Clinton still doesnt get it

[attila <attila@hun.org>]

    25 years of Clinton's raging pscyhopathic, oversexed behavior:
    Hillary has been a willing partner.

    nothing but control freaques and obscene power trippers. there
    is only amorality in that house --and power by any means.

New York Times
September 13, 1998 
IN AMERICA/By BOB HERBERT 
Still Doesn't Get It 

David Maraniss, in his biography of Bill Clinton, "First in His Class," 
writes about an "intense relationship" that Mr. Clinton had with a 
young woman who had volunteered to work in his first campaign for 
public office. Mr. Clinton was running for Congress and the woman was a 
student at the University of Arkansas. 

A campaign aide, quoted in the book, said, "The staff tried to ignore it as 
long as it didn't interfere with the campaign." But it did interfere, because 
Mr. Clinton was also intensely involved with Hillary Rodham. 

Mr. Maraniss writes: "The tension at campaign headquarters increased 
considerably when Rodham arrived as people there tried to deal with the 
situation. Both women seemed on edge. The Arkansas girlfriend would ask 
people about Hillary: what she was like, and whether Clinton was going to 
marry her. When she was at headquarters, someone would sneak her out 
the back door if Rodham was spotted pulling into the driveway." 

It was all there more than two decades ago at the very beginning of Bill 
Clinton's political journey: the thoughtlessness, the recklessness, the 
wanton use of friends and associates to cover up his ugly behavior, the 
willingness to jeopardize the hopes and dreams of people who were 
working for him and trusted him, the betrayal of those closest to him. 

There is nothing new in Kenneth Starr's report, just confirmation in 
extreme and at times lurid detail of the type of person Mr. Clinton has 
always been. 

In 1992, when he was running for President and people across the nation 
were investing their time, money and even their careers in him, he 
rewarded them with the Gennifer Flowers scandal. He carried his 
psychodrama onto national television when he went on "60 Minutes" and, 
with Mrs. Clinton at his side, called Ms. Flowers a liar. 

He told Steve Kroft and 30 million viewers: "It was only when money came 
up, when the tabloid went down there offering people money to say that 
they had been involved with me, that she changed her story. There's a 
recession on, times are tough, and I think you can expect more and more 
of these stories as long as they're down there handing out money." 

In other words, it was the economy, stupid. 

But even as he was denying that he had had a sexual relationship with 
Gennifer Flowers, Mr. Clinton was going out of his way on "60 Minutes" to 
convey to the public that he had learned a lesson, that he had matured 
and that his irresponsible behavior would not be a problem if he were 
elected President. 

"I have absolutely leveled with the American people," he said. 

In fact, his comments were about as level as the Himalayas. We now know 
that he was willing to risk everything, his family, his Presidency, the 
welfare of the nation, on a dangerous fling with a White House intern. For 
him, it must have been great fun. He got to play so many people for fools. 
He got to chat on the phone with Congressmen while engaging in sex. He 
got to play hide and seek with the Secret Service. 

Very mature behavior. 

Now the Clinton psychodrama has much of the Government paralyzed 
and the Democratic Party in a state of panic. But Mr. Clinton still doesn't 
get it. On Thursday he met with the members of his Cabinet, who had 
been duped and lied to like so many others. He went into his emotional 
routine and said he was oh-so-sorry, etc. He begged for forgiveness. 

But he got upset when the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
Donna Shalala, said that she was appalled by his behavior. Ms. Shalala 
complained that the President seemed to believe that pursuing his 
policies and programs was more important than providing moral 
leadership. 

A story in The Washington Post said Mr. Clinton responded sharply to Ms. 
Shalala, rebuking her. My understanding is that his response was critical 
but not harsh. Either way, it's clear that Mr. Clinton has not learned the 
requisite lessons. He lied to Ms. Shalala months ago and sent her out to lie 
to the public, and now he's criticizing her. The President is not sorry. He's 
apologizing because there's a gun at his head. He's not changing what he 
now describes as his sinful ways. He's trying to manipulate public opinion 
so he can survive to sin again. The psychodrama remains as long as he 
remains. 

There are no surprises here. With Bill Clinton, it was ever thus.