'A social pariah': How lonely Monica Lewinsky has failed to find happiness... and is STILL the butt

[a kennedy]

She was the White House intern who found fame for all the wrong reasons.
Now, 17 years later, Monica Lewinsky is still trying to play down her scandalous affair with then-President Bill Clinton.
She is single, her line of handbags failed to catch on and, according to the National Enquirer, is living the life of a near recluse.

Monica, 38, flits between homes in Los Angeles owned by her mother, her father and brother and an apartment in New York that is also owned by the Lewinsky family.
But her life is far from a social whirl of a-list parties and she is said to spend much of her time alone.
An insider told The Enquirer that Monica has given up her own place and moves between the two coasts trying to work out projects that may never get off the ground.
Her apparent goal is to set up her own public relations company.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034697/Lonely-Monica-Lewinsky-trying-play-Bill-Clinton-affair.html#ixzz1XMUmG6NK

edit per DU Moderator.

[Historic NY]

1. No sympathy.

[hobbit709]

2. Same here.

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[HowHasItComeToThis]

97. WHAT CAMES AROUND...

HA HA

[RobinA]

11. Slap an "A"

on her and feel smug that the witch will be cast from society. He, on the other hand, continues as usual.

Public outcast because of a BJ? Nonsense. BUT, the way things seem to work. If I were her I'd change my name, move, and get into a real line of work. If having had oral relations in the past is a bar to future dating and relationships...!?!?!?

[crikkett]

51. This of course is before Facebook etc.

because now it's like every twentysomething has to live down an embarrassing story.

Maybe not as embarrassing as hers, maybe not splattered all over the tubes, but times have changed since Ms. Lewinsky was a kid.

[seabeyond]

56. sigh... was talking to my boys about this world they are in today

the difference it has made in the young kids lives. how it effects them. how it changes who they are.

i have kept my kids out of the social networks and they are not a part of the media influence and has allowed them a grounding. i see it as one huge experiment with our young

[Whiskeytide]

61. That reminds me...

... of a conversation I had with the very republican wife of my very republican past partner - sometime in 2000, I believe. The Clinton/Lewinsky matter came up, and she was furious at Clinton - I mean visibly enraged. I asked her why it bothered her, and she said "I had to explain to my 9 year old daughter what a 'blow job' was because of that man". I couldn't help myself. I looked at her for a moment and said "You're mad at the wrong people. I don't remember Bill Clinton getting in front of TV cameras and talking about his blowjob experiences until your party made it an issue. You actually had to explain to your daughter what a blow job was because of the republican congress' unrelenting obsession with the President getting one."

Boy, did I get a look.

[seabeyond]

66. clinton truly disgusted me. but worse, i had to support the man because of what the repugs did

there is so much we have to teach our kids today, way earlier than what is age appropriate, because we cannot get away from it. people say, well, just turn off tv, or off computer, but it doesn't matter. too much is out there and it has to be discussed so the kid does not process it in an inappropriate/uneducated manner. by the time they reach late teens, they are so damn tired of it all.

i had to have a conversation with my oldest at 8 about abortion. we hadn't even talked about sex yet, cause really, he had no interest in learning. so when a child sees a bumper sticker that says, .... it is wrong to kill babies.... and he agrees (well, duh), then a conversation is had. the littlest of info to consume and come back to at a later date.

[Odin2005]

78. It's not like Clinton was the only president to cheat on his wife.

I was 12 at the time and I was certainly disgusted by Clinton's behavior, but adultery is a common human foible and it was a problem between him and Hilary, it was none of our business. I believed that then and I still believe that now. I was far more disgusted by the Republican Baby Boomers in Congress using this as an excuse to impeach Clinton and rant on about their obsessions with sexual morality.

I swear, to RW Boomers (and to some extent all Boomers) have a big hang up on sexual morality and acting like it's the most important thing in the world. I think it's a reaction against the repressed sexuality of their parent's generation.

[seabeyond]

79. he was an old man that took advantage of stupid young. he had a handful of years to behave

to run our fuckin country. he set himself up to allow repugs to do what they did.

he humiliated his daughter world wide.

i dont admire that in people. if they make these choices, it is their right, but i get to disrespect the person that makes these choices.

and again, because of the repugs and their behavior, i had to support clinton, in disgust.

[Odin2005]

94. Oh, I mostly agree with you, there.

But turning it into a public circus is uncalled for. There were rumors about JFK screwing Marylin Monroe, but it never became a scandal.

I hope Hillary beat the shit out of him in private, though.

[seabeyond]

127. that is what i am saying. though the man disgusted me, and made me disrespect him more

waht the repugs did was so hugely wrong, more wrong, too wrong, i had to support clinton.

that was the turning point for the repug party to what they are today.

[Whisp]

134. agree with you

he was supposedly in control of the free world and couldn't control his own weewee - what a disgusting old man. And to this day he jokes about it when an interviewer (still) brings it up (and Hillary does as well, hardy har har from the goddess of feminism?) like a nudge nudge wink wink guy thing while Monica has to suffer the way she has and takes most of the blame.

Where was Bill when that 3am phone call came in?

[seabeyond]

149. yup.

take note... i said nothing in hillary's defense. but it did piss me off what he did to his daughter world wide.


she, was someone to admire.

[sabrina 1]

162. What I find even more disgusting than an affair is the killing of innocents in

foreign countries. And torture, of course.

Amazing the outrage over a presidential affair, but the total lack of outrage over our 'drone program' that is slaughtering innocent people now on almost a daily basis. And our ongoing torture crimes.

Do you have at least comparable outrage at the 'old man' currently ordering the use of those drones in our name which are killing children on a regular basis? I say 'old man' because Obama is now older than Clinton was when he had that affair.

Actually, I don't know what age has to do with any of this, but I've seen the reference to it twice now. Ageism is as bad as any other 'ism' imho. If Clinton was an old man then, then Obama is an even older man, now.

I save my outrage for War Crimes against the innocent. Affairs are none of my business unless it's my husband/bf/so.

We sure do have strange priorities in this country. I would so love to see the same outrage over War that your comment expresses over an affair we never should have known about in the first place.

[Whisp]

171. kosovo ring any bells?

sad to say every president has been involved in some sort of warfare, it is the US afterall, check your map.

Bill's speech on tv during the Columbine massacre, he said kids shouldn't solve things by violence, referring to the murderers, but at that moment he was bombing. how'ya like them droney apples?

but Obama, being an even older man now that Clinton was then, doesn't make sense. Obama has character and is not a lieing cheating husband. more apples for you.

I usually am outraged at the fact that sexism still thrives and is watered by so called 'progressives' covering for the mysognist Clinton and blaming the 'fallen' woman. lord give me a fucking break.

[sabrina 1]

174. I got the impression that Kosovo was not

what caused your outrage. Until I raised the issue of war, your outrage appeared to be over a private affair between two consenting adults.

What do you think of Obama's multiple wars right now? The use of drones killing innocent people, the protests, peaceful mostly, in Pakistan and elsewhere over the murder of innocent civilians by their loved ones? The law-suits being filed against the US by the victims' families?

I so seldom see any outrage over these true crimes against humanity. But the outrage over an affair that is none of our business?

If only the war crimes we are currently engaged in could generate even a fraction of the outrage you expressed over that long ago affair. I wonder, eg, how many chidren were killed by our bombs today? Who is being tortured in our name, in some secret prison, in Uzbekistan maybe. We are running out of dictators to our dirty work as their people rise up against them and us.

Is it not outrageous that we take all this so much for granted? Yet some of us can conjure up intense outrage over an affair that happened decades ago?

I don't remember much outrage over Kosovo btw, from anyone, left or right at the time. And until recently, I don't remember much outrage over that affair on the LEFT. Strange how the 'left' has moved closer and closer to the right. Clinton used to be a way to tell who was a Repub and who wasn't. They were OBSESSED with that affair, long after he left office, yet none that I ever met, were too upset over Kosovo.

[Whisp]

175. you seem to not remember a lot...

I'll leave it at that.

[sabrina 1]

179. I remember what was in this thread.

And I saw no outrage over wars here until I mentioned it.

