Ford saw Clinton as a sex 'addict'

[Herman Munster]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/10/28/2007-10-28_newsers_book_ford_saw_clinton_as_a_sex_a.html

"He's sick - he's got an addiction. He needs treatment," Ford told Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Thomas M. DeFrank, author of "Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford."

Ford's wife, Betty, who founded a pioneering treatment center after her battle with alcoholism and drugs, agreed.

"You know, there's treatment for that kind of addiction," she told DeFrank during the same conversation in 1999. "A lot of men have gone through the treatment with a lot of success. But he won't do it, because he's in denial."

The Fords first got to know the Clintons in the summer of 1993, when they invited the new First Family to their home in Colorado.

Gerald Ford's impressions of the Oval Office's latest tenant were mixed. He believed Clinton was charismatic, articulate, a "helluva salesman" and the best politician he'd ever seen - even better than John F. Kennedy.

But he considered Clinton a foreign-policy wimp, and sensed that he hadn't learned from mistakes in his personal life - allegations of womanizing that dogged him during the campaign for the White House.

That opinion was based on behavior Ford witnessed the weekend he hosted the Clintons in Colorado.

"I'll tell you one thing: He didn't miss one good-looking skirt at any of the social occasions," Ford said later.

"He's got a wandering eye, I'll tell you that. Betty had the same impression; he isn't very subtle about his interest."

[wyldwolf]

1. He hit on Betty... and she LIKED it!

:rofl:

[HereSince1628]

4. Thats a slur on either Bill's vision or his judgment.

The article is more than a decade late to influence presidential voting on the issue. It serves only as a pointless attack on a candidate's spouse.

[wyldwolf]

7. what? The article or my joke?

Hey, when you're attacked as much as Clinton, his supporters learn to make jokes about it.

[HereSince1628]

35. Bill hitting on Betty Ford. I think that was your joke. but mine bombed worse

Apparently there is nothing funny within an arm's reach of Clenis's sex life.

My bad.

[still_one]

28. It has NOTHING to do with Hillary. The reality is, Bill Clinton was a sexual predator

There no justification for allowing himself to get a blow job in the oval office.

It is a disrespect for the office, and to his wife

I cannot understand anyone rationalizing his behavior

Come on, critisizing Bill Clinton, does not elevate bush OR the repukes in anyway. In most cases it amplifies THEIR hypocriscy

[DemocratSinceBirth]

32. No...We Are Conflating Terms...

Sexual addict is not a synonym for sexual predator... A sexual predator is one who uses his power to get sexual favors...

The young Bill Clinton could have got all the poon he wanted if he was the Maytag repair man...

[still_one]

37. Perhaps, but he effectively didn't respect Hillary or he would not have humiliated her in such a way

[DemocratSinceBirth]

42. If He Truly Has An Addiction He Can't Help Himself Or He Has A Hard Time Helping Himself

DSB

[cuke]

48. I don't think it's a good idea

to pathologize something that may be more normative than you/we realize. It's not as if serial philandering, with all it's attendant risks, is something unheard of, or even rare

[earthlover]

76. So Bill's behavior is NORMATIVE? OMG Serial philandering....

is NOT particularly respectful towards women as a gender. Using women as sex objects, assuming you can cheat on your woman-partner because YOU come first, not your woman.....is any of this something that we would like to make excuses for?

As a male, I was deeply angry at Clinton for playing into the stereotype of males always being philanderers. No, not all of us are. This is a pretty sad attitude, because if women actually believe it, they are more likely to accept it. And meanwhile the rest of us males who don't cheat....hell I guess we are not normative!

[cuke]

86. This is the 3rd time you put words in my mouth

I didn't say "it's normative", I said "it's MAY BE MORE NORMATIVE than you might think"

I don't know about your sex life, so I won't comment on it, but you definitely have a problem understanding what I wrote. You don't even seem to understand the words "may be"

[earthlover]

104. It also may be less normative than you think!

Quite frankly, it doesn't make much difference whether there are a lot of other folks who are selfish, disrespecting of their husbands/wives, and dishonest.

