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Posted

Man, those demons make people do craaaaaaazy things :)

 

Bill Clinton has said his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky came at a time when he was under huge pressure as president.

He told the BBC that his "old demons" surfaced and led him into the affair.

 

The interview was recorded ahead of Monday's publication of Mr Clinton's autobiography, My Life.

 

"It happened at a time when I was angry, I was under stress, I was afraid I was going to lose my fight with the Republican Congress," said Mr Clinton.

 

"As I said, I was in this titanic fight for the future of the country, and an inevitable fight with my old demons. So I won the public fight and lost the private one."

 

At one point during the interview with the BBC's David Dimbleby for the Panorama programme, Mr Clinton becomes visibly angry when challenged about the sincerity of his contrition over the Lewinsky affair.

 

BBC Washington correspondent Justin Webb says this indicates the difference between this interview and the bland questions Mr Clinton has faced during recent interviews in the US, where former presidents are treated with a degree of reverence.

 

Mr Clinton will hold a lavish Manhattan party for 1,000 guests on Monday to mark the publication of his autobiography.

 

Many bookshops will be open at midnight to sell the first copies of the book, with thousands ordered in advance.

 

The sections about his affair with Ms Lewinsky are the most eagerly-awaited.

 

But the New York Times says that the book is "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull".

 

'Liberating'

 

Mr Clinton says he has revealed more about his life than any public figure before him - probably more than anyone ever should.

 

In an interview with the CBS network's 60 Minutes programme, he said he now felt that the humiliation of public scandal - and a year of intensive counselling which saved his marriage with Hillary Clinton - had been "liberating".

 

When he first told Hillary about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, "she was angry and she was mad and she was as mad about me not telling her before", he writes.

 

On foreign policy, Mr Clinton says that his two greatest regrets were not cementing a Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, and not capturing Osama Bin Laden.

 

The New York Times review says that much of the book is "the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history".

 

But interest is considerable, with Mr Clinton's publisher Knopf printing 1.5 million copies, breaking the record of 1.2 million for the first printing of Pope John Paul II's 1994 memoir Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

 

BBC One will be broadcasting The Clinton Interview - a Panorama Special on Tuesday 22 June at 2235 BST.

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Guest MikeSC
Posted

Bill Clinton is yesterday's news. His relevancy to the world ended on 9/11.

-=Mike

Guest cobainwasmurdered
Posted

Yeah let's drag his name throught the muck some more....that never gets old.

Guest cobainwasmurdered
Posted

and no one else does that?

Guest MikeSC
Posted
and no one else does that?

Heaven forbid a guy who makes a claim gets it mentioned. Oooooh!

 

Did you read the NY Times review of his book?

-=Mike

Guest cobainwasmurdered
Posted

I have no interest in Clinton. It's just tiresome seeing him getting trashed all the time, especially for something as mild as pimping his book.

Guest MikeSC
Posted
I have no interest in Clinton. It's just tiresome seeing him getting trashed all the time, especially for something as mild as pimping his book.

How is this trashing him? This is mocking him for an idiotic defense he used. Is his attempt to pimp his book supposed to be met with nothing but positive reviews?

 

As for my comment, it was hardly trashing him. Clinton is irrelevant. That is his fault.

-=Mike

Posted

Just to interject something based around the title of the thread: You do realize Clinton isn't talking about spiritual demons, right? He's using a term often used in American to denote past psychological addictions and issues. I'm pointing out because the comment with the article seemd to indicate that you thought Clinton was pulling some religious justification for his actions.

Posted

Is blaming an affair on demons, any more ludicrous then crediting god with getting you through alchoholism? I mean if you believe in god, then I would imagine you would believe in demons of some sort....Not giving any more credence to either theory, but just saying.....

Guest MikeSC
Posted
Just to interject something based around the title of the thread: You do realize Clinton isn't talking about spiritual demons, right? He's using a term often used in American to denote past psychological addictions and issues. I'm pointing out because the comment with the article seemd to indicate that you thought Clinton was pulling some religious justification for his actions.

I assumed he was just blaming, well, his personality. I didn't see any religion there at all.

