Why Monica? Clinton 'cracked'

[Caliga]

Yeltsin    I wish that guy was running Russia again.

Why Monica? Clinton 'cracked'
Book also tells of drunken Yeltsin trying to hail cab in his underwear
September 22, 2009

The Monica Lewinsky scandal happened, according to former President Bill Clinton, because he "just cracked" after the death of his mother, the Whitewater investigation and the 1994 loss of the Democrats' congressional majority.

That's one of the stories that's come out from Pulitzer-Prize winning author and civil rights historian Taylor Branch, whose 707-page book based on his taped late-night interviews with Clinton, The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History With the President (Simon & Schuster), goes on sale early next week.

Branch, who roomed with Clinton in Austin in 1972 as they managed George McGovern's presidential campaign in Texas, interviewed him 79 times from 1993 through 2001. Although Clinton kept the tapes and used the transcripts for his 2004 memoir, Branch after each session recorded his own recollections of what was said.

In Branch's retelling, Clinton said that in 1995 former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, while visiting Washington, left the Blair House, the government's guest quarters, in his underwear and was found by the Secret Service inebriated on Pennsylvania Avenue trying to hail a taxi because he wanted a pizza.

In a book that author and Time magazine columnist Joe Klein calls "odd, revealing and often delightful," Branch also said that the next night Yeltsin eluded security forces by climbing down back stairs to the Blair House basement. He was mistaken by a security guard for a drunken intruder until Russian and U.S. agents rescued him.

The book also says that Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore vigorously debated Gore's 2000 campaign for president. Clinton told Gore he could have helped the ticket by campaigning in Arkansas or New Hampshire, either of which would have provided the necessary electoral votes for Gore to win. Gore complained that Clinton's impeachment over his affair with Lewinsky had been a "drag" on the campaign and the two men "exploded" at each other, Branch said.

"The former president has been on the phone with Branch for hours since he got page proofs of Branch's new book," Susan Page reported Monday in USA Today. The former president is "running 'hot and cold' about the account based on Branch's recollections of their conversations."

[KRonn]

Too funny.   

[Josquius]

Putin really does just lack style.
Everyone prefers jolly drunken Russians to scary secret service Soviet types.

[Eddie Teach]

Except Russians, unfortunately.

[alfred russel]

Clinton probably heard stories of plugging dykes with fingers, and thus wanted to try a cigar in a crack.

[Sheilbh]

This reminds me of the MP who blamed his cheating on his wife with a rent boy on a midlife crisis, prompted by the loss of his hair

[Solmyr]

Putin really does just lack style.
Everyone prefers jolly drunken Russians to scary secret service Soviet types.

[Caliga]

His rod looks just like mine. 

[C.C.R.]

His rod looks just like mine. 

[KRonn]

So, why is the middle aged (or more) Putin parading around, flexing muscles, wrestling Russian bears and other manly stuff, for the cameras? I haven't really gotten that yet. Is it not enough that he's a national leader, former chief spy of the KGB? But he has to do what he thinks is showing himself off? Something wrong with his priorities, and/or he's over compensating for something.

[DisturbedPervert]

So, why is the middle aged (or more) Putin parading around, flexing muscles, wrestling Russian bears and other manly stuff, for the cameras? I haven't really gotten that yet. Is it not enough that he's a national leader, former chief spy of the KGB? But he has to do what he thinks is showing himself off? Something wrong with his priorities, and/or he's over compensating for something.

Because Russia Strong!

[C.C.R.]

So, why is the middle aged (or more) Putin parading around, flexing muscles, wrestling Russian bears and other manly stuff, for the cameras? I haven't really gotten that yet. Is it not enough that he's a national leader, former chief spy of the KGB? But he has to do what he thinks is showing himself off? Something wrong with his priorities, and/or he's over compensating for something.

Maybe that stuff really wins votes?

[Caliga]

[The Brain]

Ironically people who deserve victory in elections usually don't bother with them.

[Razgovory]

So, why is the middle aged (or more) Putin parading around, flexing muscles, wrestling Russian bears and other manly stuff, for the cameras? I haven't really gotten that yet. Is it not enough that he's a national leader, former chief spy of the KGB? But he has to do what he thinks is showing himself off? Something wrong with his priorities, and/or he's over compensating for something.

Because all the stereotypes about Russians are true.  "Today comrades, I shall shoot tiger and save beautiful woman!  OoooRah!"