If George Bush got a blow job from an intern and lied about it, I doubt very much if anybody on this board would be making excuses for him or pointing out that lots of other marriage partners cheat or that it may be more normative than we think, yada.

But Bill Clinton is a Democrat, so we try to make excuses for him. And meanwhile we don't understand it (actually don't have a clue) when middle America looks to the Reps as representing morality.

I think Clinton was a good president. I don't think what he did was impeachable. However, he was being a poor husband and everyone knows that. I personally don't think one's personal life necessarily affects his job performance, however I see no need to make excuses for what Bill did with Monica. It may be more normative than we think. But I doubt it.

[cuke]

112. I would respond in detail to your latest post

but I have no confidence that you would understand what I said. You have misunderstood me three times now. I have pointed that out, and you do nothing to acknowledge your twisting of my words and instead just go on to misinterpret my words some more. I will just point out that you have now misportrayed my posts for the 4th time

I have made no excuses for Bill's infidelity.

Good day, Sir

[still_one]

55. Then if he couldn't help himself, that implies he may not be fit to hold office? /nt

[cuke]

58. Why is that?

[PassingFair]

79. I don't want a president with uncontrollable impulses.

No matter WHAT they are.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

62. Why Is That?

Is sex against the law?

[TheUniverse]

36. Sexual Predator?

I think terms like that should be saved for rapists, not for men who hace consenting adultery sex.

[still_one]

39. OK, fine he hits on women for consenting sex. Shows how much respect he has for Hillary, NOT

[Catherine Vincent]

89. A lot of women hit on him.

Remember that.

[cuke]

49. It's amazing how the Clintons make "progressives" sound like freepers

Everything you said in that post has also been said by the repukes. Every single word

[karynnj]

84. and every single word was true

Just because the Republicans say it doesn't make it untrue. Republicans aren't 100% bad, nor Democrats 100% good - though the Democrats' agenda is far far better than the Republicans.

[Joe Bacon]

97. What did Larry Flynt say?

When Flynt blew the whistle on the Republicans during the impeachment joke-a-thon, he said Any Republican made Bill Clinton look like Mary Poppins.

Enough of the Clinton Zipper Hunt, please

[Scout]

118. "a slur on either Bill's vision or his judgment"

and THAT's a slur on Betty Ford :eyes:

[HereSince1628]

119. Yep. It was.

But then Bill was a straight bellied tight assed baby boomer and Betty Ford at the time was a failing alcoholic of the greatest generation. I'll stand by my observation. If Bill hit on Betty something was wrong with Bill's eyes or his judgement.

[Jim Sagle]

17. His favorite line, "Hey baby, wanna (%@^&?" worked all too well.

[Mojorabbit]

2. I was married once

to a man like that. Not fun.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Was He A Sex Addict Or A Philanderer?

One is an illness... The other is a vice...

[Mojorabbit]

51. I don't know

He got off on the secrecy of having affairs more than the affairs themselves. Adrenaline rush.

[cuke]

5. More right wing propoganda

[Mend]

6. unfortunately, Gerald, you always reminded me of a sea cow, with that dumb

fuck face of yours...that's why you never got any "strange"...Bill, on the other hand, rocks.

[struggle4progress]

98. LBJ got it right: "“Jerry Ford is so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time"

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

109. Didn't LBJ or Nixon say something...

about Ford playing too many football games without a helmet.

A nice enough man, but dumber than a sack of doorknobs.

[BeatleBoot]

8. Coming from the man who pardoned Richard Nixon....

it doesn't mean much.


Hey everyone, let's "Whip Inflation Now"


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Rosemary2205]

9. Never thought I'd agree with Gerald Ford.

Since I've never known the man, I can't really say if Bill Clinton is a sex addict or not, but the man obviously had trouble stopping himself from running head long into a destructive path regarding sex. Though Big Dog would hardly be the first capable, charismatic man to have a wandering eye.

I respect Hillary for toughing it out, but I doubt I could have done the same.

[wyldwolf]

13. Rosemary2205, meet Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy

;)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Don't Know About Jefferson..

From what we know Franklin Roosevelt had only one lover, Lucy Mercer, beside his wife...