Is blaming an affair on demons, any more ludicrous then crediting god with getting you through alchoholism? I mean if you believe in god, then I would imagine you would believe in demons of some sort....Not giving any more credence to either theory, but just saying.....

Well, one blames creatures for your shortcomings, the other praises God for helping you overcome your shortcomings.

 

I do see a slight difference.

-=Mike

Guest Anglesault
Posted
Man, those demons make people do craaaaaaazy things :)

 

 

The interview was recorded ahead of Monday's publication of Mr Clinton's autobiography, My Life.

 

"It happened at a time when I was angry, I was under stress, I was afraid I was going to lose my fight with the Republican Congress," said Mr Clinton.

Some people smoke a cigarette. Some have a drink. Some squeeze a stress ball. Others get a blow job.

Posted

I was directed more towards barondeath but that's good to know, Mike.

Guest MikeSC
Posted
Man, those demons make people do craaaaaaazy things :)

 

 

The interview was recorded ahead of Monday's publication of Mr Clinton's autobiography, My Life.

 

"It happened at a time when I was angry, I was under stress, I was afraid I was going to lose my fight with the Republican Congress," said Mr Clinton.

Some people smoke a cigarette. Some have a drink. Some squeeze a stress ball. Others get a blow job.

Well, of the options, blowjob would be pretty high on my list. :)

-=Mike

Posted
Just to interject something based around the title of the thread:  You do realize Clinton isn't talking about spiritual demons, right?  He's using a term often used in American to denote past psychological addictions and issues.  I'm pointing out because the comment with the article seemd to indicate that you thought Clinton was pulling some religious justification for his actions.

I assumed he was just blaming, well, his personality. I didn't see any religion there at all.

Is blaming an affair on demons, any more ludicrous then crediting god with getting you through alchoholism? I mean if you believe in god, then I would imagine you would believe in demons of some sort....Not giving any more credence to either theory, but just saying.....

Well, one blames creatures for your shortcomings, the other praises God for helping you overcome your shortcomings.

 

I do see a slight difference.

-=Mike

not really, both suggest that the outcome is in someone else's hands.

Guest MikeSC
Posted
Just to interject something based around the title of the thread:  You do realize Clinton isn't talking about spiritual demons, right?  He's using a term often used in American to denote past psychological addictions and issues.  I'm pointing out because the comment with the article seemd to indicate that you thought Clinton was pulling some religious justification for his actions.

I assumed he was just blaming, well, his personality. I didn't see any religion there at all.

Is blaming an affair on demons, any more ludicrous then crediting god with getting you through alchoholism? I mean if you believe in god, then I would imagine you would believe in demons of some sort....Not giving any more credence to either theory, but just saying.....

Well, one blames creatures for your shortcomings, the other praises God for helping you overcome your shortcomings.

 

I do see a slight difference.

-=Mike

not really, both suggest that the outcome is in someone else's hands.

True.

 

However, one blames one's WEAKNESSES on outside forces --- a very immature belief.

 

The other praises a greater power for HELPING THEM overcome their shortcomings --- a very mature belief.

-=Mike

Posted
Just to interject something based around the title of the thread:  You do realize Clinton isn't talking about spiritual demons, right?  He's using a term often used in American to denote past psychological addictions and issues.  I'm pointing out because the comment with the article seemd to indicate that you thought Clinton was pulling some religious justification for his actions.

I assumed he was just blaming, well, his personality. I didn't see any religion there at all.

Is blaming an affair on demons, any more ludicrous then crediting god with getting you through alchoholism? I mean if you believe in god, then I would imagine you would believe in demons of some sort....Not giving any more credence to either theory, but just saying.....

Well, one blames creatures for your shortcomings, the other praises God for helping you overcome your shortcomings.

 

I do see a slight difference.

-=Mike

not really, both suggest that the outcome is in someone else's hands.

True.

 

However, one blames one's WEAKNESSES on outside forces --- a very immature belief.

 

The other praises a greater power for HELPING THEM overcome their shortcomings --- a very mature belief.

-=Mike

I see your point.....

 

I just prefer that neither would be referenced, since usually it is to appeal to a certain group of sympathizers.