[seabeyond]

189. because the topic was not wars. you throw in an orange when people are talking apples

because you chose not to have an opinion, you dont get to insist all people not have an opinion on THIS topic

if you want to have a discussion on wars. and death. adn where responsibilities lie, have a thread on that topic

[sabrina 1]

221. The topic was a POTUS having an affair and the woman with

whom he had it. You cannot talk about the behavior of any POTUS without talking about WAR. No one can make it to that position unless they are pro-war. So, I don't get the outrage of a POTUS's personal sex life while ignoring the far more important issue of their public behavior. I have yet to see a thread filled with the outrage over Clinton's silly affair, showing the same kind of outrage over what he did through sanctions, eg. to Iraq. In case you don't know, those sanctions killed half a million Iraqi children. Yet, the focus, then and still (although it used to only be on rightwing boards airc) is on his stupid affair. And every time I see the ridiculous outrage over a presidential affair, I will ask the question as to why the killing of half a million children is so much less important. Sorry if that bothers you.

[TK421]

209. that's America...love it or leave it you tree huggin' hippie!!!!!@3

[RobinA]

217. From All Evidence

it is easier to control the free world than a weewee. And I say this as a non-weewee owner.

[sabrina 1]

165. Is Obama an 'old man'?

And what outrages you more, just out of interest, an 'old man' bombing innocent women and children and refusing to prosecute torturers of women and children, or an 'old man' having an affair?

Actually Obama is older now than Clinton was then.

I don't care what consenting adults do in their free time, not my business. I do care about those we elect using that position to slaughter innocent people for not reason whatsoever.

[seabeyond]

192. this discussion is about monica and clinton. that is what we are discussing

nothing about wars and death. you want a discussion on that, have a thread and people will chose to discuss.

i dont care how you feel about two consenting adults. that is none of my business. i do get to have an opinion, regardless of whether you think i should or not.

is 50 on a 22 yr old and old man? ya

[sabrina 1]

194. Both were adults, that's all that matters. What they did was not illegal

and both were consenting. Age has nothing to do with it which is why I asked the question. The only reason age would be a factor would be if one of the parties was a minor. That was not the case, so our moral judgement has no place in the discussion. For Republican hypocrites, of course they pretended to care, even while they themselves were engaged in extra-marital affairs. But what does anyone expect from Republicans? For a forty-something Repub, airc, it was a 'youthful indiscretion'. But for a forty-something Dem. he is an 'old man'?

What I would like to know is when the 'left' took on the role of being the moral arbiters of the private behavior of public figures. This has to be a pretty recent development because airc, this was always the role of the Hypocrites on the right.

Since the issue of age was raised, it became relevant to the role of a President in his capacity as CIC in general, not just in his personal life.. Is 50 old when you are ordering bombs to be dropped on civilian areas that we know have killed babies and pregnant women?

I did not raise the issue of age, it was introduced by you and another commenter. That is called 'opening the door' to a discussion on what place it has in this discussion. Just as you have a right to your opinion, I also have such a right. And imo, two consenting adults, regardless of age, are not my or anyone else's business. This prurient, puritanical interest in the sex lives of public officials is best left to the far right hypocrites, in my OPINION.

And war most definitely is part of any discussion where citizens are being critical of US President for having an affair. That criticism raises the issue of priorities we wish our leaders to have, and of our own. So it most definitely is relative to this discussion, again in my opinion.

[seabeyond]

195. bullshit. you dont want people to have an opinion on this. people have an opinion on this

regardless of your decree. and yes, i think 50 is old. regardless if it is bush, clinton or obama or myself.

all the rest of your poster is chatter, that has nothing to do with the OP, which is what i addressed.

yes, i think peoples personal behavior reflects on character. i was in another thread with some elected official not paying his child support. iti s personal. none of my business. not about his performance as a representative. and STILL i think it reflects his character and he is a piece of shit. and being on a discussion board, i will express that i think that man is a piece of shit.

[sabrina 1]

197. Why are you angry? Because someone disagrees with you?

This IS a discussion board, and everything raised by me was a response to YOUR raising the issue of age. As i pointed out, unless one of them was a minor, age is not relevant to the issue. But since you insist it is, I ask why an 'old man of 50' ordering the bombing of innocent children doesn't spark the outrage that an old man of forty something having an affair does. That is completely relevant since you raised the issue in the first place.

I am as free to ask questions, as you are to make the declarations you make and then become angry when someone asks a few questions. Any time I raise an issue, I am happy to respond to questions from others.

Ageism is as unacceptable as any other ism. I don't care if he was 70 and she was 22, they are both still adults. And 'old' is not an insult, btw. Not to anyone who has loved ones who have lived long lives.

[seabeyond]

198. why are you assuming i am angry. cause i said bullshit?

and no, talking about war and death had nothing to do with "age".

i also feel that you are being insulting to old, if you feel the mere mention of old is insulting. what is there to be insulted about being old, unless you feel there is something inherently wrong with being old. i, personally, do not have an issue with being old. hopefully, we all get to experience old. i am comfortable in old. and i just do not feel i should be ashamed about being old. any more than a person should feel a shame with being young.

[sabrina 1]

205. Sorry, not working.

YOU used the word 'old' in a derogatory and negative way. Funny attempt to get out of it, though.

People who have no issues with age or other identifying characteristics of a person that are not related to the issue at hand, don't use those characteristics to try to make a point. It's pretty simple really.

[seabeyond]

211. right... lol

a man with power, and experience and what should be maturity that one gets with the years that pass them by.... being old, allows them a manipulative power over the young. and ya... my point, i dont have a lot of respect for that old person that is so self absorbed to put his interest above this young gal, his daughter, his job, the nation who voted him in to do the job.

why do you have an issue, that i lost respect for clinton, cause him having a bj took precedent over everything else?

he knew if caught, this would happen. he did it anyway. i dont respect an adult who makes these choices. if it does not effect how you see this man, bully for you. some of us see it as lack of character. and some of us see this lack of character extends beyond just his personal life.

and ya, you may not buy it, but you are the one that is discriminatory against age, seeing it as an insult, when there is none there.

[sabrina 1]

223. Like I said, anyone who cannot discuss someone without

insisting on using characteristics irrelevant to the issue itself, such as their race, age, sexual orientation, appearance etc. has an issue with those characteristics.

And repeating it now to try to make it seem as if you don't? A terrible tactic. It just proves my point.

Two grown ups had an affair. One of them was married. None of it was or is any of our business. One of them has succeeded in becoming more wealthy and famous, AND popular than even his own wildest dreams. The other one is not doing so well.

I feel sorry for her. He doesn't need my sympathy.

The story is simple and as ancient as history itself. I fail to see the outrage especially from Democrats. I wish all that outrage and energy could be seen in threads about the vile, criminal, murderous wars in which men, women and children are dying every day.

Not only do I NOT see it, now you are complaining because I even mentioned it!

[seabeyond]

227. you say the age difference is not relevant. i dont agree with you. i think a two and half decade

age difference is relevant. i explained to you why i feel it is relevant. you dont have to agree with me, but you dont get to tell me that is the way it is. cause it is not. so i dont have the issue with age. you are the one that said the word "old" is insulting. i explained why it is not insulting.

otherwise i agree with the rest. it is an old and tired story that we came back to

[zalinda]

184. He did not take advantage of her

She initiated the 'relationship'. She admitted that she wore a thong and then bent over to get pizza and lifted her skirt more so he could get a good look. She told friends that she was going to DC and bringing her 'knee pads'. She went after him. She knew he was married (he wasn't her first married man) and didn't care. I don't know of many 50 year old men who would pass up a blow job from a 23 year old woman.

Would he have 'cheated' if she hadn't flashed him and made herself available? We'll never know. I have a lot of other things to be pissed at him for, NAFTA is one of them.

zalinda

[seabeyond]

193. omg... poor bill. ya, well, sorry you dont know any old man that would say no to a 22 yr old

offering them a bj.

but the discussion on this thread is about this affair. doesnt mean people werent pissed at the man for other things.

so?

[Dorian Gray]

213. I don't know

I'm 40 years old, and I learned what a BJ was when I was in 2nd grade. I was horrified, but a friend's older brother told me, and I asked my mom about it.

I think talking always happened through the ages.

[Odin2005]

72. I was 12 when the scandal broke and I was disgusted at the GOP's obsession more than the blow-job.

[Whiskeytide]

Me too - although I was 34 years old.

