McCain and Bush are awfully hard to tell apart these days

Enthusiastic when Rep. Rangel suggested NY Senate race

"I hear that you're interested in running for Senator," I said to her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Some people tell me that they were thinking about drafting you here. Well, let me just tell you this: You can be the Senator from Illinois, but the REAL senators are from New York--that's where you should be running from."

And I could tell then, from the awkwardness of th smile on her face, that there was some interest. Hillary turned me over to her chief of staff. "Why don't you let me start filling you in on what's there for her."

"That would be great," she said, enthusiastically. And that's where it began.

GovWatch: Maybe won popular vote, but only delegates count

Whatever Clinton might say, there is considerable doubt about her claim. It’s only true if she includes all the people who voted for her in Florida, plus including Michigan while excluding all “uncommitted” votes, and including caucus participants in IA, NV, ME, & WA.

The more important point is that the popular vote has nothing to do with the presidential nominating process, which is decided by delegates. Most estimates put Obama within 45 votes of the 2,118 needed to secure the nomination, while Clinton is 200 votes away.

Our judgment: This is one of those cases where the candidate can provide some data to back up her claim, but the claim itself is essentially meaningless.

Visited Bosnian war zone, but mistake to call it sniper fire

Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008

Using passages from other’s speeches is change you can Xerox

Michigan and Florida primary ballots should count

A: I think that both Michigan and Florida should count becaus these are two states we have to carry. This is not so much about the ins and outs of the DNC as to whether the Democrats are going to win in the fall. In Michigan, my opponents ran a very vigorous campaign to get people to vote uncontested, and I still won a majority. In Florida, 2.7 million people showed up and said we will not be disenfranchised again. They weren’t involved in the rule making. Give them a chance.

Q: How is that fair when Obama didn’t get a chance to go head-to-head?

A: People follow the campaign [from other states].

Q: One suggestion has been to have a second primary.

A: A second primary would be obviously very expensive. I don’t know who is going to pay for it. The people who voted thought they were voting in a primary.

Will release tax returns during general election campaign

A: Well, the Obama campaign is telling people to send in that question. I’m going to release my tax returns when I’m the nominee. My entire ethics statement is on record at the Senate. I liquidated all of my holdings. I’m holding everything in cash so that there’s not even a question of conflict. But transparency is an important issue. And it doesn’t only go to your personal finances but Senator Obama has some questions to answer about his dealings with one of his largest contributors, Exelon, a big nuclear power company. Apparently he cut some deals behind closed doors to protect them from full disclosure in the nuclear industry. And we still don’t have a lot of answers about Senator Obama and his dealings with Mr. Rezko.

America needs election debate about country’s direction

McCAIN: I think we will have a very spirited [race].

CLINTON: Well, I think we both have our hands full.

McCAIN: Yeah, I think we’ll have very respectful but very spirited debate. I think that Senator Clinton would be the first to acknowledge, as she’s already mentioned in several appearances and debates with the Democrats that we’ll have very significant differences. And I think the American people will see those differences and make a judgment.

Q: Senator Clinton, do you have a response to that?

CLINTON: No, I agree with that. I think that John and I will have a respectful debate, but we do have serious differences about the direction of the country and what we think should be done. But that’s exactly the kind of election that our country needs right now, and I’m looking forward to it.

McCAIN: Do you want to start that debate now?

FactCheck: Obama, Bill, & Hillary all praised Ronald Reagan

In the Jan. 21 debate, when Obama was criticized by Clinton for supporting Republican ideas, he responded, “The irony of this is that you provided much more fulsome praise of Ronald Reagan in a book by Tom Brokaw that’s being published right now, as did Bill Clinton in the past.“

Obama is correct: Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have lauded Reagan’s political skills. Tom Brokaw’s ”Boom! Voices of the Sixties“ quotes Clinton as saying that Reagan was ”a child of the Depression“ who understood pressures on the working and middle class.