Posted

Clinton really isn't relevant anymore; I'm not going to be snide and say that it's because of 9/11, but the fact is, he's out of the spotlight, for the most part, and in this book he doesn't really say anything that you wouldn't expect from him (which is to say, he doesn't really admit he's wrong about the whole scandal or apologize for it), so there's really nothing to offer. Whether you like(d) Bill or you didn't, America has, for the most part, moved on. All the book really does is bring back nostalgic memories.

 

I may have to give it a read. Apparently, if what the talking heads are saying is true, he's *reasonably* kind to President Bush on the matter of Iraq (namely by being relatively mild in his criticism of him, but then again, Clinton was never the type of person who bought much into, or frequently spouted, liberal rhetoric), which, I'm sure, is not exactly what Democrats were hoping for.

Guest CronoT
Posted
Clinton really isn't relevant anymore; I'm not going to be snide and say that it's because of 9/11, but the fact is, he's out of the spotlight, for the most part, and in this book he doesn't really say anything that you wouldn't expect from him (which is to say, he doesn't really admit he's wrong about the whole scandal or apologize for it), so there's really nothing to offer. Whether you like(d) Bill or you didn't, America has, for the most part, moved on. All the book really does is bring back nostalgic memories.

 

I may have to give it a read. Apparently, if what the talking heads are saying is true, he's *reasonably* kind to President Bush on the matter of Iraq (namely by being relatively mild in his criticism of him, but then again, Clinton was never the type of person who bought much into, or frequently spouted, liberal rhetoric), which, I'm sure, is not exactly what Democrats were hoping for.

If you want to read a book that tears the Bush administration a new asshole, read Al Franken's latest book. He does a wonderful job of showing what a gimp Dubya is.

Posted
Wasn't the unemployment rate at it's lowest when Clinton was in office? Didn't he leave us with a budget surplus?

Wasn't the economy recovering nicely under Bush 41 when Clinton took office? Didn't the economy under Clinton get propped up by the dot-com craze? Didn't the economy dive when the dot-bombs were exposed as the shams they were?

 

Not to bash Clinton... just to be fair.

Posted
If you want to read a book that tears the Bush administration a new asshole, read Al Franken's latest book. He does a wonderful job of showing what a gimp Dubya is.

You must not read this forum much.

 

I'm a conservative. I don't mind reading books that criticize conservatives (or liberals, for that matter), so long as they're presented in as objective a manner as possible.

 

Guys like Franken, or Michael Moore, I equate them with such wonderful propagandists as Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity.

 

I wouldn't mind reading Bill's book because, even as a conservative, I don't hate or even dislike the man. I mean, we're not talking about HILLARY here.

Posted

I'm so sick of Bill -- too bad he's still a young guy (as far as presidents go) and will probably be around another 30+ years. I heard a snippet of that BBC interview on one of Vyce's propaganda radio shows; what a sad, sad man.

 

On a positive side though, this radio chain is making its stations play soundbites of Clinton's book (!?) and the conservative talk host -- Fred Honsberger for those in Pittsburgh -- was goofing on it while it was being played. Funny stuff...

Posted

Eh, I'll get the book when I can find a friggin' copy around here. Everyone says it's self-serving, sounds like my kind of book.

 

I'm glad Tom finally addressed what JAxl said. While the economy as a whole was propped up by the internet explosion and communcations in general, isn't the government's own bookeeping leading to a surplus as he left office commendable, since the entire government had to actually shut down for a few days in 1994(5) thanks to being so far in the red?

Guest netslob
Posted
Bill Clinton is yesterday's news. His relevancy to the world ended on 9/11.

-=Mike

when 9/11 happened, i imagined Clinton sitting somewhere saying:

 

*whew* "Thank god it wasn't on my watch."

Guest MikeSC
Posted
Bill Clinton is yesterday's news. His relevancy to the world ended on 9/11.

        -=Mike

when 9/11 happened, i imagined Clinton sitting somewhere saying:

 

*whew* "Thank god it wasn't on my watch."

He's actually bitched that nothing "big" happened on his watch.

-=Mike

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