There is nothing wrong with a blowjob. Or, for that matter, all forms of sexual contact. We should have more of it. It's difficult to think up new ways to figuratively screw the people when "a people" is literally screwing you. I find that starting wars and committing other crimes are usually further from my mind as well (but maybe I'm doing it wrong).

I golfed frequently with a single friend in the mid 90s, a pretty conservative guy over all, but he really loved Clinton. Not for his politics. He told me the Lewinsky affair got people talking about blow jobs, and any time you can work that topic into casual conversation, its likely to lead to something. He credited Clinton with getting him laid regularly for quite a few years. Whether you agree with that morally or not, I thought it was pretty damn astute insight.

[Carolina]

237. excellent response

and welcome to DU :hi:

[MedicalAdmin]

125. She moves in rich circles. How do you think she got an intern job?

And it the sociopathic circles of the rich the only crime is getting caught.

[RobinA]

216. I Have NO Sympathy

for people who put things on Facebook. I mean, HELLO?

[azureblue]

233. she was a political groupie

just like a rock groupie. Out to have sex with a big star, in this case, the President. Nothing wrong with it, but she had her sights on "scoring" with the President as soon as she got close enough. She gave Clinton a BJ. Not real sex, at least in my book. Unfortunately for her, after her "score" she was manipulated by those out to bring down Clinton. What she told on confidence to another woman who betrayed Monica was relayed to the GOP and the blood was in the water. Monica was naive and not that bright, well, not bright enough to know that she was being manipulated until it was too late.

from Wiki:

Lewinsky confided in a co-worker named Linda Tripp about her relationship with the President. Beginning in September 1997, Tripp began secretly recording their telephone conversations regarding the affair with Clinton. Tripp gave the tapes to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr...........

I feel no hate for her, actually a bit of pity for a girl who was used and tossed aside. If you want to hate somebody, hate Tripp. She's the witch here, not Lewinsky. I also feel like those behind that the whole witch hunt should be exposed to the same publicity and the same digging-for-anything attack that they subject our ex President to,

[SpiralHawk]

59. It's not like she had Adulterous Diaper Sex with a RentBoy Madame Hooker (R)

in a Luggage-Handling, Toe-Tapping Faux Public Urinal, or anything...

I mean, not that it's saying much, but ethically Monica is a cut above your average Republicon Family Values Wanker.

[cali]

87. it's no better at all as his transgression involved an abuse of power.

[SpiralHawk]

90. Ahh, my post was about HER transgressions

To each according to her or his merits, or demerits as the case may be...

[cali]

92. She was merely a foolish young girl. He was the most powerful man in the world.

love how you excuse the fucker.

[Whisp]

138. I see him as a vile lecher in that scenario as well

many say she was an adult and knew what she was doing, but as you said earlier, it was an abuse of power on Clinton's part.

People that are 21 (I think thats how old she was) are mostly still kids. and for her to take the brunt of the blame and shame while he still blushes and jokes about it, is beyond disgusting

[sabrina 1]

164. She was a woman. Not a child. And neither she nor he did anything

illegal. Such outrage over something that is not only history, but was a rightwing manufactured outrage generated by them in an attempted coup of a Democratic president, using the Judicial System as a weapon to do so so in a treasonous campaign that was entirely politically, not to mention, as we have since discovered thanks to Larry Flynt, hyocritically motivated.

Two consenting adults had an affair. Then some treasonous criminals attempted to use it, regardless of all the other affairs in their own party that were going on at the time, to bring down a duly elected president. That is where the outrage belongs, and where up to now, it usually is, other than among Republicans who were indoctrinated with a visceral hatred for Clinton.

People's personal lives should never be a part of the political discussion, never. Not unless they are having a direct influence on national security or something equally serious. I doubt there are throughout history, many World leaders or American presidents, who have not had affairs, and we were far better off when we did not have the lunatic fringes on the right attempting to use those personal relationships for political purposes.

Otoh, if he were MY husband, well, that would be a different story ~

[DirkGently]

169. There's where I come down. Any outrage at the 'act' belonged to Hillary. Impeachment was the crime.

[Whisp]

172. and lying for nearly a friggen year to all Americans was a crime as well.

sure the pugs were slithery ugly, when aren't they? but Clinton could have avoided the year long soap opera, but he didn't. He didn't want to.

I wonder why - it had to be cover for something.

[DirkGently]

173. Cover for something other than ... an affair with an intern? Yes, Clinton was dumb. Not $25 million

taxpayer-investigation-to-prove-two-adults-had-sex dumb. Not trying to remove a sitting U.S. President on the basis of having an affair with an intern (then lying about it) dumb, but still, very dumb.

Don't see the lying as anything exotic or suspicious though. He thought he could outmaneuver the inquiry with an idiotic parsing of "sexual relations" so he could continue to deny it. Years later, Anthony Weiner baffled us all with the same miscalculation.

[SpiralHawk]

141. Hey, no excuses for Clinton whatsoever. Where are you getting that fantasy?

...But interesting how you excuse the adult woman who went to Washington with the stated intention of of seducing a married man.

Enuf ethical skankiness to go around for everyone. But still no match -- as pointed out in my original comment -- for Republicon Moral Turpitude.

You might want to go back and actually read it because then you might recognize how your snark is way off the mark.

[hfojvt]

144. girl? She was a 22 year old college graduate.

Do we get to call adult women 'girls' now? (I still do, especially at my advanced age (I am now about as old as Clinton was then)) Twenty somethings may seem like almost-children to a geezer like me, but technically they have been adults for many years. They get to drive, to vote, and to legally have sex.

[seabeyond]

151. actually, i dont expect much out of either gender until 25-28 in maturity

cant hardly call the young adult man or woman. more gals and guys.

exactly.

the young has to have time to explore and understand sexuality.

clinton on the other hand should have been well beyond the stupid in exploration. that would be adult.

[lumpy]

152. That foolish young girl supposedly had an affair with another

woman's husband before the Clinton debacle.

[tigereye]

166. yes. Clinton was a great communicator, but had terrible

judgment in this area. Clearly an abuse of power, but nowhere near requiring all the Congressional crap that it led to.

[phleshdef]

23. How liberal of you.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

52. Is it "liberal" to pursue a married man? I worked in DC in my...

20s and 30s, and never once did I offer to show any of my superiors my thong (or blow them). She and Clinton are equally "guilty" in this tawdry little affair, and rather than slip away gracefully she tried to cash in on the notoriety. I'm not at all surprised as to how she's faring now.

[cali]

112. No. Wrong. He was the one with the power. and it seems just dandy to you

that she suffers and he didn't.

[phleshdef]

154. No, its liberal to have sympathy for a mixed up young woman having her life ruined by a politics.

Its liberal to believe in second chances. Its liberal to want mixed up young women who had their lies ruined by a political scandal to be able to acquire that second chance later in life when the smoke has cleared.

Its not liberal to brag about you holding out your all mighty, god damn sympathies for said woman when you find out she hasn't really been able to find that second chance. Ideology can also translate into an attitude about general things in life. And this is one of those kinds of things.

[nomb]

236. Ahh, yes the 17 year old home-wrecking whore. The female as evil-siren, man as victim

[InvisibleTouch]

110. I can't muster any sympathy either.

I'm really not bothered that she had an affair with him. That happens all the time, and I personally don't consider it that big a deal. I'm disgusted, however, that she felt the need to blab about it. If she cared for him as she claimed she did, then why would she do something that she knew would cause him all kinds of harm and trouble? Had she kept her mouth shut and just enjoyed the experience in the moment, her own life would have turned out better, too.

[sabrina 1]

161. Do you have sympathy for Clinton then?

Oh, wait a minute. He is doing just fine. The powerful and the wealthy generally do.

I have huge sympathy for her. She made a mistake as a young woman, but it was not earth-shattering, no one died, she had an affair with a powerful man, it happens all the time, all over the world. She SHOULD have known better, so should all young people when they do foolish things.

Not particularly progressive imo, to want to punish a woman for life for having an affair. Sounds kind of Scarlet Letterish to me.

[lumpy]

182. She made a mistake having that affair, even before the Clinton

scandal, with her married professor also, no doubt causing a lot of misery in that marriage. I feel nothing, either for Lewinski or Clinton, as far as their sxual pecadillos.