We’ll leave it to others to decide who’s praising Reagan more. The fact is that Bill and Hillary have done it, not just Obama.

AdWatch: “Hillary: The Movie” counts as campaign ad

A three-judge panel ruled this week that the ads amounted to electioneering and could be run only with a disclaimer and only if Citizens United disclosed its donors to the FEC.

Given the passions, pro and con, that Hillary and Bill Clinton seem to ignite, it’s a good bet we can expect more such films before the election is over.

Strong identification with Eleanor Roosevelt

On 2/21/93, Hillary mentioned imaginary discussions: “I thought about all the conversations I’ve had in my head with Mrs. Roosevelt this year,” saying she had asked Eleanor questions like, “How did you put up with this?“

To many people, it was fitting that Hillary identified with Eleanor. In April 1995, Jean Houston proposed that Mrs. Clinton ”search further and dig deeper“ for her connections to Mrs. Roosevelt. Houston had Hillary close her eyes, and envision herself in a room with Eleanor, a room where she was free to talk about whatever she wanted.

Pundits ridiculed Hillary; quoting Eleanor was great, but communing with her ”spirit“ was something else entirely.

At her core, Hillary is an idealistic activist

Hillary was once a passionate liberal, a left wing devotee, a radical feminist, & an antiwar activist. Now, 40 years later, the idealism that once had a claim on her heart seems all but gone.

Ideals create a passion for something good, & drive you to be part of a cause bigger than yourself. Hillary’s early aspirations offered a place of comfort, a sense of belonging. I wonder if Hillary has regrets as she looks back at the wide-eyed liberal & remembers all the passion that flowed through her veins, all the excitement of the cause. I wonder if she regrets trading it all in for fame & power.

Hillary is the same today as she was yesterday. It is not from lack of trying--the makeover team has been working overtime to sweeten & soften her--but they have not laid a glove on her true nature.

Poll: support among women 13% higher than among men

While Clinton has proved popular with the Democratic base in places like New York City, she is much weaker with the political center, the moderates and Independents in states like Ohio and Florida that she will need to win a general election. A daunting 42 percent of all Americans say they’d never vote for her for president.

Early frontrunner based on name recognition and money

When Republican types meet, the Hillary-chat is the same. Formidable candidate... shedloads of money... unrivalled name recognition... impressive job in the Senate... husband a big asset... great hairdo.

Among Democrats, you will find many who say she SHOULD be the next president-her admirers remain legion-but you will be very hard pressed to find many who say with confidence she WILL.

Early polls indicate that while she’s streets ahead for the Democratic nomination, she gets soundly beaten by all the most plausible Republicans. So, among Democrats the snatches of conversation are like this: Hated on the Left... impossibly high negatives... terrible performer in public... too much Bill baggage... awful pantsuits.

Op-Ed: positioning herself as voice of reason & centrism

But Hillary’s newfound centrism focuses only on issues at the margins. She may attack sex on TV or call for more values in public life, but when the chips are down, she votes like a solid liberal, backing her party more than 90% of the time.

OpEd: Hillary is emblematic of extreme leftist ideals

But she also connects with the murky dreams of millions of suburban women who quietly enter the ballot booth and assert their independence from their family’s party affiliation.

Contract "On" America nationalized the House election

The Democrats lost 8 Senate seats and an astounding 54 seats in the House--ushering in the first Republican majority since the Eisenhower Administration. It was disheartening to imagine the next two years with a Republican controlled House and Senate.

NYC offices costs taxpayers $514,000 per year

Accused of failing to disclose gifts as First Lady

Supported teacher tests & China women despite unpopularity

CLINTON: Well, I’ll give you two. You know, back in 1983 - when I was probably the first person in the country who said that we should test teachers - that was extremely unpopular, and it caused quite an uproar. But it was the right thing to do, and I still believe today that we should be testing new teachers and raising standards for our teachers. And then in 1995, when I went to China to speak on behalf of women’s rights, there were many people, inside and outside our own government, people literally around the world, who said I shouldn’t go, that I shouldn’t make a speech, that I shouldn’t criticize the Chinese government.

