Ford Considered Bill Clinton Sex Addict And Hillary Clinton Strong One
October 28th, 2007 by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief
A new book that contains conversations with former President Gerald Ford that the ex-president agreed to be published only after his death is likely to create some ripples — and perhaps some unwelcome talk show and buzz chatter for New York Senator Hillary Clinton.
According to the New York Daily News, Ford, who had gotten to know Bill Clinton, felt the ex-president had a sex addiction problem and considered Hillary as the one who wore the pants in the family:
“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.”
According to the News, the Fords first got to know the Clintons when they hosted them during a visit in 1993. Ford felt that Clinton was charismatic and an even better politician than JFK. He didn’t like Clinton’s foreign policy, though, and thought Clinton simply could not learn from his past mistakes in his personal life. Ford reportedly based his opinion on how he perceived Clinton during his visit and what Ford felt was the then-President’s interest in women who caught his eye during the trip.
“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.”
Nevertheless, when the Monica Lewinsky sex-and-perjury scandal erupted and barreled toward impeachment, Ford was willing to help Clinton - to a point.
After the House voted to impeach Clinton but before the Senate’s decision on whether to convict him, the sitting President phoned the ex-President.
“He said he needed my help and wanted to know if I could help,” Ford recalled not long after.
Ford took a kind of middle road approach in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal:
Ford had written two Op-Ed pieces in which he called for Clinton to admit he had lied to federal investigators in exchange for censure over impeachment.
He told Clinton that he would help him, if he agreed to such a deal.
“Bill I think you have to admit that you lied. If you do that, I think that will help - and I’ll help you. If you’ll admit to perjury, I’ll do more,” he said.
“I won’t do that,” Clinton told him. “I can’t do that.”
Ford was stunned by Clinton’s lack of contrition. “It’s a character flaw,” he concluded.
….”I’m convinced that Clinton has a sexual addiction. He needs to get help - for his sake. He’s already damaged his presidency beyond repair,” he told DeFrank.
And his view of Hillary Clinton?
“She’s stronger and tougher than he is,” he said. “When she takes a point you’re gonna have to be damn sure you’re well informed because she won’t compromise as quickly or as easily as he.
“She’s very bright. She’s strong, and I think he defers to her. When she gets her dander up, she ain’t gonna roll over.”
And he had no doubts about her ambitions. “Hillary is gonna be on the ticket in ‘04 or ‘08, one or the other, you can write that down,” he said in 2002.
And her chances? “I don’t think the country is ready for a lady President.” he said.
This book is likely to be highly-controversial. Those who detest the Clintons will seize on it an quote it. Some who support the Clinton’s will dismiss it out of hand on perhaps several grounds:
(1) that it represents the opinions of one person (2) that the assertions in the book come from someone who is dead so perhaps they are not what he really said (but you can bet your house in Vegas that this kind of interview was taped and tapes will confirm the accuracy of the quotes.)
The bottom line is that it’ll keep some of the baggage Hillary Clinton is trying to shed in public view. How will the Clinton camp handle it? Most likely as they are right now:
The Clintons, through spokesman Howard Wolfson, declined to comment about the book.
And that’s wise. How do you rebut off-the-record opinions with someone who is now off the face of the earth? If the book gets big media coverage the the story has “legs,” look for the Clinton camp to address it a bit more directly on programs such as “Hardball.”
But for many Americans it’ll be seen as just another book to compete with time spent on watching football or Desperate Housewives.
To historians it’ll be seen as a document that can be used to provide supportive quotes (”Gerald Ford later said..”).
And to those seeking to “stop” Hillary Clinton, it’ll be seen just one more weapon.
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 10:34 am and is filed under Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Politics, Books. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