[sabrina 1]

206. Clinton had quite a few affairs himself before this one.

I feel sorry for her, I don't feel sorry for Clinton, although I did at the time. But he's gone on to make lots of money and to live a pretty charmed life. She, otoh, has not. Lots of people have affairs but don't suffer for the rest of their lives because of it. I'm sorry if having a couple of affairs has affected her this badly.

It sure doesn't affect all the men who were involved in that whole mess, on either side of the aisle. Newt, Livingston, Clinton, Hyde, how many of them were there? So many were exposed as having 'made mistakes' just like hers. But all of them are wealthy now and revered as elder statesmen whose opinions are sought and paid for by various people.

The woman though, for some reason, hasn't fared as well.

My feeling is she was really in love with Clinton, and was badly hurt when she realized how little she actually meant to him. If that is the case, she probably has a hard time trusting men now.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Surprised she hasn't be a subject on Dr. Phil's show yet.

She was naive on several levels. She didn't see her being socially ostracized indefinitely because of her choices? (Notice that neither Lucianne Goldberg, Linda Tripp, nor Monica Lewinsky were embraced by republicans after their usefulness had expired.) She made a conscious decision when she announced prior to leaving for D.C. that she was going to earn her "presidential kneepads". If she thought her affections were reciprocal with the POTUS, she's (still) delusional.

Back in the day, the only place left for someone like Monica Lewinsky would be in a convent.

[hobbit709]

7. She wasn't that naive. She had a reputation as a starf**er long before she got to the WH.

[Surya Gayatri]

17. You're wrong, naivété it was indeed....

Fucking around on a college campus has nothing to do with being dragged through the gutter press of the whole world for "doing" the President. Her name will forever be a titillating footnote in the history books. Who could wish that on anyone? SG

[lumpy]

183. She was 'fooling around' with one of her married professors.

The wives are the ones to be pittied.

[Fla Dem]

222. And having Linda Tripp for a friend. n/t

[WinkyDink]

27. Hardly.

[no_hypocrisy]

29. Clarification: I meant "naive" as far as what she could expect after the fact.

Naive, thinking she could return to anonymity, thinking that she might be a celebrity, thinking she could succeed through networking based on her "connections".

She sort of reminds me of the entertainer at the turn of the century, Evelyn Nesbit. She was a model for "The Gibson Girl", a rising star until she slept with Stanford White, the famous architect. Her husband murdered White on the rooftop of the old Madison Square Garden but was acquitted by insanity.

Evelyn spent the rest of her life in unwanted obscurity, never achieving her former celebrity but instead living her notoriety. Her famous line was "Stanny was lucky. He died and I lived."

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

[Chorophyll]

35. She was 21 years old for fuck's sake.

Give me a break.

[hobbit709]

37. By the time I was 21 I had learned more than she evidently did.

but then I didn't have the benefit of money in my family.

[Surya Gayatri]

43. Well, bravo on your precocious and apparently

stainless adulthood. So glad no youthful indiscretions have plagued you in later years.
Some of us, monied or not, haven't been so fortunate. SG

[hobbit709]

48. Thank you for your concern

I'm paying for some of the things I did back then, but I'm not complaining.
Given the chance I'd probably do them again.

Added: "Stainless" reputation.:rofl: :rofl:

[Chorophyll]

158. Everybody's different.

You can have money and be immature, you can be poor and immature. Should we check the income level of everyone in their twenties who does something stupid?

Why is the onus on her and not on the more-than-twice-her-age President? And listen, I'm not bashing Clinton because I liked him then and still do. But he was the one with the power in this relationship.

[SharonAnn]

178. By the time I was 21, I hadn't learned much. I think that could've been me.

Seriously. In some ways I as very mature and in other ways I was incredibly immature. I was just da*n lucky that my behavior didn't land me in the public profile then nor with a public profile for the rest of my life.

[CBGLuthier]

5. She is NOT the punchline to A dirty joke.

She is the punchline and setup for an entire 20 minute routine.
Between the cigar and the souvenir dress she provided enough fodder for a lifetime's supply of bad humor.

[Chorophyll]

36. SHE provided it?

How about President Clinton for getting involved with her? How about the Republican assholes who tried to crucify Clinton over it? How about the wonderful media who would NOT let the story go until Clinton was impeached? No, it was all the fault of some 21-year-old girl. Right.

[CBGLuthier]

49. Clinton must share blame of course.

But ultimately she was the one who got on her knees.

Was the poor baby coerced?

[Chorophyll]

156. Your contempt for women is duly noted. nt

[Missy Vixen]

199. Do you perform that same sexual act on anyone else?

Great. How about I call TMZ and let them know? Maybe it'll end up on the entertainment shows, too. I think it should be on every channel ad nausaeum for the next five years or so. After all, "good girls" don't ever, EVER give blow jobs. Ever!

The average "youthful indiscretion" is an embarrassment to family and friends, but eventually, people quit talking about it. The only way Monica Lewinsky gets another chance is to move out of the US, permanently, and change her name.

I'm astonished at the sheer unforgiveness by those whose high school/college/20's hijinks weren't featured in international press, so they believe they're better.

>But ultimately she was the one who got on her knees.<

Yes. She should be shunned and ostracized the rest of her life for performing a sex act at age 21.

Just as someone else has already noted, thanks for showing all of us how much you hate women.

:eyes:

[hlthe2b]

6. When you look at the state of celebrity--realit tv, we are 'raising' an entire new generation....

of Monicas. Tragic that the obsession for fame and immaturity blinds them to all else--and that there is no one in their life to help them learn those sad lessons before it becomes their own.

[Ilsa]

8. She was young and she screwed up.

I don't spend time feeling sorry for her, but other people who were involved have walked away with money or good jobs. I'm surprised she hasn't had plastic surgery, changed her name, and moved to another country to start over. She never should have tried to capitalize on her notoriety.

[malaise]

9. Fugg you Monica

Go and hug up your blue dress

[cali]

14. Fuck Bill Clinton. Your callousness is just yuck.

[malaise]

Whatever n/t

[inna]

42. you're both are wrong actually; fuck the system

Fuck_The_System

:toast:

[undeterred]

10. DU is a rough crowd.

Lewinsky is a classic histrionic personality disorder. She needs therapy. She's an intelligent lady who made mistakes. Hopefully she gets help and finds happiness.

[Scuba]

19. +1

[cali]

12. I have quite a bit of sympathy for her.

When you're that young it's very easy to have your head turned, to get swept off your feet by someone as powerful as Bill Clinton. She's paid for it for a long, long time. Him? It cost him very little. And I will always hold him in contempt for it.

[muffin1]

30. ^^This^^

Jesus...WTF is wrong with people on this thread? She was a young girl with low self-esteem, and along comes this handsome, powerful man? Shit, I probably would have been quite flattered by the attention, too. She confided in her 'friend' and was stabbed in the back. I feel for her still.

[pscot]

80. I think you've got it

Clinton is a low-life and a sexual predator.

[Chorophyll]

38. +1000.

I like Bill Clinton (can't help it, which says something about the strength of his personality) but Monica Lewinsky is NOT at fault here. She was a kid.

[MilesColtrane]

114. If you believe a 21 year old is a kid, do you support restricting...

the ability of those under that age to participate in contracts, vote, marry, give sexual consent, or join the military?

[Chorophyll]

157. I believe that 21 is the age of legal majority for most things.

I also believe that most 21-year-olds are immature and tend to make foolish decisions.

The grown man in the White House should have known better. The press (if you consider the Daily Mail "the press") should lay off.

[Carolina]

242. totally agree

Monica was no kid then nor was she innocent. She had pursued a married teacher before. Bill was a stupid hound dog but we knew that before he was elected and so did she. So she used her thong to lure the dog.

Ironically, he DREW the line and wouldn't engage in sexual intercourese despite her wishes because he felt it was too intimate! So much for her innocence and victimization.

[Dreamer Tatum]

55. NO, Cali, she was swept off her feet by THE FUCKING POTUS when she was an INTERN.

In other words, she wanted to work there, sought it out, and the POTUS expressed an interest in her.

I will laugh in the face of anyone who thinks that sort of attention would be easy for any young woman to ignore.

Fucking pathetic the way people hang a woman out to dry when the POTUS was the one with something to lose. Ghouls.

