Can Monica Lewinsky be President on day One?

Ms. Lewinsky hoped that in releasing the schedule she would put to rest nagging questions about her role in the Northern Ireland peace talks and the controversial NAFTA trade agreement. 

But shortly after the heavily redacted schedule was released to the press, it became clear that the document was raising more questions than it answered.

“There’s no question that Ms. Lewinsky spent hours in the Oval Office, but it’s unclear what she was working on,” said Democratic operative Carol Foyler. “If she was in there supporting NAFTA, that could be very damaging to her politically.”

A reference to the semen-stained dress that helped bring about President Bill Clinton's impeachment has surfaced in the battle Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are waging to win the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination. 

Former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer has a blog, a web log, on which he publishes commentary on the Internet. In a weekend post, Fischer said Bill Clinton shouldn't be forgiven for implying Obama doesn't love his country as much as Senators Clinton or John McCain, then Fischer went on to say Clinton's comments were a "stain on (the former president's) legacy, much worse, much deeper than the one on Monica's blue dress."

The Monica that Fischer's referring to would be Monica Lewinsky, the infamous White House intern.  A spokesman for the Clinton campaign called Fischer's statement the "most personal attack yet" from the Obama camp, suggesting Fischer's remark was both insulting and slanderous.

At about 10 o'clock this morning, Fischer, who is an attorney, deleted that statement and posted an apology. Fischer called his own Monica comment "tasteless and gratuitous" as well as "unnecessary and wrong."

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, says Senator Obama believes the comments Fischer made "have no place in our political dialogue and he strongly rejects them." 

"B. Clinton questions Obama's patriotism.  In repsonse (sic), an Obama aide compared B. Clinton to Joe McCarthy. This is patently unfair.  To McCarthy.

"When Joe McCarthy questioned others' patriotism, McCarthy (1) actually believed, at least aparently (sic), the questions were genuine, and (2) he did so in order to build up, not tear down, his own party, the GOP.  Bill Clinton cannot possibly seriously believe Obama is not a patriot, and cannot possibly be said to be helping -- instead he is hurting -- his own party.  B. Clinton should never be forgiven.  Period.  This is a stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper, than the one on Monica's blue dress."

That's not quite the kind of comment that keeps with Obama's pledge to focus on policy differences instead of personal attacks, I think it's safe to say.

- jpt

By admin on 3/24/2008 10:12 AM

I sincerely apologize for a tasteless and gratituous comment I made here about President Clinton.  It was unnecessary and wrong.

I have since deleted the comment, and again apologize for making it.  It will not happen again.

I hope my readers will accept my apology and we can move on to the very important issues facing our state and country.  Thank you.