Get New York a fair share of budget surplus & Medicaid

CLINTON: One of the issues I’ve been talking about is how we can get more of New York’s fair share. We have a chance to do that because we have a surplus. One of the biggest injustices is the Medicaid formula. I’ve come forward with a plan that would get us more money. I look forward to working with Chuck Schumer. I would be a vigorous proponent of what we need.

New Yorkers are diverse, big dreamers

CLINTON: What it means to be a New Yorker is to be the best human being you can be, to do the best with your life you can do, to dream the biggest dreams, to demonstrate that we can make this wonderful patchwork quilt of a place not only work but show the rest of the world that people from different backgrounds and experiences not only can get along but build a better future.

New to the neighborhood, but not new to NY issues

Opposed numerous Bush cabinet & court appointees

• Samuel Alito (as Supreme Court justice): “a decade of progress would fall prey to his radical ideology, jeopardizing civil liberties and the fundamental right to privacy.”
• John Ashcroft (as Attorney General): Clinton charged that Ashcroft would “encourage racists in our society who are quick to believe the worst when they see someone of color,“ and that ”Ashcroft engaged in judicial pofiling.“
• Michael Chertoff (as assistant Attorney General): Clinton cast the only NO vote in 2001 and 2003, but voted in his favor when Bush appointed him to become director of Homeland Security in 2004.
• Alberto Gonzales (as Attorney General)
• Porter Goss (as director of the CIA)
• Mike Leavitt (as adminitrator of the EPA)
• Gale Norton (as Secretary of the Interior)

Decried 1980s materialism & excesses of corporate America

I thought Bill was a pretty good president; now I’m running

A: I thought Bill was a pretty good president. And from my perspective, you know, the values that he acted on, on behalf of our country, both at home and abroad, are ones that stand the test of time. But look, I’m running on my own. I’m going to the people on my own. I think I know how to find common ground and how to stand my ground. And on all the issues that matter to America in the 21st century, I wish we could turn the clock back, but we can’t. And we need to start with leadership that can deliver results and get us back to the values that make America great.

Like Eleanor Roosevelt, pushed boundaries of First Lady role

After what feels like a lifetime of the Clintons’ lease on the national consciousness, it is hard to recall the expectations surrounding her arrival, the first presidential wife to be given an official portfolio. Americans were fascinated by this brainy, attractive, articulate woman. Like Eleanor Roosevelt, her heroine who had also been marked by the vitriol of her enemies, she was determined to use every bit of her dominion for the public good.

It would have been unthinkable in the first half of the 20th century that a first lady select members of the president’s staff and cabinet, occupy an office in the White House west wing, participate in her husband’s policy meetings, or take charge of the planning of the most costly domestic policy initiative in history. She would become an icon to millions and a hated target for millions of others because of it.

Proud of Bill Clinton’s record as president

A: I want to run a very positive campaign, and I sure don’t want Democrats to be engaging in the politics of personal destruction. I think we should stay focused on what we’re going to do for America. And you know, I believe Bill Clinton was a good president, and I’m very proud of the record of his two terms.

Bill and I believe in obligation to give something back

What bound you together? "I don't know if I can describe it, I don't know if you could ever really describe why you love somebody or why you are committed to somebody, but you know, I thought we complemented each other in lots of ways, but I also thought that, um, we cared deeply about a lot of the same things. I mean, it's real corny. It wasn't as corny 20 years ago as it is for some people now to say that, Bill and I really are bound together in part because we believe we have an obligation to give something back and to be part of making life better for other people."

1992: Meant “active partner” with “buy one get one free”

The “buy one, get one free” comment was a reminder to Bill and me that our remarks might be taken out of context because news reporters did not have the time or space to provide the text of an entire conversation. Simplicity and brevity were essential to reporters.