[cali]

57. yep. it's pretty disgusting and sick. He abused his power. No two ways about it.

[IcyPeas]

180. she should have changed her name // eom

[dana_b]

224. I'm with you

he has moved on quite well but she is still paying for it. She was an adult but a young one with a lot to learn. I wish her well for the future.

[n2doc]

13. At least her family is rich

She isn't living in a shelter, or working at Wall mart at $7.50 /hr to make ends meet. She could be far worse off. Seems like she needs to do something other than a job involving the media, though.

[raccoon]

47. And she can afford the therapy she needs. nt

[lunatica]

15. I don't feel sorry for her, but I think she doesn't deserve to be a pariah

She had a short and incomplete affair with a powerful older man. It happens more than we like to think.

[H2O Man]

16. A sad article.

I do feel sorry for her. She was a kid, really, and Clinton definitely exploited her.

Other than cases of rape, I don't tend to judge people negatively for their sex lives. I'm surprised by some of the harsh comments on this thread. I suspect that most of us have made a few questionable choices when we were young. To have your life ruined by one thing seems horrible.

[boston bean]

22. I agree. I too, am a bit suprised by some of the comments.

I don't like to see people shunned and the butt of jokes because of a blow job they gave 17 years ago. And the comments about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky costing us the White House.... I thought it was NADER! LOL

[stuntcat]

25. +1

what you said.

well :sigh: I think I just come to DU these days to see how mean democrats are

[shireen]

33. +1

my reaction too.

a difficult thing to live with. she does not deserve that misery. i hope she find some happiness.

[MerryBlooms]

58. yes. +1 n/t

[wtmusic]

68. +1.

But this would be a skinny board minus the judgemental.

[SoCalDem]

18. She chose unwisely

She came from a nice family, not impoverished in any way. she had an opportunity to participate in government, in a key city of the US, and she chose to debase herself, blab to people about it, and now she;s "upset" that things have not gone well for her?

Young people everywhere need to figure out that sometimes things you do , follow you your whole life.

She could have chosen to :

1. change her name
her given name is Monica Samille Lewinsky....her father is Bernard Lewinsky..her mother is Marcia Kaye Vilensky.. She could have changed it to Samille Bernard, or Samille Kaye. With a change of hairstyle, some weight loss and a change of scenery, she could have been anyone she wanted to be.


2. lead a downplayed life

3. move to a place where people might not recognize her as readily


she tried to capitalize on her "fame", and in a naive way, thought that people would be eager to buy what she was selling..

If she was truly interested in design, she could have gone back to school to learn about it, and progress like most designers do.,. through hard work and lots of years of it.

Celebutantes like her think that notoriety is enough to guarantee an income.. It;s not (unless you are a Kardashian, apparently)

[Tom Ripley]

20. Poor Pitiful Princess

[LeftishBrit]

21. You know...

I read the headline, noted its style, and thought to myself, 'Surely the Daily Mail wouldn't be writing about Monica Lewinsky at this stage?'

Then I opened it and saw that it was indeed from the Daily Fail!

I wouldn't take that sensationalist tabloid too seriously. Especially not when it quotes the National Enquirer!

[GliderGuider]

24. Lots of people are projecting their own shit onto her. She's just another human being.

The fact that we see aspects of our disowned shadow selves in her makes her a lightning rod for judgment.

Like every one of us she has some good qualities and some bad, she is both the author of some of her own misfortune and the victim of circumstance. She's just getting through life not much differently than anyone else.

Whenever I find myself pointing a finger at someone else I remember to notice the three pointing back at me. That reminds me where the judgment comes from.

"Compassion" may be the most useful gift the Buddhists ever gave us.

[Surya Gayatri]

39. Thanks for the wise words, GG...

This discussion certainly needs a dose of humanity and compassion.
There, but for the grace of God, etc. etc.
SG

[calendargirl]

60. +1 nt

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

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

[hobbit709]

31. By the time I was her age, I had learned to keep my mouth shut about screwing married women.

It works both ways.

[catabryna]

41. I agree...

my point wasn't to defend her, just to say that that past betrayal probably had a huge impact on her life.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

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

[WinkyDink]

28. Meanwhile, Bill gets to make his speeches and his millions.

[lumpy]

190. So does Cheney .

v

[slackmaster]

32. Many people have unintentionally defined their lives by bad decisions made while they were young

There's nothing to see here.

[JNelson6563]

34. She finally got all the attention she wanted/needed

Sometimes when one grabs the golden apple of fame, it turns out badly. This is one of those times.

I don't think she deserves a life of misery by any stretch but, as someone pointed out, she could have gone away and changed things to become whatever she wanted. Well she wanted to be famous so she didn't change a thing. She took a gamble and lost. It happens.

Julie

[Chorophyll]

40. This article is from the Daily Fail UK.

Just thought I'd point that out. It's disheartening to see so many good Democrats use this rag as a source, and more disheartening to see them direct vitriol at a 21-year-old kid who was exploited not only by the President but by people who claimed to be her friends.

If there's anyone to blame for the impeachment debacle, it's the usual suspects: the Rethugs who hated Clinton, and the media who can't resist a bullshit scandal.

[LeftishBrit]

228. Thanks. I made a similar point upthread

The Daily Fail is not a good source for anyone, and certainly not for progressives.

[Bragi]

44. She has more integrity than Bill Clinton

She made mistakes and paid a high price. I hope she finds happiness someday, somehow.

However, I think she needs to disappear and resurface as another person to do it because of small-minded, intolerant and hateful people.

As for the guy that got the blowjob, isn't it ironic that he's the one who has been working so hard to make money helping the disgraced war criminal George W Bush restore his reputation?



See http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/05/29/clinton-bush-conversation-toronto.html

[WorseBeforeBetter]

54. They're all part of a club, of which you and I are not members.

The sooner the masses realize that, the better off we'll all be.

[cali]

75. oh please. that's a wee bit simplistic. it's a classic abuse of power story.

[Bake]

45. I feel very sorry for her. She was just a kid.

And she was used by a very powerful and charismatic person. How many others would have lined up (hell, probably DID line up) for a shot a the Big Dog?

I love the Big Dog, but Bill, you owe her big time! Pull some strings and help her get a life.

Bake

[Vinnie From Indy]

53. I dislike Clinton but agree he should help

It would make me like him a bit more if he did something for this woman to help her.

[Freddie Stubbs]

46. I'm sure that Hillary will be heartbroken to read this story

[Gin]

63. she should get plastic surgery and change her name...she

has family connections who could afford to help her...start a new life with a new identity..

Linda Tripp is more of a low life than this person..whole damn episode was awful and the whole country suffered...I liked Clinton and this was a stupid, costly thing to do.

[Missy Vixen]

200. Hillary has a daughter of her own

Hillary Clinton may be a lot of things, but if she stayed with Bill, she knows how to forgive. I also like to think she would not wish ill on Monica Lewinsky; she's someone else's daughter.

I think she'd choose to take the high road on this one.

[TwilightGardener]

62. Has she considered changing her name and/or moving to another country?

I probably would have gone in that direction.

[ZombieHorde]

64. A cop has sex on the job and DUers call for his job,

Clinton has sex on the job, and it's just a personal matter.

So absurd.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1878544

[SammyWinstonJack]

65. Public relations company?

:silly:

[seabeyond]

67. my thought, too. not sounding like she is beyond stupid choices. nt

[Dreamer Tatum]

69. Yeah - you'd think she'd put her nuclear engineering PhD to work, huh?

:eyes:

[joeybee12]

70. She should have held out and never agreed to answering what's-his-names questions...

The evil specical prosecutor, that is, some people would have considered her a hero because of that, now she's pretty much looked down on by both sides.

[Odin2005]

71. It was wholly consensual. Maybe she should think twice before sucking her boss's dick.

If Clinton raped her it would be different, but he didn't.

[Dreamer Tatum]

74. That filthy, vile, hussy, huh?

Chock full of love and respect for women, aren't ya?

[cali]

77. It was abuse of power. He was the most powerful man in the world

in his forties. She was a 21 year old foolish girl. Your comments are pig disgusting.

[inna]

95. Oh FFS!! Blaming Monica for sexual "indiscretion" in this case is hyperpuritannical and borderline

sexist/rightwing.