It's possible to like and respect Bill Clinton and think he was a great president while acknowledging he's flawed as we all are...

[IndianaGreen]

30. None of them groped a grieving widow in the Oval Office like Clinton did

Big Dog won't let us down! I expect lotsa tabloid news coming out of the WH when the Clintons move back in.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

First Of All Clinton Didn't Know It Was A Grieving Window

Because Kathleen Willey wasn't aware her husband had committed suicide when the alleged encounter occurred:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Willey

Also her version of events has been hotly contested as well by independent third parties without an axe to grind...

[IndianaGreen]

46. There was nothing alleged about the encounter. The grand jury testimony by Wiley

was not challenged by Clinton.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

53. The Contemporaneous Accounts Suggest She Was Flattered

According to Linda Tripp’s grand jury testimony, Willey pursued a romance with Clinton from the start of her White House affiliation. Willey had speculated with Tripp as to how she might be able to set up an assignation between herself and the president. She routinely attended events at which Clinton would be present, wearing a black dress she believed he liked. According to Tripp’s testimony, she wondered if she and Clinton could arrange to meet in a home to which she had access, on the Chesapeake Bay.

Tripp also challenged Willey’s account of that Oval Office meeting. According to Tripp, Willey had arranged the meeting in part to see if her flirtation with Clinton might advance. After Clinton and Willey met privately, Willey rushed back to Tripp’s office to describe the meeting. According to Tripp, Willey “smiled from ear to ear the entire time” as she described the event. “She seemed almost shocked, but happy-shocked,” Tripp told the grand jury. Willey told Tripp that she and Clinton had "smooched," but made no mention of a sexual assault. When asked if she believed Willey's account, Tripp responded, "Did I believe her? Oh, absolutely. No question in my mind."



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Willey

[JDPriestly]

60. How would he have challenged grand jury testimony.

usually, grand jury testimony is made in secret and is not supposed to be made public. The grand jury is not an adversarial forum. Besides, did that testimony result in charges? If not, maybe the grand jury did not believe it.

[ronnykmarshall]

65. Make sure you go to Freeperville for that info.

:eyes:

Do you still have your "I Believe Paula" bumper sticker handy?

[SDuderstadt]

83. Oh, you mean Kathleen Willey whom....

even Ken Starr did not find credible? Please.

[mzmolly]

111. "Clinton denied assaulting Willey."

"According to Linda Tripp’s grand jury testimony, Willey pursued a romance with Clinton from the start of her White House affiliation. Willey had speculated with Tripp as to how she might be able to set up an assignation between herself and the president. She routinely attended events at which Clinton would be present, wearing a black dress she believed he liked. According to Tripp’s testimony, she wondered if she and Clinton could arrange to meet in a home to which she had access, on the Chesapeake Bay.

Tripp also challenged Willey’s account of that Oval Office meeting. According to Tripp, Willey had arranged the meeting in part to see if her flirtation with Clinton might advance. After Clinton and Willey met privately, Willey rushed back to Tripp’s office to describe the meeting. According to Tripp, Willey “smiled from ear to ear the entire time” as she described the event. “She seemed almost shocked, but happy-shocked,” Tripp told the grand jury. Willey told Tripp that she and Clinton had "smooched," but made no mention of a sexual assault. When asked if she believed Willey's account, Tripp responded, "Did I believe her? Oh, absolutely. No question in my mind."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Willey

[surfermaw]

70. W wolf, you forgot about Ike and his woman riding all over Europe.

[Lorien]

20. From what I've read Hillary was well aware of his wandering eye

when she first became involved with him. She decided it was something that she could live with. If she's OK with it then I certainly won't be one to judge!

[bluestateguy]

10. Yes, he probably was (is). So what.

And how does that make him unqualified to be president? And does that make him a bad president?

There are worse things to be addicted to than sex.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. That's Kind Of How I Look At It...

No use sticking your head in the sand...One can say the same thing about John and Ted Kennedy...

That being said, it is a specific diagnosis which is in the DSM IV that I am not comfortable in making...