Meant “women work conflict” with “stay home & bake cookies”

I could have said, “Look, short of abandoning my law firm partnership and staying home, there was nothing more I could have done to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.“

My aides suggested that I talk to reporters a second time. On the spot, I had a press conference. It had little effect. Thirteen minutes after I answered the question, a story ran on the AP wire. CNN quickly aired one too.

It turned into a story about my alleged callousness towards stay-at-home-mothers. Republicans labeled me the ”ideological leader of a Clinton-Clinton Administration that would push a radical-feminist agenda.“

Not involved in pardons, neither with husband nor brother

Although she demanded he return the money, Clinton said she has not spoken with her brother at all since the news broke. “I knew nothing about my brother’s involvement in these pardons,“ she said. ”I love my brother, but. I’m very disappointed and I’m very disturbed.“ Rodham’s lawyer said he had returned most of the fees to both clemency clients. She added that she had no role in any of her husband’s 11th-hour pardons.

The disclosures opened up a new area for congressional investigators, who were already looking into a controversy over former President Clinton’s pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich and his business partner.

We’re better off than 1992; elect Gore & continue progress

1986: Prepped Bill's race; denied her own political ambition

The preliminary campaign machinery was set in place. Phone calls were made, advisers considered. Hillary braced herself for what she knew would be a messy race. She braced Chelsea. She was excited. Though. She was going to have a shot at being first lady of the nation.

A press conference was called in Little Rock for July 15, 1987. All indications were that Bill Clinton was about to announce his candidacy for the presidency.

1992: All marriages have issues; our issues are our business

On Jan. 26, "I have acknowledged wrongdoing," the governor offered to the camera. "I have acknowledged causing pain to my marriage."

After 35 years of experience, ready to lead on day one

KUCINICH: The new doctrine that I’m going to promote throughout this campaign is that we’ll use the science of human relations and diplomacy to settle your differences without committing the young men and women to war, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

CLINTON: We are united for change. We cannot take another four or eight years of Republican leadership that has been so disastrous for our country. The issue is: Which of us is ready to lead on day one? I have 35 years of being an instrument and agent of change, before I was ever a public official. And during the time that I’ve been privileged to serve as first lady and now as senator, I’ve worked to bring people together, to find common ground where we can, and then to stand our ground where we can’t.

OBAMA: We don’t just need a change in political parties in Washington. We’ve got to have a change in attitudes of those who are representing the people.

Amalgam politics: make labels irrelevant

To a degree her plea was valid, but it was also disingenuous, as she could have candidly admitted that she was not a conservative Republican. This trend would continue throughout Hillary’s career, as she consistently lunged for the rhetorical middle and tried to frame herself as a moderate.

When it is suggested that she sounds as though she’s trying to come up with a sort of unified-field theory of life, she says, excitedly, “That’s right, that’s exactly right!” The First Lady was seeking a way to marry conservatism and liberalism, capitalism and state-ism, to join together the myriad state, religious, social, economic, and class problems into one idea that could be addressed by her theory.

Campaigning on strong coalition of women & minorities

Consider this: If Hillary is nominated as the first woman ever to run for president, she is very, very likely to win. By maximizing her support among the 54% of the vote that is cast by women--and tapping into the enthusiasm that her husband elicits among African Americans and Hispanics--she is likely to sweep into office, easily defeating any conventional white male candidate the Republicans might send against her.

The Democratic Party cannot win without fully tapping all three pillars of its base: African Americans, Hispanics, and white women. A Hillary Clinton candidacy is particularly strong because of her appeal to all three bastions of Democratic power.

Make a pact not to give in to cynicism or hate

"Make a pact not to give in to selfishness or cynicism or hate. Cling to the enduring values you have been exposed to. Cling especially to the value that is given to all people and that is premised on their equal worth. Respect and trust individuals of all races, creeds, and colors. Work toward the achievement of a universal human dignity, not just your own personal security."

It was one of the most stirring speeches she's ever given. It might just as well have been a personal prayer. Delivered as it was in the heart of the campaign year, uttered, as it were, between the bullets of press and public attack, it was like a statement of faith.