Can't believe some of the comments on this thread. :shrug:

[Odin2005]

108. It was abuse of power by Clinton's part, but...

...there was no coercion involved. Clinton didn't force her to do anything. He didn't put a gun to her head, he didn't give her date-rape drugs. She is from a well-off family so I doubt she was concerned about losing her intern position.

I think Clinton is an asshole for doing what he did, a person in such a position of power should know better than to use his position to get sex, I was just reacting to the "oh, she was just a young girl" comments, she was an ADULT.

[inna]

148. and.... not sure what your point is. Clearly, she was infatuated/madly in love (or at least, lust)

with the guy, and as wiling a sexual partner as one could find, ever! :party: So fooking what? :)



It's entirely human (and perfectly legal and a relatively common pattern of behavior, too, btw) and certainly not worth condemning her forever as some sort of a outcast/pariah/freak/whatever the Torygraph (or whatever conservative rag it was) labeled her.


If anyone deserves condemnation in this case, it's utterly ridiculous and thoroughly outrageous conservative attacks/witch hunt/unfair persecution. Don't buy in that crap.


(Disclaimer: Not as if I approve what Bill did, but... it's between him and his wife/family. What people do in bed is none of the conservatives' damn business. - Or our business, either. :shrug: )

[sabrina 1]

225. 1000% n/t

[Lucian]

159. So...she should be the one shunned by society because of it?

He's just as much to blame as she is. Yet he is still loved by everyone while she's a recluse.

I think he's more disgusting leading her on like the way he did.

[Missy Vixen]

201. WOW! Another guy judging a woman for performing a BJ!

Hey, ladies, maybe it behooves ALL OF US to give up that little favor. After all, we'll be judged harshly for it later, even if it's in the confines of a monogamous relationship, won't we?

:sarcasm:
:eyes:

BTW, people of both sexes have made mistakes, especially sexual ones. MOST people are allowed to live those mistakes down. Hers have been in headlines now for twenty years, mostly because she's a woman. Perhaps it's time to let it go.

[Lucian]

73. It takes two to tango.

Why is everyone pissed off at her? He had a hand in this too. He's not innocent.

It's really annoying when the woman has to get ostracized in situations like this and the man can go on with life like nothing happened. :eyes:

[Marr]

76. I'm surprised at the response here.

She was a young woman who made a mistake. I can't imagine being so universally recognized for some indiscretion at the age of 21.

[TwilightGardener]

82. I don't think it's surprising to harbor some residual anger toward her.

I don't, really--if it wasn't her, Clinton might have dallied with some other woman. But still, most Democrats aren't going to be all that sympathetic.

[cali]

88. wow. way to excuse the pig Clinton

[TwilightGardener]

89. I don't know how you got that out of what I said there. I didn't excuse Clinton at all.

[SpiralHawk]

186. This is a real blind spot for you, Cali

You just are not paying attention. Either that or you just want to keep yanking the Clenis chain to keep the toilet-bound Repubbies orgasmic. I sure dunno.

But, in any case you have my condolences.

[Marr]

103. Really? Why?

I didn't have any anger towards her when the whole thing was in the news-- much less now. She was a young woman who did a few dumb things. Big deal.

I can see harboring anger for Linda Tripp or Ken Starr, or the rest of that little troupe, but Lewinsky was more sinned against than sinning, if you know what I mean.

[TwilightGardener]

105. As I've said, I'm not really angry at her. I don't respect her, or think she's

a great gal, but I don't blame her for what happened. Clinton was Clinton's downfall, not Monica.

[GliderGuider]

83. I'm not.

This board harbors human beings of all stripes. Including some who apparently feel better about themselves when they judge others.

[Romulox]

84. I guess I don't understand what we're supposed to do for her? nt

[Marr]

99. Who's asking you to do anything?

I'm surprised by the comments people are choosing to make here, and the anger they apparently hold for this woman.

[Romulox]

104. Well, the article and several posters seem to argue that Monica got a raw deal.

I guess I just don't understand what kind of result Monica and her supporters think she "deserves". Ideally, her personal relationships could remain just that--personal. By the same token that I don't think Monica deserves pariah status because of her personal relationships, neither does she "deserve" fame and fortune based on them, either.

So I'm not sure what everybody is supposed to do to make things "fair" to Monica Lewinsky. Until this recent article, I hadn't given her a thought in years. Isn't that what she wants? No, I don't think it is. :shrug:

[Romulox]

81. It works both ways though, right? She would've never gotten the chance to try at handbags

if she wasn't notorious for her personal relationship with the President.

[cali]

85. And you know that how?

aside from that, what does that have to do with the fact that Clinton abused his power horribly?

[Romulox]

91. Because that's what actually happened. (And the handbags didn't sell.)

"aside from that, what does that have to do with the fact that Clinton abused his power horribly?"

The article in the OP is about Monica Lewinsky, and how her life has unfolded. That's why I'm discussing her life, rather than the subject of Clinton's abuse of power. My point is that having an intimate relationship with the President may be no bar to fame and fortune, but by the same token, it's no guarantee of fame and fortune, either.

That said, I agree with you that Clinton is the villain in this story.

[Fleshdancer]

86. I feel bad for her

No one is exempt from insanely stupid actions in our youth, but most of us are given the chance to move past it so that it doesn't define the rest of our life. If I were her, I would have changed my name a long time ago along with my hair color and just roll my eyes and say "Yes, I get that all the time" whenever people told me I looked like that Lewinsky person.

[Broderick]

96. If my youthful indiscretions were for the world to see

I would be a pariah too.

I think she really loved him.

[Fleshdancer]

106. oh jeez, I don't even want to think about my youthful indiscretions!

All I know is that I feel VERY grateful I was a hormonally charged idiot BEFORE camera phones and YouTube.

I don't know if she loved him or loved his power (or both), but I do know she had very poor judgment in friends at the time if she trusted Linda Tripp. My inner pop psychologist can't help but wonder if that experience keeps her from creating new female friendships.

[Marr]

113. I love thinking about mine!

I pity people who don't have at least a small list of items that would stain the family escutcheon, were they printed in the paper.

[Broderick]

122. I honestly don't like to remind myself

Done some really crazy shit in my youthful years. With kids, I hope they break that cycle. LOL.

[Broderick]

120. Yeah, she could

be construed as the victim on both ends. A friend she trusted turned her life into turmoil and she had dalliances with a man twice her age who would have never loved her. Kind of feel bad all the way around for her.

[southernyankeebelle]

93. Time to move on people. Give her a break, she made a mistake. I forgive her.

[Dreamer Tatum]

98. Forgive her? For what? What did she do to you? nt

[David Sky]

128. Her actions and those choices she made subsequent to those actions helped

get Bush elected President.

I don't forgive EITHER CLinton or Monica for that!

[Dreamer Tatum]

130. I blame her for Bush like I blame barking dogs for earthquakes. nt

[Odin2005]

100. I don't get why people are excusing her because she was "only" 21.

Uh, last I heard being 21 makes you AN ADULT. She was an ADULT, not "just a kid".

[Marr]

107. C'mon-- that's young.

Not a child, but young. The world is a different place when you're 21 years old. If we were talking about a drug store shooting or a rape, I'd be right behind you with the "she's an adult, string her up'ing", but we're talking about a blowjob.

[Odin2005]

115. I'm "only" 25 and I find it rather condencending...

...to be treated as if i were still "immature" by some people. 20-somethings are ADULTS, treat us like adults.

[cali]

121. Sorry, I don't expect the same level of maturity with a 25 year old that I do

with a 48 year old. Life experience and all that. Sure there are exceptions but by and large one expects more maturity from someone who is.... more mature.

[Broderick]

146. At my advanced age

I think and act much differently than I did at 21 or even 25. Of course, I was a know it all, treat me with respect, I am smarter than you, everyone old is stupid kind of person in those days. If I knew what I know now back then, things might have been different. Too busy thinking I knew everything at that age to listen.

[Marr]

136. I'm as twenty-one as you are, so save the indignation.

I'm not talking about "20-somethings", and twenty-five is not twenty-one.

As I said, you're not a child at 21, but the world looked like a very different place to me then.

[David Sky]

118. So it's NOT okay to do SOME things when you're 21 because they are wrong, but

other things that are rather foolish and simply the result of bad judgment in human relations are fine?

