Kathleen Parker February 11, 2014
February 13, 2014
February 11, 2014
Groundhog Day isn’t just a movie.
Here it is early 2014 — still almost three years away from a new presidency — but it’s high time to mention that Hillary Clinton was a “ruthless”first lady.
This shocking revelation comes to us courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon — a conservative commentary/news site — which published an article basedon the papers of Hillary’s good friend, Diane Blair, a University ofArkansas political scientist. Blair’s papers were handed over to theuniversity after her death in 2000.
The headline: “The Hillary Papers: Archive of ‘closest friend’ paints portrait of ruthless First Lady.”
Blair’s journal included not only her own contemporaneous observations duringthe Monica Lewinsky saga but also the notes she took while talking onthe phone with the then-first lady.
One mustn’t speak ill of the dead, they say, but they were Spartans in the 6th century B.C., so whatever. One might at least wonder whetherBlair told Hillary she was taking notes that she would releaseposthumously. That’s certainly one form of life insurance. But wouldn’tit have been more close-friendish to wait until all parties concernedwere enjoying the hereafter before publishing notes that could damagethe living?
Hillary has been memed. Effective immediately, she is ruthless.
The Beacon headline was based on a private 1992 poll about Hillary Clintonduring her husband’s presidential campaign. Although respondentsexpressed general admiration for the Clintons, they also expressed fearthat “only someone too politically ambitious, too strong, and tooruthless could survive such controversy so well.”
The pollsters concluded: “What voters find slick in Bill Clinton, they find ruthless in Hillary.”
Welcome to Double Standards 101.
But we needn’t visit that lecture hall. Instead, let’s assume that HillaryClinton is ambitious, strong and ruthless. Quick, the ink on my palm isfading. Please remind me who those two people are in Washington whodon’t fit this description.
But Hillary Clinton is sui generis, endlessly fascinating in thatlove-her-or-hate-her way. To some, she is an intelligent woman who hasweathered a 20-year assault with relative grace. To others, she’s apushy broad whose dagger gaze reminds them of a disapproving teacher, or worse. Guess which ones are women and which are men.
What Blair’s papers mostly reveal is that Hillary Clinton is a human beingwho was deeply hurt and humiliated by the Lewinsky affair — and that she is sometimes profane in private. Men, we admit, are less secretive,often hurling their epithets in public — even sometimes on the Senate floor.
We also learn that Hillary once referred to Lewinsky as a “narcissisticloony toon,” which by most books is a charitable observation.
Perhaps the more apt metaphor for this week’s buzz isn’t a movie after all butdouble jeopardy. The case of Hillary, Bill and Monica has beenprosecuted and then some. Thus all, especially Hillary, have beenpolitically inoculated against further prosecution on this point. Besides, as some apparently need reminding, Hillary was the victim.
She wasn’t the only casualty, however. Also wounded, tragically, wasLewinsky, now 40. Forevermore, her life is a stained blue dress. Thoughlegally of age and consensually available when she began flirting withthe president, she ultimately was a naive, misguided kid barely out ofcollege. (Depending on what is revealed in a rumored $12 million tell-all book, I reserve the right to amend the foregoing.)
Meanwhile, Hillary, who has said she forgave her husband years ago, might consider also forgiving Lewinsky. There’s nothing like compassion to ruin aruthless meme. If I were her scriptwriter, she might say something likethis:
Everyone is familiar with the marital difficulties Bill and I worked so hard toget through. Yet, some have seen fit to resurrect the past. As I’ve said before, I forgave my husband a long time ago. Today, I’d like toforgive someone else. Monica Lewinsky.
As you’ve probably read, I once made a disparaging remark about Ms.Lewinsky in confidence to a dear friend. I’m sure you can understandwhy. I can’t apologize for my feelings, but I am sorry I said thosethings. In any case, that was also a long time ago. We’ve all matured,become wiser and moved on with our lives. It’s time to let the countrymove on as well.
Thank you for your decency in allowing the past to rest. I’m Hillary Clinton, and I’m the one running for president.
Read more from Kathleen Parker’s archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