Such statements, such faith, are what carried Hillary Clinton through the 1992 campaign year.

Accepted draft for Senate to avoid being “derivative spouse”

Why choose New York? Hillary confided that she’d investigated “some other states, but they have a number of qualified people running who had worked hard and long to be congressional candidates.”

Hillary said that the other thing that was appealing about a Senate run was that it would be a rare thing in American politics--a candidacy by acclamation. “I’m being drafted. It is so rare to be drafted in this way. the nature of politics is such that you have to seize the moment when and if it comes, or it may never come again.” She wanted to be wanted.

Running for re-election with no promise to serve a full term

CLINTON: I am running for re-election. I have made no decisions about any future plans. If that’s a concern for any voter, they should factor that into their decision on Nov. 7. We need a new direction, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Q: So you can’t make that promise then today?

CLINTON: I’m not looking past this election. But I’m going to be very clear with the voters, I can’t make a decision now, but if that concerns any voter, they should factor that in.

Q: Are you saying don’t vote for you if that’s a concern?

CLINTON: No, I think they should vote for me, but they should balance that against everything that I’ve done, my record and my values.

SPENCER: I’m the only one standing here today that wants to be a US Senator for the next 6 years for the people of New York. I commit that I am not running for President and I will serve for 6 years.

No problems with presidential transition; resolved by Xmas

“I think both campaigns have filed legal actions and we have the time to have those heard,” said Clinton, who endorsed Gore’s position in the dispute. “I believe that it certainly is important that every American have the confidence that his or her vote is counted and certainly in Florida there are questions about votes that haven’t been counted. I think those should be resolved,“ she said.

America’s government institutions, including the presidency, are ”strong and resilient“ enough to weather the current dispute, Clinton said. She added that Gore as well as his Republican rival, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, would ”certainly be able to hit the ground running“ after taking office.

Rejected Independence Party; they include Pat Buchanan

LAZIO: Mrs. Clinton, that’s not totally accurate. Your people were up there working hard for that.

CLINTON: I’ve specifically said publicly that I wouldn’t take it if they nominated Pat Buchanan. It was up to them to decide what to do.

LAZIO: I condemned him and the fact that he has been intolerant.

CLINTON: You know, I can only respond because, you know, as The Forward said when they endorsed me, Jewish voters should reject smear campaigns and inaccurate information.

Q: Did you accept the Independence nomination?

LAZIO: No.

CLINTON: That’s because it wasn’t offered.

LAZIO: No. It wasn’t offered to either one of us, to be fair about that.

Lazio’s a nice young man, but it’s about policy differences

LAZIO: It’s not a matter of personal dislike, [but] to point at the differences between candidates and the philosophy between two candidates.

Q: Do you dislike him?

CLINTON: No. I think that I have no personal animus at all toward Mr. Lazio. He seems like a very nice person.

Q: Well, name three things that you like about him.

CLINTON: Well, it seems like he has a very nice family. And that he has worked very hard. And that he’s an attractive young man.

Q: And you name three things you like about her.

LAZIO: Well, I think you’re an attractive woman. And I think you’ve got a very nice family. I’m sure you’re a very good mother as well.

CLINTON: Thank you very much. But that’s not what this election’s about. And what it is about are the very significant differences between us on everything like education and health care and the economy and the environment and guns and choice and Social Security and the budget surplus.

Experience and choices as a woman will make me good senator

CLINTON: I have worked to make sure women had the choices that were right for them. I’ve made my choices. We have a family that means a lot to us. Many of my experiences will give me insights into what I can do to be a good senator. I’ve had experience balancing family and work. I’ve had to worry about making sure that my parents were well taken care of, as well as taking care of my daughter. The choices that I’ve made are right for me. I can’t talk about anybody else’s choice. I can only say that mine are rooted in my religious faith, in my strong sense of family, and in what I believe is right and important. I want to be sure that there’s a voice in the Senate that reminds us that we’re still threatened with the right to choose that might disappear if the wrong person is elected president, the wrong people are elected to the Senate. I think my experience as a woman will make me the kind of senator who really understands what’s at stake.