[October]

38. If it's truly an addiction, it's an addiction

What I mean is, it DOES impair one's judgment. I've seen it happen. Not fun. Same M.O. as a drug addict or alcoholic. Needy, insatiable, mypoic. This isn't just someone who enjoys a healthy sexual appetite. It can destroy a person/family.

[Mojorabbit]

44. Well it might

open one up to blackmail threats.

[saltpoint]

11. I would have preferred to hear former President Ford's updated notions

of Poland's well-being as a democracy rather than his unlicensed diagnosis of Bill Clinton.

[Bitwit1234]

12. Well it hasn't worked with Hilllary the Obama nuts are going to bash Bill

[cigsandcoffee]

14. Anyone who would risk the Presidency for Monica Lewinsky....

...is certainly a hard case of some variety. It wouldn't at all surprise me that he could be classified as an "addict." None of that means he wasn't a great President.

[cuke]

23. I guess FDR, LBJ, JFK were hard cases too

If so, we need more fucking in the White House.

I volunteer to blow *. I'm willing to TOFTT

[DemocratSinceBirth]

29. FDR Had One Lover...

Sexual addiction is covered in the DSM IV...If one has an addictive personality and becomes addicted to sex or drugs or alchohol or food there is no shame in that...

Maybe Ford was right...Maybe he wasn't...

[cuke]

33. True, but

there's no reason to think he is anything more than a philander. Addiction has specific symptoms that need to be present in order to dx the behavior as addiction. Aside for a small # of dalliance, there's no sign of any such symptoms, unless you count the assumption that there were tons of others

[still_one]

40. So let me understand this, you think Bill Clinton used good judgement having a blow job in the WH

cheating on his wife, and instead of not answering the question, lying about it under oath?

[cuke]

45. No, I think people are human and we're all vulnerable and have faults

and as long as he does his job, I don't care. It's his family's concern, not mine.

And for the record, I don't think he gave any false testimony

[still_one]

52. Yes, people have their faults, but only an idiot in his position would screw around

like he did in the oval office

And for the record, I do believe a blow job constitues sex.

I recommend the book The Nine, by Jeffrey Tobin, which documents where he lied

Also for the record, I do not believe he should have been impeached for it, but I also believe his actions did NOT help the Democratic party, or the country, and it represents a MAJOR character flaw, which makes it the countries business

[cuke]

56. Bill Clinton isn't any different than anyone having extra marital sex

ANYONE who does that is taking a risk, not only with their own lives, but the lives of their family. Bill Clinton is no different than any other person who has done the same thing... you know, the same thing you called "sexual predation".

So, for the record, your sanctimonious judgements are not very credible. If you were calm and rational, I'd find you more credible. Not citing idiots like toobin would help also

And also for the record, the judge decided what "constitutes sex" and it didn't include a blow job.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

57. John Kennedy "Screwed" Around In The Oval Office Also

Do you judge him as harshly?

[cuke]

61. Nothing makes a "progressive" more like a wingnut than the Clenis

It must be HUGH!!

[JVS]

81. He banged hot women. That's more excusable

Imagine that Bush were caught having sex with Brittney Spears. Shocking!

Imagine he were caught having sex with a canned ham. Mindblowingly bizzare!

[gorekerrydreamticket]

90. mostly prostitutes, actually, if you believe the Hersh book....n/m

[JVS]

92. Going to high-class pro's is better than homely subordinates

[hedgehog]

77. It wasn't right for either of them either, but those were other times.

Jefferson knew that it was wrong for him to pursue Sally Hemming, but it wasn't a deal breaker in his society. When the revelations about JFK came out, people were very disappointed. Early in the 60's, women having sex with powerful men had a certain cachet in some quarters; think of Playboy bunnies and the reputation some stewardesses had. (Coffee, tea or me?) More recently, society has come to question situations like this both because we expect women to be powerful in and of themselves and we're more aware that coercement can be involved when two unequal partners have sex.