In the garden and in the city, one reaps what one sows!

She also didn't just have bad judgment with Clinton, her mentor, but she had bad judgment with all the Republican assholes she took advice from.

Let's face it, she had multiple options: she could have never engaged in any activity with her mentor, she could have kept quiet about it, an intimate secret with the President, she could have moved on from a wonderful professional opportunity to start a career in politics, business, journalism, or any number of fields.

She chose a course, this is the result of those choices.

[Marr]

139. Yes, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say murder is worse than a blowjob.

:eyes:

[Fleshdancer]

111. Probably because we did idiotic things when we were 21 too.

Obviously she wasn't a child and of course she's responsible for her part in this, but it's ridiculous to hate on a woman this long for giving a blow job. She didn't blackmail him, she didn't try to shoot Hillary in the face, she didn't boil Chelsea's pet bunny, she was a young and sexual woman who had the attention of the POTUS and liked it. She's not the first, she won't be the last. It's time to move on.

[lumpy]

196. No kidding., I'm moving on. What I hate is the fact that this

scandal is being revived again, perhaps for political reasons.

[cali]

116. she was a kid. He was in his late forties. she was just a few

years older than his daughter. He was the one with all the power. Don't you expect more maturity and ability to make good judgments from the President of the U.S. than from a girl of 21?

[Autumn]

101. Well she did go to Washington to get her presidential

knee pads. Of course it didn't work out as well as she had hoped. She did have a pretty disgusting friend. I can't imagine a nastier person than that Tripp.

[MilesColtrane]

102. She's still single at 38?

OMG! How horrible for her!

She's doomed, I tell ya, doomed!



:sarcasm:

[closeupready]

109. Oh well. That's the way it goes.

nt

[Pisces]

117. Unfortunately she learned that actions have consequences in the public spotlight.

The creepies part is that she kept the dress which was used in the trial. 17 yrs she should be able to get over it. Her family has money so she will be alright.

[Dreamer Tatum]

126. Would have been nice if Clinton learned that too, huh? nt

[Pisces]

170. He did learn that through the impeachment process. His Presidency turned into a sexual joke.

What you are angry about is that people forgave him and not her. That is reality and another lesson she had to learn the hard way.

[closeupready]

119. Meanwhile, Laura Bush wasn't even Monica's age when she struck her ex-boyfriend - 17, in fact; yet,

people here are fine with calling her all sorts of names, stating that she was never held to account, yadda yadda. :eyes:

Gotta love how people who call us sexist pigs because "she was only 21!" apply standards so uniformly. :sarcasm:

[cali]

123. Sorry, I've been completely consistent about this. I feel sorry for Laura Bush

re that accident and I've said so.

[closeupready]

143. Didn't really mean you specifically, nor anyone else - just

was speaking in general. I agree with you, also, and honestly, I always liked Laura Bush.

Anyway, cheers...

[Hepburn]

124. No sympathy ~~ she wanted a "Power Fuck" and she got what she asked for.

One of my mottos is: One can do whatever one wishes to do as long as one is willing to also take the consequences.

[cali]

129. I'm sure you were a saint, dear when you were 21.

and brilliant of course and never did anything fucking questionable at all. wow. how wonderful for you.

[Hepburn]

131. I never fucked a married man.

At 21, I knew the consequences of that. Duh...:eyes:

[cali]

137. Neither did I but I'm not about to judge someone who did

guess what? It's the man breaking his wedding vows if he screws an unmarried woman- or in Clinton's case, an unmarried girl.

[Hepburn]

140. No one is judging her...

...by saying someone made a mistake and she is paying for it ~~ that is FACTUAL and not judgmental. Saying that she should have known the consequences is not a judgment, but merely an opinion.

BTW: Please don't say anything like "Bush lied about the WMD" because I am sure you don't wish to judge the man, right?

[Whisp]

160. too bad the woman has to too often 'take the consequences'

while cheatin' Bill remains a neato hero. whats a guy to do, right? red blooded, feet of clay. hey, I'm just a man, afterall.

but SHE, SHE is the One who is evil and bad and deserves a life of misery because of Clintons stupid pisser and supposed trance like charms

[chillspike]

132. ...

Mother Earth Is A Vicious Crowd lyrics

Pollution, Cain, and misery
Oceans of golden mystery
Armies boisterous and armies loud
Portraits of a vicious crowd

Talk to me, talk to me now
Hey man, you're all that I have

Me, myself, myself and I
Were born to work and born the die
I have chosen my anthems
Of these I am proud
Portraits of a divided crowd

Talk to me, talk to me now

[treestar]

133. I would think this could not be all Clinton's fault

It could be due to depression and other things. If anything, it gave her a chance to make big bucks writing books and such. And her coming into the news just now makes me think a new book is coming out.

Also don't believe she can't find love. At least, not just due to her past with Clinton.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

135. However, her lover gallantly stood up for her...oh, wait.

"I didn't have sex with that woman." Memorable words from a defender of justice.

[Throd]

142. Now that I'm 44, I'm very glad that few people can recall how I was at 21.

She showed poor judgement. She didn't do anything illegal.

The Republicans used her as a weapon to beat Clinton.

The media used her to boost ratings.

[leftyladyfrommo]

145. I feel sorry for her.

She was so young when that all happened. She used horrible judgement but 21 year olds often do.

It usually takes a few years to figure out what is really going on with married men.

Women always lose in that deal. You should run as far away as fast as you can - no matter who the guy is.

[Chorophyll]

168. +1. Right you are. nt

[Desertrose]

176. I feel bad for her too...if it wasn't her, it would have been someone

else. They were out to get Clinton and unfortunately, he made it easy.

Sad situation for all involved.

[Warren DeMontague]

147. Just you wait. Decade nostalgia runs about a 25 yr. lag time. When 90s retro really gets going

she will have ample career and moneymaking $$$ opportunities, along with Lorena Bobbitt and everyone associated with the OJ trial.

[philly_bob]

150. Anyone have an update on Linda Tripp, the false friend who taped their talks?

Monica would have been okay if she hadn't been betrayed by Tripp.

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

I have sympathy for Monica. Who of us showed good judgment at 21?

[Blue_Tires]

153. Who cares? It's not like she's starving on the street or something...

And as far as I can tell, has never really had to do an honest day's work since then...

Lewinsky had two clearly defined choices in the aftermath of the scandal: She could have changed her name/appearance and found a nice, quiet place in the world to live her life in relative anonymity, OR she could have tried to cash in on the notoriety and use the temporary boost of instant celebrity to be some kind of "player" in the Beltway or Madison Avenue or whatever her ultimate career goal was...

She choose poorly...

[dembotoz]

155. used by both sides

[robdogbucky]

163. I wonder how many others Clinton had his way with yet did not have to lie about?

Not that it gets Monica where she wants to go, but there must have been others with the sex addict that was our prez. I guess it was unfortunate for her that one person she confided in was a right wing sympathizer and eventually a Ken Starr operative.

Ken Starr. Has there been anyone more obviously in the closet since Rosie O'Donnell?

Still, Monica could have parlayed her 15 minutes into something more substantial, but it does not appear she has survival tools like many others that found themselves on the national stage for the wrong reasons.

No one should be eternally held accountable for a sexual indiscretion at age 21 though. She is both fortunate to be born into wealth and privilege and unfortunate enough to not be able to exploit her bad judgment.


Only in America could a blowjob threaten to bring down a president but murder gets one a presidential achievement medal and a library. Land of the free and all that.

[Bluebear]

167. Sad. But it's Linda Tripp that I hope karma didnt forget about...

[era veteran]

177. Linda Tripp, the worlds worst 'friend'.

My take on this history.
-Hillary, strong woman, asshole lucky to have her.
-Bill Clinton, asshole predator, but I still like him. Us men can be stupid about sex.
-Monica, Youthful mistakes should be forgiven, I am glad mine are not public record.
-American Public, titillation whores.

-Move On

[IcyPeas]

181. If she had changed her name and moved out of town no one would recognize her any more

[Tatiana]

185. She was young and stupid and in awe of the President of the United States.

Like we haven't all done stupid things in our lives...

I feel sorry for her.

