Originally Posted By Labuda "After that point I questioned everything he said as "really the truth- or some version of it"" It really depends on what the meaning of "is" is, I think, Dave.
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka It *really* bothered me that Clinton lied. But, I also *really* believe that he shouldn't have been asked the question in the first place.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I heard this a couple weeks ago but Gingrich is a liberal....when it comes to his personal life.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Clinton lied about his private life, but he was a great president. His private life was HIS business, along with that of his wife. Not the American public's, not Gingrich's, who had a heck of a lot of nerve going after Clinton after what he's done. The republicans wasted our time and money by going after Clinton, and made our whole country look stupid. But what pisses me off is the two-faced crap the conservatives spew. In my own family I've heard Clinton called the devil and been told he made the whole country look bad because of what he did by the very people who are now backing Gingrich for president.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney BTW, I'm sure Hillary knew about Bill's affairs...before and during his presidency. It was their business. And the fact that he didn't want his private life on display for the American public does not mean he was dishonest when it came to his politics.
Originally Posted By Labuda I'm not entirely sure she knew. I was ignorant of it for 18 months and then for a few more weeks after the marriage ended before someone told me when I was cheated on. Given, my ex wasn't high profile like Bill, but if you spend as much time apart as we did and as the Clintons did, it's not hard to see how it happened. It just sucks ass when it does. Cheaters SUCK. But Clinton was still a damned good President despite his ability to keep it in his pants.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Bill's private life was private until he made it public by screwing around with an intern (aka...employee) in the Oval Office (work place). OUR workplace...to put a fine point on it. As a Director in my agency I would be fired immediately, and without question, if I screwed around with an intern in my office. And, I can't imagine too many people who wouldn't be treated likewise. Clinton did a lot of things right...and I will even admit that. But, let's not confuse cheating with some women in a hotel somewhere with cheating with a young intern in the Oval Office of the White House.
Originally Posted By Labuda "But, let's not confuse cheating with some women in a hotel somewhere with cheating with a young intern in the Oval Office of the White House." Nope. The only difference to me is where they took place. I don't see any difference between a CEO of a company sthupping his admin or the President doing it with an intern. Cheating is cheating. But should not be an impeachable offense for the President.
Originally Posted By barboy ///cheating with a young intern/// That is weak. Monica was old enough to consent. And her position as an intern was irrelevant since there was no unwanted sexual advances. Both parties wanted each other and both were consenting adults. You tried to paint her as a victim but you're mistaken.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper If the CEO did his intern on his desk...I'd expect him to be terminated. He is opening up his company to a host of liability issues with regards to sexual harassment that could result in signficant monetary damages. Forget the morality of it. Frankly, I don't hold the President to any higher accountability (even though I personally believe we should). Heck, teachers are held to a standard that the President is not. That seems odd to me. And, what really got Clinton in trouble was the lying about it...and the hollier than thou stance he took on it when he did. Jim Tressle didn't lose his job at Ohio State because his players got tattoos. He lost his job because he lied about it. And, before anyone has a brain anneurism...I think Reagan should have been held accountable for lying about Iran Contra...and I was a pretty big Reagan fan.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Oh, I don't think Lewinsky was a victim. I think she is trash. She was young by Clinton's standards...not young as in "a minor". Though, of the two of them, I'm not above saying we should have expected more of Clinton.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <And, before anyone has a brain anneurism...I think Reagan should have been held accountable for lying about Iran Contra...and I was a pretty big Reagan fan.> Glad to see a conservative saying so. Kudos. It always struck me strange that of the three big scandals of the 70's/80's/90's - Watergate, Iran-contra and Monica - that the middle one was by far the most serious constitutionally (as it essentially involved the executive branch willfully breaking a specific law passed by the legislative branch just because they didn't like it and thought they could get away with it - AND giving advanced arms to a hostile regime to boot), and yet of the three, the president involved got in the least amount of trouble for it. And why? Several reasons, but ultimately I think it came down to the seemingly trivial but actually crucial component of personal likability. Democrats of the 70's HATED Nixon, and that is not too strong a word. They were happy to take him down. Republicans of the 90's HATED Clinton, and they were happy to (attempt to) do the same. The the Democrats of the 80's actually kind of liked Reagan personally, and when they found some other people who could take the fall, they didn't really pursue it up the command chain too strenuously, though certainly they could have if they hadn't liked the guy.
Originally Posted By dshyates You mean Ollie North didn't just happen to have 40 ballistic missiles in his garage to trade?