[earthlover]

78. You're right...and we ALL are paying the price...Bush was elected because of his penis

[cuke]

88. Nice way to give * a pass for stealing the election

* was not elected

[earthlover]

103. The election should not have been so close as to be stealable!

Point is, Gore was the VP of an administration with peace and proserity. He should have been able to campaign on the incumbent's successes. Instead, rightly or wrongly, Gore felt the need to distance himself from Clinton. WHy? Because of Clinton's penis. I think Clinton was a good president, and I miss his intelligence. However, his penis made it much more difficult for Gore to win....and we are all paying the price now.

[JVS]

80. Yup. The leader of the free world, shagging uggos! We deserved better.

JFK could philander with class.

[LoZoccolo]

15. I'm a huge fan of Clinton, but I think he might be right. A lot of great leaders have that problem.

It might even be part of what motivates them, or even just through those difficult times where other people would give up on their efforts to get this or that done. I'm not excusing it, I'm just saying it doesn't necessarily take away from what they have done right.

When a Republican has that problem though, it's time to blast away! They are the ones who keep taking a tour of our bedrooms to get re-elected, let them suffer! Ha ha ha ha!

[OKNancy]

19. I agree as well. In Ford's defense, these things

were said in private and I think he really liked Clinton and was truly concerned.

[wyldwolf]

22. back when I did an internet radio talk show, we had a British cititzen on as a guest..

... who stated in Europe great leaders are known by this.

Doesn't make it right or wrong. But I don't really care as long as he leads.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. There's A Difference Between Having Affiars And Having A Sexual Addiction

Ther's a difference between having affair(s) and having a sexual addiction...

[wyldwolf]

34. that's true. I guess Ford was a clinical psychologist, too

[LoZoccolo]

41. There's A Differende between alocoholism and Getting Boozed too.

Ther's a difference beteween alcholoism and getting boozed to(o).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

50. An Addiction Is Something That Interferes With Your Life

So, if someone was drinking to where it interferes with their life they have an addiction... That's just common sense and straight forward psychology 101...

But again sexual addiction is a specific form of mental illness that is covered in the DSM IV...

[cuke]

63. That's a bit of an oversimplication

I'm sure it's unintentional, but that's just not true. Plenty of non-alcoholics have had alcohol "interfere with their life". Those words actually have a meaning in the world of psychology, and there are criteria that must be presented in order for a dx of addiction to be made. Your last sentence hits it on the nose.

The truth is, I don't see any behavior of BC's that indicate a dx'able case sex addiction. His behavior, while not the most common, is no different than what millions of other men have done. Even the fact that this is not an unusual behavior for men in his position should suggest that it's not a sex addiction

[DemocratSinceBirth]

68. I Can't Diagnose Him Over The Net For Sure...

DSB

[cuke]

72. I'n not suggesting you are

Aorry if I sound snippy or anything. It's not intended. I just marvel at the way the discussion always goes to extremes whenever the Clenis is spotted.

It's must be HUGH!

[LandOLincoln]

107. Of course leaders are known for it. It's just biology, folks.

"Great leaders" are by definition Alpha males, and it is the Alpha's biological imperative to plow and plant as often as possible, nor do they have to pursue women to do it, since more often than not, women pursue them.

[ElizabethDC]

21. I also think he has an addiction

and I think that's one reason that Hillary has stayed with him - she sees his adultery as a psycological problem for him that he needs to work on, rather than a reflection of something within their relationship.

The Clintons have both said that they went through a lot of counseling after the Lewinsky affair, and I've read/heard that part of that includes sex addiction counseling for Bill. I hope he's gotten the help that he needs and that they have a better relationship for it.

[cobalt1999]

24. Since Ford wrote it before the Lewinsky affair, I'd say he was at least partially correct.

I don't doubt Bill has a "wandering eye", but "sex addict" is probably too strong. It is irrelevant to the presidency though.

He was right about Bill being a "helluva salesman" too.

[cuke]

25. You people don't know what addiction is

sad that people can't distinguish between a personality problem and a genuine mental disorder

[DemocratSinceBirth]

59. People Get Spooked When You Say "Mental Disorder"

It doesn't mean you are running around frothing at the mouth...

[IndianaGreen]

26. David Geffen called Bill Clinton a reckless guy

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Tuesday night David Geffen, a Hollywood mogul who used to be close to the Clintons, hosted a fund-raiser for Barack Obama that reportedly raised more than $1 million. It seems that didn't sit well with the Hillary Clinton campaign.