[JoePhilly]

187. I'm glad that my sex life from ~18 to 25 never became a topic of NATIONAL discussion.

She was naive, Clinton was reckless and foolish.

It should be easier to forgive the naive, over the reckless and the foolish.

[aikoaiko]

188. I don't wish her any discomfort in life, but no one owes her a damn thing either.

If she wants to rehabilitate her image, I suggest charity work with a liberal/progressive orientation.

[patrice]

191. I wonder whatever happened to Linda Tripp.

:mad:

[Missy Vixen]

203. Tripp had plastic surgery and I believe she remarried

She was featured in some national publication a few years back with her new business.

Karma, do your work!

:mad:

[patrice]

204. What a frakking low-life, worse than almost any of them, with the exception of Ken Starr probably. n

:mad: :mad:

[Missy Vixen]

207. People are free to judge Monica Lewinsky

I can't even imagine what it would be like to know my life was essentially over at 21, and I'd been betrayed by everyone.

It makes me sick that people like Starr, Tripp and President Clinton came through this unscathed, but her future was gone.

[kskiska]

230. Tripp married a German guy she'd known for years

They run a Christmas shop in VA selling imported German items and sausages. Husband wears lederhosen.

[Warren DeMontague]

238. I wonder if she's going to try to bring the Hitler mustache back into style

on herself.

[azureblue]

234. Tripp is the one to hate

Not Monica. Tripp secretly taped her conversations with Monica and gave the tapes to Starr.

[JI7]

202. her bags were ugly, and the truth is if she was more attractive , especially her body

if she had that hollywood ideal body she could probably have become like the Kardashian and other shitty reality star types.

but i don't really see what the problem is. her business ideas are not taking off? the bags i saw that she made were pretty ugly.

maybe she just needs to get a lower paying job working for someone else rather than hoping some business idea will suddenly make her something. most people fail with business ideas.

i don't really understand this. are we supposed to feel bad she hasn't been able to cash in on what happened with Clinton ?

i think she is pretty well off having family that supports her on both coasts.

[GaYellowDawg]

208. She used bad judgement. He used worse.

I don't have sympathy for someone who got involved with someone else's spouse. You gotta respect the ring. She was stupid, and even at a young age, knew better than to get involved with a married man, and should have known that she would become a national punchline. She didn't think - pretty typical of a young age. Should she have to live with it the rest of her life? I don't think so. But if she'd been smart, she would have changed her appearance as much as she could, legally changed her name, gone back to school and had a completely different career by now. She could have settled into a very nice life.

As for President Clinton: he absolutely should have had the self-discipline to turn her down. It was stupid, it was an abuse of power, and he should have known that with the Republicans already doing their best to paint him with Jennifer Flowers, they would have an absolute field day with Lewinsky. Should something between two consenting adults be their business? Sure. Should he have had the opportunity to work the damage out to his marriage in private instead of in front of the world? Absolutely. Does it ever happen that way in the real world? Of course not. You have to work with the world as it is, not as it should be. What he should have done was to turn her down point blank, get her out of his office immediately, and completely dissociate her from the White House staff immediately and permanently. If he'd really been thinking politically, he would have set her up to be a part of Newt Gingrich's staff and let her get Newtie in trouble.

[trusty elf]

210. Cigar? Toss it in a can, it is so tragic.

:silly:

[Dorian Gray]

212. I actually feel badly for her

She was young and stupid and thrown into the middle of a scandal. I'm sure she didn't consider how this would affect her life. And as a young woman, she probably saw things through skewed vision.
Yes, she was an adult and was responsible for her actions. But she was a young adult, and she had attention from the POTUS. Difficult to use good judgment in those circumstances. And consider all
the consequences.

I also think it's terrible that she finds herself as the butt of jokes when she's out publicly. People are rude and horrible.

[Quantess]

214. Who cares?

Leave her alone. It's been 17 years!!!

[eShirl]

215. I sense a future "Dancing With the Stars" contestant.

[Mass]

218. Amazing thread. Most of yuo guys and gales should join the morality party.

I feel sorry for her and for my part, have no sympathy for CLinton (though his offenses did not reach the level of an impeachment trial).

[dawg]

219. What kind of woman is she now?

That is what matters. Not what she did 17 years ago.

Is it acceptable for us to judge her? Many of us have absolutely no standing to do so.

Were both parties equally guilty? Technically yes, but Clinton bears much more responsiblity for this scandal. He was the grown man. He was the vow-breaker. And he was the President.

She was just a young girl with mixed-up priorities and a not-too-good moral compass. I would guess that 35-40% of the people on DU have done something equally as bad as what Monica did.

Does she deserve to be happy?

I don't know. But it doesn't depend on what she did back then. It depends on what kind of woman she is today.

[ibegurpard]

220. so sorry her affair didn't lead to bigger and better things

:eyes:

[KamaAina]

226. And another addition to my growing list of "Reality shows that haven't been made... yet."

"Keeping Up With Monica". :puke:

[cwydro]

229. Oh boohoo.

Cry me a river.

[pitohui]

231. wow she has homes in los angeles and new york?

then if she's failed to find happiness, fuck her, it's pretty obv. that she has a rich family and everything she needs in a material sense

if happiness can only come to those who find a lasting relationship with some guy they went down on when they were 21, no one would be happy

if she thinks she's the butt of jokes ( actually no one spends a minute thinking about her ) then why not change her name???

i really don't think there's anything wrong w. a girl w. a crush giving head to a powerful guy but when it doesn't pay off financially and she starts whining...you start to wonder was it really a crush? was it really the spirit of the time? or did she do it all along hoping for fame and fortune? because if she did, it's pretty stupid, nobody much other than cleopatra and paris hilton ever got famous giving head -- the odds are, you are actually going to have to go to college, invest in a business, and actually DO something to be famous! even if your parents are rich!!! just because paris hilton won the lottery, she thinks she should win the lottery too?

if she's really angling to be on reality teevee, i'll be totally disgusted

as far as the handbags she was delusional if she ever thought anybody was going to buy a handbag for that price from somebody famous NOT for design, with no talent or study of design, but simply known for a blow job...a blow job has nothing to do with design and it insults real designers that she thought she could just waltz in and do that as a backup plan when concubining didn't work out

[underpants]

232. It's hard to clean that Republican stain off you huh?

you got used honey. At least you got to look Bill in the eye.

[gateley]

235. I feel for her. I can only imagine how catching the eye

of the POTUS affected a young girl. Hell, half of the members of Congress would have dallied with him probably, and they theoretically have more sense than she.

I hold Clinton responsible. He'd been in trouble with women before, he HAD to know this would be disastrous for him, yet he succumbed.

Like Weiner. Their egos got too big and they believed they were untouchable.

She was young and giddy and caught up in the excitement.

That people expect HER to be the one who showed maturity and good judgment just baffles me. That's what you'd expect, and want, from the President of the United States.

[Carolina]

241. She pursued him!

Granted, it wasn't much of a pursuit and he's certainly not blameless, but she started it with her thong flashing and desire to earn her presidential kneepads!

[gateley]

243. I don't change my opinion. She was young and caught up

in the excitement of the White House and acted inappropriately, but not NEARLY as inappropriately as he did.

I should say that I think the entire brouhaha was inane and that frankly I don't care what an elected official does in his/her time off the clock, but the lack of judgment pissed me off.

[LynneSin]

239. Monica, didn't your mother teach you a simple word like 'No'

really did she think she'd be some sort of super celebrity by sleeping with Bill Clinton?

Karma is without a doubt a real bitch and well deserved in this case!

[Carolina]

240. No sympathy

at all. That tart, hussy or, my favorite, skank went to DC to get her presidential kneepads, per her own admission! Bill was not her first married man, authority figure...

There are far too many women who pursue married men, especially those in power, for fame or money. They never consider the fallout to the man's family or even to themselves. And while they may be young chronologically, they are often far from innocent and know exactly how to use their youthful loveliness to entice and seduce.

Certainly, the men are not innocent either. And Bill was a longstanding cheater, but Monica deserves to fade away in lonely obscurity. Meanwhile, Hillary and Chelsea thrive. Afterall, if any young woman deserved sympathy, it was Chelsea Clinton and what she had to endure as a teenager because of Monica's mouth ... in more ways than one.

[libodem]

244. Public Relations?

You'd think she had enough of that to last a life time.