: :rofl:

[livinginphotographs]

10. Just like with "I didn't inhale"

Clinton should've either said, "It's none of your goddam business" or flat-out admitted it.

While the republicans had absolutely no right to go prying into this man's personal life, Clinton could've played that whole thing a hell of a lot smarter.

Despite my disagreement with some of his politics, I have to say he's rebounded very nicely though, instead of being treated like a leper like I'm sure the Blame Clinton Brigade would prefer.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. If only Clinton had agreed with most of us.

It was nobody's business but his and his family's (and, of course the other participants).

Too bad Bill didn't tell the press that, and then refuse to answer any questions about his personal life instead of lying and trying to weasel out of it.

[HockeyMom]

13. I agree

He should have just refused to answer.

[Ron Green]

14. It was a stupid thing for him to do, knowing as well as he does how

political hardball works. In signing the Telecommunications Act, did he think the Free Market wouldn't go crazy over a Presidential blowjob???

[undeterred]

16. I think he thought no one would find out

And if Monica hadn't blabbed to someone like Linda Tripp, it wouldn't have been known until much later.

[Pockets]

15. It would be nice if history could turn this around on Repugs

I hope history will recall how frivolous they are.

[slackmaster]

17. Every thing a public figure does is the public's "damn business"

If an elected official does something that sets him up for potential blackmail, it could affect the interests of his or her constituents.

[undeterred]

18. We don't have a clue what our current administration is doing behind

closed doors, personally or politically. The Bush/Rove team would shut this kind of information down before it ever got started, even if it meant a few bodies in the river.

[slackmaster]

22. Yes, things are much worse now

The fact that the present situation is worse does not alleviate or excuse the (IMO small) harm done by Bill Clinton's pecadillos.

[Pockets]

19. This issue involves distinct difference in perception

People's minds are wired differently. I utterly fail to grasp how a person's sex life could possibly be of concern to others.

[slackmaster]

21. Personally I don't care either

That's why I've never had a problem accepting gay people, etc. But some people do care. Embrace the mystery.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

20. It is not just that.

There is also the fact that this was the world's most powerful person vs a youngster (however forward she might have been, he was older and in a sense, a boss).

This is not as trivial/private as we might opportunistically say.

However, the media-thug cabal response was, to coin a phrase, greatly exaggerated.

[One_Life_To_Give]

25. Many executives in Private Industry

Would have lost their positions for the same thing. It opens up a huge area for potential liability.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

28. That is a simplistic comparison, though.

While removing industry execs is a simple matter by design, removing a President is not, by design again.

While what he did was reprehensible and not merely a private affair, it was by no means close to being impeachable.

The solution was to probably have a "sense of the Senate/House" resolution passed (as many many Dems in Congress sensibly suggested).

That said, I do think the man was under tremendous stress, both from his own workaholic tendencies and the nut jobs on the right and in the media hounding him every step of the way.

It was so poignant when he said exactly this same thing on LK last night, adding that his greatest mistakes are made when he is tired...

[One_Life_To_Give]

36. It's not High Crimes and Misdemeanors

but it shows very poor judgement. Had it been someone not in the service of the government. Then it would have been a more "private" matter. (Like anything is truly private when you are in public office)

But had Monica been less than honorable. She could have easily put the government in a very difficult position.

[CitrusLib]

23. Was the 8th option supposed to be punny?

[undeterred]

38. Yeah

Totally overblown attempt at humor...:blush:

[XemaSab]

24. To this day

I am still unclear on what this "oral sex" thing is they kept talking about.

And I never did figure out what substance the stain on the dress was supposed to be. Mayo? Tecnu? Ranch dressing??

:shrug:

[KG]

26. other: it's the reason gwb is in the white house instead of gore.

[dogday]

27. Honestly who really cares?

With all the misery going on today, this is something that seems so trivial.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

29. And your are bring it up because.....?

Geeze, Louise, let it go. The freepers don't need to keep harping on it as long as someone at DU doesn't mind to keep picking at the scab.

It was a BJ, probably several BJs. If only we had Commander CuckooBananas so engaged there would be a lot more peace in this world.

[dogday]

32. The Freepers Still Feel The Sting Of Not Getting Clinton

and it looks like they will never get over the fact....

[B Calm]

30. Jesus Christ! I seen enough of this damn rope line pic!

[mondo joe]

31. It's their own business but it was a workplace relationship involving

the boss and someone much lower on the power scale.

I don't think for a moment there was coercion on his part or any lack of willingness on hers. But he should have known this was not acceptable.

I police myself all the time with regard to things I say to co-workers but particularly those below me in the hierarchy, so that I don't even SAY anything off color. I know 99% of the time it would be NOTHING but better to be safe.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. Oh lord, will we ever stop seeing this photo of them?

But I always wonder who the red head chick is on the right. Her face is shown just as much as Monica's. :-)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

34. What the heck is the point of this "poll"?

[TrogL]

35. bought and paid for by the RRR

[Stinky The Clown]

37. Polls always make me vote "other"

The Lewinsky Affair (which I prefer to call "Bill Clinton's Biggest Fuckup") was, in my opinion, huge. I actually believe it changed the course of history and caused a war.

The RW was out to get Big Dawg from before he even ran. And they tried. Oh how they tried. Hillary's description of their efforts as a great right wing conspiracy was wrong by a factor of 10 ...... at least. It was (and continues to be) far bigger and far more organized than she implied way back when. Millions of dollars were spent to bring Clinton down and none of it worked ..... until ......

The Presidential Blow Job

And for that, we have no one to blame but the Big Dawg himself. We can whine all we want about all the scummy and not so scummy personalities involved. But in the end, it was entirely, 100% the fault of the Big Dawg.

He wasn't raped, now was he? He unzipped it himself .... yanno?

And that, very seriously, was a HUGE lapse in judgment. And getting a blowjob from a 22 year old child and expecting her to keep it secret was idiotic at best, and (morally) criminal at worst. Not about the sex. About the fucking POLITICS of it. Here's the best politician perhaps in the history of the nation and he does THIS???? Come on. There is simply no excuse. Period. Not debatable.

Now mind you, I don't really care if he had a wandering weenie. Azzamatter of fact, I kinda want my Prez to be that virile. The alternative is an asexual numbnutz, like we have now.

But I digress ......

Clinton getting the ol' hummer from MzLewinsky did nothing less than change the course of history and caused a war.

Come on Stinky the Clown! Are you fucking nutz?

Nope.

Were it not for that one fact, they'd have never nailed him. Were it not for that one fact, he could have campaigned for Al Gore and given him the legacy he needed to gain the presidency. Were it not for that one fact, the peace and prosperity of the Big Dawg years would have given Gore all he needed to overcome the cheating that caused him to 'lose'. Were it not for that one fact, an Al Gore presidency would not have lead us into Iraq.

Thanks a lot Big Dawg.

I still love ya, man, but you REALLY fucked up ..... and fucked us in the process.

[amandabeech]

41. Thanks. That needed to be said. Clinton showed incomparably bad

judgment by getting involved in any way with Lewinsky, or anyone for that matter other than Hillary, while he was in the Clear Glass White House surrounded by Republican telescopes.

I like the guy, but what an idiotic move.

[Swamp Rat]

39. It was and still is nobody's damn business except himself and Monica. n/t

:eyes:

[blondeatlast]

40. Other--a goshdurned bore. nt