Hillary: Lazio has chutzpah to call himself “mainstream”

LAZIO: Mrs. Clinton’s last remark has to redefine the word chutzpah. Mrs. Clinton, you, of all people, shouldn’t try to make guilt by association. Newt Gingrich isn’t running in this race, I’m running in this race. Let’s talk about my record. Let’s lower taxes. Let’s deregulate energy. And let’s build on my work in Congress already to get the job done.

Support minimum wage & more teachers, in Senate or out

National experience & ability to get along will serve NY

End divisional politics

1988: Felt Dukakis "set up" failure of Bill's DNC speech

It was a wonderful opportunity. But what we saw was the potential derailment of a brilliant career. A speech that was supposed to last 15 minutes droned on for 32 minutes. Bill Clinton was finally booed off the stage.

When Hillary and Bill got home to Little Rock, Vince and I took her to lunch. She was livid. She fel the Dukakis staff had "set Bill up." First, before the speech, Bill had shown a copy to Dukakis. It was too long, Bill told him, but Dukakis insisted that he leave it all in. Second, the normal dimming of lights to warn the audience that someone was abou to speak didn't occur.

I later heard from someone who was there that Dukakis's staff was worried about the nominee being overshadowed by Clinton.

Fortunately, Bill headed off the crisis by poking fun at himself on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

Has a Jewish step-grandfather

The role of Rosenberg in the life of Hillary has always been clouded. The first time Hillary mentioned her step grandfather publicly was in 1999, during her Senate campaign in NY. “I have nothing but fond memories of Max Rosenberg,” Hillary said. In Living History she wrote only that he was Jewish.

At age 27, tried to enlist in Marines

Mother, Dorothy, offended by mistreatment of any human being

My mother was offended by the mistreatment of any human being, especially children. She understood from personal experience that many children--through no fault of their own--were disadvantaged. and discriminated against from birth. She hated self-righteousness and pretensions of moral superiority and impressed on my brothers and me that we were no better or worse than anyone else. As a child in California, she had watched the Japanese Americans in her school endure blatant discrimination and daily taunts from the Anglo students.

Father, Hugh, focused on self-reliance & personal initiative

My father could not stand waste. Like so many who grew up in the Depression, his fear of poverty colored his life. To this day, I put uneaten olives back in the jar, wrap up the tiniest pieces of cheese and feel guilty when I throw anything away.

Not aggressive, but not intimidated by anyone

OpEd: "Crisis of meaning" is unified-field theory of life

Nobody kne what that sort of blather meant in the Sixties and nobody knows now. We do know what it is about, however; it is about self and the attempt to give life meaning through the quest for a vaguely imagined utopia.

One journalist agrees that she is searchin for a "unified-field theory of life." Her Wellesley and Texas speeches share all the same traits: vaulting ambition; didactic moralizing; intellectual incoherence; and the assumption that only your guiding hand can create the glorious future.

1970s: Editorial board of Yale Review of Law & Social Action

1960s: Rejected as applicant to NASA; women not allowed

I’ve been vetted; disinformation has all been recycled

A: I’m not so sure that anybody on the Democratic side should take seriously what any Republican commentators say. I’ve been around long enough to know that there’s often a certain level of disinformation that’s going on. One thing you know about me is that I have been vetted. I’ve been through this. I understand exactly what is coming at me, and there isn’t any new information. It’s just more of the same. It’s been recycled over and over again. I don’t think we can say that about my opponent. My track record on being able to take on Republicans is really a proven one. Somebody told me today that Sen. Obama has never had a negative ad run against him. Well, get ready, because if he’s the nominee we will see a lot of that.

