Comments on: Monica: We Still Hardly Know Ye

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:38:04 +0000

Listen, I’m a big fan of Clinton. As far as president’s go he was one of the smartest and most capable statesmen we’ve had in the oval office. But getting a blowjob from an intern in the oval office was a disgrace. You don’t have to be a family values chestbeater to be offended by that. Its small potatoes compared to keeping the free world free, but nonetheless it is the first thing I think of when Clinton is mentioned now.

As for Monica, she got busted knowingly giving head to a married president in the most sacred office in our country. Guess what, you get to be on the news for a few years and live that disgrace down for the rest of your life. There is no such thing as fair in life, but what she got was pretty close. I’m sure she’s bright and going to go on to other things but I don’t think she was necessarily treated unfairly.

By: GreenDreams

GreenDreams — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:31:04 +0000

The greatest damage done by this entire fiasco was to “family values” and “we the people.” By forcing Monica’s mother to testify, Ken Starr forever destroyed the ability of parents to tell their children truthfully, “you can trust me. You can tell me anything.” Our children would be wise to remember that in Ken Starr’s America, children can never admit to their parents what they do not want exposed in court.

Or would the parents among us endorse perjury in that case; the same crime of discretion for which we rushed to judgment on Clinton’s decision not to “kiss and tell”? Well? Do you want your kids to tell you if they smoke pot or drink or have underage sex, or if they go along with a friend who breaks the law? They’d be wise to take the fifth.

By: Shaun

Shaun — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:11:46 +0000

Sanjay:

Well said. The more important point is that Monica appears to have grown because of the experience, not peddled herself to Entertainment Tonight, E! TV or The National Enquirer.

By: Sanjay

Sanjay — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 14:39:09 +0000

I agree with Cohen’s message, but disagree with his reasons. Simply dismissing Lewinsky’s act as a youthful indiscretion undermines his article. Cohen characterizes Lewinsky’s indiscretion as:

“Yet she did what so many women at that age would do. She seduced (or so she thought) an older man. She fantasized that he would leave his wife for her. Here was her crime: She was a girl besotted. It happens even to Republicans.”

I certainly can’t speak for MOST women at the “youthful” age of 23, but I suspect they would not appreciate the characterization of seductresses of older men. This is less about a youthful indiscretion than it is about a lack of self confidence/esteem on Lewinsky’s part.

By: CStanley

CStanley — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 14:00:16 +0000

I always felt that the whole affair reflected much more poorly on Clinton than on Monica. The public ridicule that she experienced was predictable and that’s exactly why an older, experienced man shows himself to be bereft of morals if he is willing to allow a young, star-stricken young woman to subject herself to the possibility of that consequence.

By: Shaun Mullen

Shaun Mullen — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:51:58 +0000

Lynx:

Good morning.

I disagree with you insofar that the affair should have stayed within the Clinton family. While I find Linda Tripp to be a rather pathetic player, she did the Clinton family and nation a service.

The president owed his wife and the public an apology. We got one, however belatedly. That should have been the end of it.

By: Pug

Pug — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:51:14 +0000

Cohen sure described Ken Starr right as the “creepy special prosecutor”. “Creepy” about sums it up.

By: Lynx

Lynx — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:39:58 +0000

Uhm, sleeping with your boss, even when your boss is president and married, can be considered a youthful indiscretion. Sleeping with your boss and then storing the dress with a semen sample of his shows purpose, shows intention to do harm.

I found the whole episode sordid and ridiculous (as if we didn’t have bigger issues than the president’s sex life). Frankly, I think it is an issue that should have stayed within the Clinton family. Monica is not to blame for the media storm, but she participated, and the “blue dress” showed that she wasn’t an unwilling passenger.

By: Shaun Mullen

Shaun Mullen — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:27:56 +0000

Michael:

My initial instincts were mostly correct, although that has not always been the case when I dove into a story that was going to be a long slog.

I was enormously pissed at Clinton, whose womanizing was legendary, for screwing up again — with a White House intern, no less. I was unsympathetic to Monica, as well as Linda Tripp (who ratted her out) and I did a slow boil over the Republican pile-on in the form of Special Prosecutor Ken Starr’s pernicious investigation and then the impeachment vote and trial.

I never for a moment doubted that Clinton would be acquitted. Lying about blowjobs just doesn’t rise to the level of an offense that would demand the removal of a president from office. (On the other hand, I adamantly oppose impeaching President Bush, not because his offenses don’t rise to that level, but because such proceedings would be an enormous distraction at a crucial time. History will be the judge and jury and the verdict will be cruel.)

Where I did change my mind was about Monica, whom I — like Richard Cohen — sympathized with and still do.

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:59:07 +0000

Sorry for commenting twice in a row, but I am wondering: what did you exactly think of her and how did you – at that time – feel about the reporting about her? Did you object to it, in your articles?

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:57:17 +0000

Shaun I agree with the sentiment of your post. I find it absolutely ridiculous, how she as treated I mean. Something with casting the first stone I believe.

She erred, big time, but that was years ago already. She seems – I hope for her sake at least – to have learned from it, she didn’t let herself be ruined by it, she actually is becoming successful and focusing on other things… people should either respect her for that or they should not say anything at all.