Posted on 09/24/2006 1:37:33 PM PDT by rface
Following today's buzz generating conversation with Bill Clinton, Chris Wallace shared some of his post-interview thoughts with FishbowlDC:
I was delighted to get the chance to interview former President Clinton. This was the first one-on-one sitdown he's ever given "Fox News Sunday" during our 10 years on the air.
The groundrules were simple--15 minutes--to be divided evenly between questions about the Clinton Global Initiative and anything else I wanted to ask.
I intended to keep to the groundrules. In fact--I prepared 10 questions--5 on the CGI and 5 on other issues.
I began the interview with 2 questions about Mr. Clinton's commitment to humanitarian causes. His answers were cogent and good-humored.
Then--I asked him about his Administration's record in fighting terror--fully intending to come back to CGI later (as indeed I did).
I asked what I thought was a non-confrontational question about whether he could have done more to "connect the dots and really go after al Qaeda."
I was utterly surprised by the tidal wave of details--emotion--and political attacks that followed.
The President was clearly stung by any suggestion that he had not done everything he could to get bin Laden. He attacked right-wingers--accused me of a "conservative hit job"--and even spun a theory I still don't understand that somehow Fox was trying to cover up the fact that NewsCorp. chief Rupert Murdoch was supporting his Global Initiative. I still have no idea what set him off. Former President Clinton is a very big man. As he leaned forward--wagging his finger in my face--and then poking the notes I was holding--I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me.
The President said I had a smirk. Actually--it was sheer wonder at what I was witnessing.
I tried repeatedly to adhere to the ground rules--to move the President along--and back to the CGI. But he wanted to keep talking about his record fighting terror.
When it became clear he wanted to throw out the ground rules--then I just went with the flow of the interview.
He was working on the history channel. I miss him. I ran into him in McLean, VA around were he lives in the 1990's. He is really a nice person.
She was hostile too. Cool but the rage was showing. How dare they approach the great and terrible Oz and make her uncomfortable!
This whole act by Clinton was nothing more than another salvo in the continuing battle by the Clintonites to try and salvage what's left of the Toon's legacy (such that it is.)
It'a a good thing for Chris Wallace the cameras were running, or he might well have been physically assaulted. I probably would have peed my pants if I had been interviewing Slick and he did that. Wallace did an unbelievable job remaining calm.
Someone elsewhere wondered what would have happened if Clinton had been interviewed by O'Reilly. I am not fan of O, but I hope that he would have taught Clinton a little respect: O Reilly is a big man and years younger.
Mark.
He didn't have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.....Monica was just his oral 'ho....his Miss Piggy.....his booty call.
How about 5 Central or 40 minutes from now?
Some people like Wallace. I don't. I pay to see Clinton loose his cool and punch him.
Only women.
I think you're insulting white trash.
I'm pretty agnostic about Wallace. But it took some balls for him to sit there with a raging nutbag a foot from his face.
Bill says in the interview:
The CIA and the FBI refused to certify that Bin Laden was responsible while I was there. They refused to certify. So that meant I would have had to send a few hundred special forces in helicopters and refuel at night.
No wonder they refused -- i.e., were unable -- to certify. With the Gorelick wall, neither the CIA nor the FBI had the information they needed to make the conclusion. You can't connect the dots if half of them are behind a locked door.
and good 'ol Bubba ain't liking it much, is he?
Tickles me pink.
We know your legacy, Slick - and you can't hide it!
very true.
"Ask Willie some tough questions."
But it wasn't even that tough a question! He was the *President* for crying out loud! Anyone who's watched 5 seconds of this guy knows lying politics comes second nature to him. All he had to do was cite the feeble anti-terror stuff he *did* do, hold his temper, and move on. But instead he revealed what a lying jerk he is, yet again.
Did I miss something? When did Gorelick speak this weekend? She has some nerve. She is damn lucky she is not heading for jail over the Fannie Mae book-cooking.
I'm betting Chris just got his biggest Fox ratings so far.
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