MARTIN KAPLAN, DIRECTOR, NORMAN LEAR CENTER: And the word is that she was telling her friends, you can't give to everybody. You've got to give just to me. And that didn't go down so well. Because a number of people in Hollywood have said that it's a good thing for the Democratic Party to have a robust debate.

SCHNEIDER: That they're getting. Maureen Dowd of "The New York Times" quoted Geffen as saying I don't think that another polarizing figure no matter how smart she is and no matter how ambitious she is and God knows, is there anybody more ambitious than Hillary Clinton can bring the country together.

Geffen called Bill Clinton a reckless guy and said of the Clintons, everybody in politics lies. But they do it with such ease, it's troubling. The Clinton campaign shot back with a statement saying if Senator Obama is indeed sincere about his repeated claims to change the tone of our politics, he should immediately denounce these remarks, remove Mr. Geffen from his campaign and return his money.

The Obama campaign returned fire, saying it is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when he was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom. One Hollywood observer believes Clinton is in trouble here partly because of the way she's handling the Iraq issue.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/21/sitroom.03.html

[still_one]

31. Hillary Clinton should be judged on her own merits or dismerits, not on Bill Clintons

Geffen was right though, Clinton was a reckless and arrogant guy. He was warned by his staff to cool it, and he ignored them also

[IndianaGreen]

43. If Hillary had only be a Rodham, she would be in single digits with Dennis and Gravel

and she might not even be a Senator from New York.

Hillary is where she is at because of the Clinton name, and Clinton nostalgia.

[still_one]

54. You are correct about that, I just don't believe she should be judged on Bill Clinton's actions

she has enough screw ups on her own, i.e. the IWR, the patriot act, the Iran Resolution, etc. to account for

[earthlover]

105. You're right. Sadly, though, we will be seeing this issue until Nov 08 is she is nominated

And we will be put in a no-win position. If we defend her husband, we will have to be very careful not to put ourselves in a position of being viewed as making excuses for infidelity. We don't have to be the party of morality, but the trap here is that we will once again give the Reps an opening. It really sucks, and I am already tired of this issue, but sure as the sun goes up in the East, we will be discussing this issue until Nov 08 if Hillary gets the nomination. Yuck

[Froward69]

100. Hear Here!!!

[gorekerrydreamticket]

91. hmmm, not so qualified to run for President, then....n/m

[ronnykmarshall]

66. Oh yes ...

La David is such a fucking saint.

[cuke]

73. They have yet to say something I havent heard from the mouth of a repuke

not one word

[Froward69]

101. they are arguing as if

Bill has/had a problem... In most of the rest of the World Bills behavior is/was seen as potency= effective leader. The repubes made/will make a Big deal out of it. I see the acusations bieng loaded into the GOP spin machine. like "would you trust a woman with our country, who is in an open marrage?" they made the big deal out of Bills flandering, for the "moral" arguement nothing more. Things will be hard for hillary to explain. sadly she and her suporters refuse to see that.

[flpoljunkie]

85. Arianna Huffington called Hillary 'a classic enabler of a sex addict' back in 1998 in NYT article

The conservative columnist Arianna Huffington has been anything but silent about the scandal. In an interview, Ms. Huffington called Mrs. Clinton ''a classic enabler of a sex addict'' and said the President ''expresses himself sexually like a frat boy.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00E7DE173AF93AA15752C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

[demnan]

47. I believe Bill Clinton has admitted he had problems with sex

and maybe talking with Jerry Ford might have helped him realize that. I actually think that Ford's assessment of the situation was correct. People who work 12 step programs, as Jerry and his wife did, learn to recognize addiction in others quicker than people without that experience.

Not that what happened with those monsters in Congress should have happened by any means. Clinton was harshly judged for a human problem that didn't affect his performance as President.

[elfin]

64. Yes, Bill is Hound Dawg - so WHY did Hillary stay??

I do not think her reasons were on the side of the angels - he was her ticket to prominence and then power. She resented that HE was Pres. instead of the more studious and digigent Hillary and he dutifully sought her opinion on many issues so she wouldn't leave and "expose" him entirely. While he respects her acumen - it is his ability to synthesize creatively and connect across cultural and international lines that led to the ultimately successful presidency.