AdWatch: Clinton didn’t cause Peter Paul fraud investigation

• The video gives the false impression that the Clintons somehow caused Paul to be investigated for securities fraud as retaliation for a lawsuit he filed against them. But the investigation--and Paul’s indictment--came first.
• The video claims that a telephone conversation between Paul & Hillary Clinton shows that she had knowledge of and perpetrated illegal campaign activities, when the actual conversation shows Hillary thanking organizers of a fundraiser.
• The video says Hillary’s campaign included “the largest fraud in election funding history.” The campaign was fined for a reporting violation, not “fraud.” And the fine was relatively modest compared with other FEC fines.

1992: I'm not just standing by my man like Tammy Wynette

The image of the couple side by side, along with Hillary's words, made a convincing performance. The Clintons left the impression that their problems were in the past--and if Hillary was unconcerned, voters shouldn't be bothered either.

Vince Foster suicide due to public bashing in editorial

Foster was stressed about the internal investigation of the Travel Office firings. Particularly grating to Foster was the series of destructive editorials in The Wall Street Journal. On June 17, the paper printed a column entitled “Who is Vince Foster?” On June 24, in “Vincent Foster’s Victory”, Foster was attacked for his partially successful appeal defending the procedures of Hillary’s health care task force.

It was increasingly hard for Foster to fight for Hillary. When he left Arkansas, he expected the relationship with Hillary to be as deep as ever. The last thing he expected is that it would turn upside down.

The Journal tied Foster & Hillary to the Travel Office firings in yet another editorial on July 19. On July 20, police found Foster dead.

1992: Keep press on the issues, not on personal destruction

Hillary’s had acuity of judgment that George Bush would be reelected unless the Clinton campaign could find a way to repel attacks and keep the attack machine silenced long enough to effectively trumpet the Clintons’ substantive message. Getting the public to listen to anything Bill said would be difficult because of what the press had become. Hillary saw the press as out of control, hell-bent on personal destruction and manufactured controversy, while ignoring serious issues.

The big story of the campaign, she feared, would was going to be Bill’s private life and hers, and a grotesque distortion of the Arkansas years. It is apparent in interview after interview that the guiding premise was: Keep them away from us and our private lives.

1992: Attacks as radical feminist backfired into sympathy

Could have weakened right wing conspiracy by honest answers

New and old enemies viewed “Clintonism” as a plague to be eradicated. Citizens United was an organization set up to fight the Clintons. They issued a constant stream of lies, half-truths, and conspiratorial epistles that told a tale of perdition & evil and were peddled to mainstream news organizations, Republicans on Capital Hill and right-wing talk show hosts.

But however accurate Hillary’s perception of an organized threat against the Clintons, she seemed unable or unwilling to grasp the desire of less antagonistic citizens, members of Congress, and the press to be given straightforward, timely responses to legitimate questions being raised by the stories, whatever the origins of the information & the motivations of those promoting them.

Replaced entire staff of White House Travel Office

1992 RNC Convention was hate-fest against Hillary

Felt she should have known Foster suicide was coming

On July 20, Foster was found shot to death in Fort Marcy Park in suburban Virginia. From all indications it was a suicide. Clinton called his mother, Virginia Kelley, in Arkansas to tell her. He was crying. She wept also. What a waste. How did it make sense? What a price to pay.

Hillary was also depressed and angry--a common reaction for someone close to a suicide victim.

"How could he have done this?" Hillary asked. "Why didn't he tell us? We could have helped him." In retrospect, the signs of withdrawal and overreaction had been there. "We could have known," she added. "We should have known."

1992: Press questioned Rose Law Firm about Hillary

Sure enough, we started fielding calls immediately. People wanted to know if she was a "real lawyer." People had heard that she, Vince, and I had tried to take over the firm. Then, just before the New Hampshire primary, in one day the storied took on a nasty tone. A lounge singer named Gennifer Flowers was about to go public with a claim that she'd had a long-term affair with Bill Clinton. The phones really started ringing once that story had been leaked.

On Princess Diana: It is hard when press invades your space

Not some little woman standing by her man