She will not dump or banish him completely until she does not need him anymore -- sometime in 20013 if she needs him for another term -- and if he lives that long. Unlike Bill, I doubt she will consult him on matters other than sheerly political. She can only play the "you owe me" card so long. Her supposed presidency will fail without his vision and communication abilities.

[OnTheOtherHand]

75. or maybe she loves him

Crazy talk, I know.

[MrSlayer]

67. Bullshit. He's just a horndog.

As am I and countless other men. Fortunately for me I have a wife who knows how to take care of me. I never need to go looking elsewhere.

[surfermaw]

69. FUNNY...Ford didn't mention his wifes problems with A...

Clinton had trouble with women, when he was campaigning if he came in and spoke to lets say one woman, when he made the trip back around if he didn't speak or give that old gal attention they would get angry, teeny boppers would try to hang all over him, he probably did like the ladies, he wasn't a jock, played in the band, had a tendency to be a little pudgy, then when the ladies started chasing him, typical man lost his cool. This old girl has been around for a long time, had Clinton figured out from the start...Just a normal old band playing , kind of fat boy, who probably didn't have that many dates, and went crazy when his position made him look good to the wormen folks. H eprobably had more women chasing him than did John Kennedy. Frankly I would like to see when Clinton started to come up in the polls, was it after the Jennifer Flower story was out, I thinks so.

[lojasmo]

71. Newsflash: Gerald Ford=Old curmudgeon.

[IndianaJones]

74. I saw Ford as a bumbling idiot. nt.

[Vickers]

82. I saw Ford as an anti-American, anti-Constitution douchebag.

He aided and abetted a felon.

He's a fucking criminal scumbag.

[Catherine Vincent]

87. "I'll tell you one thing: He didn't miss one good-looking skirt at any of the social occasions"

LOL! That's my Bill!

[HughMoran]

93. DU - catch up on your RW filth spewing

Vote it on the greatest page!

Worst post ever.

[amandabeech]

94. The Washington Post reported that Bill was in counseling for a sexual addiction.

The piece ran several months ago on the first page of the Style section, above the fold.

Betty Ford is a recovering alcoholic. She was an active alcoholic, with I think a pain pill problem, while Jerry was in the White House. I have addicts of booze and drugs on both sides of my family, and I know what it does to the addict and his or her family. Betty and Jerry went through hell with her addiction(s), I'm sure.

They were brave, though. Betty sought treatment, and they went public at a time when people simply didn't do that. In fact, they were the trailblazers. Betty Ford opened that clinic, and opened the door for more people to recognize their problems and get help. I didn't like Ford's policies when he was in office, but I give great credit to them for taking their troubles public. Back in those times, they were very brave, and I think that many people sought help because of them.

So . . . when Jerry (and Betty) think that there is a problem, I take their opinions seriously. According to the Post, at least one mental health professional agrees with them.

I myself thought that Bill had real problems after I saw his autobiographic video, "A Man from Hope." The video described Bill's childhood vividly. His step-father was a drunk who beat his mother, and maybe Bill and Roger, too, but I can't recall. Bill once stopped his step-father from beating his mother by threatening his step-father with a baseball bat. IIRC, Bill was about 12 at the time.

I've had my problems, too. At the time of the broadcast of the video, I was in counseling. A big topic was the negative impact that my addict relatives had on my life. At my next appointment, I told my therapist about the video. I thought that Bill was very likely to have a problem of some sort because his early experiences are the type that give many people problems later in life, if those people don't get treatment. There was no indication that he had sought treatment. My therapist was horrified. She was convinced that Clinton had a very strong chance of having some sort of Achilles heel that would end up being bad for the country.

When the Monica story came out, it was clear to me that his heel was a sexual addiction, and I kicked myself for not seeing it when Jennifer Flowers popped up. I've been trying to tell people about it ever since, but I get the reply common here.

Then there's the issue of whether Hillary was a co-dependent or an enabler, to use therapy and 12-step programs. Use Google or Wiki to get the bad news about folks in those positions. I've noticed Edwards using the word "enabler" in talking about Hillary's position with respect to Kyl-Lieberman. I've wondered whether the use of the word is deliberate.

The pubbies HATED the Clintons: remember the vast Right Wing Conspiracy? Nonetheless, he couldn't stop himself from having an affair in the fishbowl of the oval office. The danger was great, but he couldn't keep it in his pocket. That's pretty much the definition of addiction. I don't think that Clinton should have been impeached, but he just handed several loaded guns to his enemies on a silver platter.

In my opinion, my therapist was right. The country was the real loser in all this. Clinton could have done much, much more if he and the Congress weren't totally distracted by the impeachment, and Clinton wasn't bogged down in worse family problems than I imagine he often was.

I don't want to see a replay.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

114. I agree with you completely...

I think Ford is right on this. Bill acted out and Hillary was/is a classic enabler. Hell, I was a Clinton enabler, back in the day. I made excuses for/defended his behavior right and left. I am kind of embarrassed by it now.

And I too do not want to see a replay.

But you know damned well it would happen, sooner or later.

[amandabeech]

115. Thanks for your support.

And yes, it would happen, sooner or later.

[mitchum]

95. Yeah, and Ford was a COVER-UP addict who should be buried on prison grounds...

you can thank that lifelong republican errand boy for scum like Rumsfeld and Cheney still being around (and JFK's murderers running free)

[CyberPieHole]

96. 3 words to Ford: WHIP INFLATION NOW

Ford was a bumbling, stumbling simple-minded fool and an evil @sshole. The rat pardoned TrickyDick. Nuff said.

[Froward69]

99. Well

Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.~ Groucho Marx

[Perry Logan]

102. Another thread to warm the hearts of Republicans. DUers are so brilliant.

[earthlover]

106. Get used to it.....the issue will be front and center in Fall 08 if Hillary is nominated

I wish it would not be so, but it is a no-win issue for us, and if we aren't careful we will wind up making ourselves appear soft on immorality....again!

[Perry Logan]

108. You miss the point. Attacking our guy based on their smears is not brilliant strategy.

Threads like this cannot possibly accomplish anything positive for us. They lower our moral and raise the enemy's. This is not political genius on our part, people.

[youthere]

110. Sadly..this statement, and the general inability to remain upright...

are the only memorable things about Gerald Ford.

[tomreedtoon]

113. Let's examine comparative character, shall we?

Gerald Ford: A man who allowed economic inflation to go wild, with his "Whip Inflation Now" pretensions, who was so ineffective he even allowed his own son to satirize him on Saturday Night Live during his term. A man loyal to his wife...but could it be that their marriage had the consequences of her declining into alcoholism? How good a marriage was that?

Bill Clinton: A man who attracted women other than his wife, and had sex with at least one of them. A man who effectively fought terrorism during his terms, who brought a budget surplus for the first time in a couple of generations, who kept American jobs and kept the world generally peaceful.

Ford: Partially questionable personal morality, national incompetence. Clinton: More questionable personal morality, much greater national competence and generosity.

I know which one I preferred. And still, someone who is either a Republican plant or a Christian attack robot brings up the subject of Bill Clinton's penis AGAIN...when he IS NOT RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY? As a way to attack HIS WIFE? (Whom, by the way, I do not favor for the nomination, so there.)

This guy is so similar to the Tim the Whore on Meet the Whore who keeps obsessing on "Clinton's cock! Clinton's cock! Clinton's cock!" as Bartcop shows on his site.

Letting September 11 happen? Selling out the middle class? Sending our young people to die in a war for oil? It doesn't matter...what matters is "Clinton's cock! Clinton's cock! Clinton's cock!"

And you guys on DU are falling for it. You should be ashamed.

[opihimoimoi]

116. listen toi the guy who foisted swine flu on Anerica.Many peeps ended up fucked for lifeand/or killed

He was a Pub...need I say more?

Thats all they do...whine and point/blame

[Name removed]

117. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[McCamy Taylor]

120. Ford was a stupid addict.