Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Monica's Emancipation Proclamation
Townhall.com ^ | May 8, 2014 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 05/08/2014 6:22:00 AM PDT by Kaslin

"It's time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress," Monica Lewinsky, now 40, writes in a Vanity Fair essay due for digital release today. All I can say is: You go, girl.

The 1998 revelation of L'Affaire Lewinsky and its fallout should have made one thing clear to American women. Forget "You've come a long way, baby." When husbands cheat, the other woman usually ends up the odd man out.

Bill Clinton's presidency and poll ratings survived his self-serving definition of sex. Hillary Clinton had to live with her husband's betrayal, but the scandal helped boost her career from first lady who blamed "a vast right-wing conspiracy" to U.S. senator to presidential front-runner and then to secretary of state.

Lewinsky's professional life did not fare so well. In the first few years after the scandal, she gave interviews that demonstrated how clueless and reckless she had been in hooking up with the "big creep."

Largely silent over the past decade, "that woman, Miss Lewinsky," has wised up. "I look back now," she writes, "and shake my head in disbelief, and wonder: what was I -- what were we -- thinking? I would do anything to go back and rewind the tape."

A gal's gotta make a living. Lewinsky used her name to peddle handbags and a weight-loss program. She earned a master's in social psychology at the London School of Economics, but the world wouldn't let her keep a low profile.

"I eventually came to realize," she writes, "that traditional employment might not be an option for me." Only employers who wanted to hire her for "the wrong reasons" made offers.

When you think of how the infamous ex-intern could have cashed in, you appreciate that over time Lewinsky became selective.

Monica 2.0 is on a mission. Thanks to the Drudge Report, she writes, she was "possibly the first person whose global humiliation was driven by the Internet." The 2010 suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, after a roommate secretly recorded and broadcast him kissing another man, spurred her to take on the modern culture of humiliation.

She calls her own experience "the humiliation derby." I am no stranger to that turf. During the impeachment follies, I was critical of Lewinsky's decision, at age 21, to consort with the president, as well as her post-internship demands for the president's time, attention and help in procuring jobs. But I always held Bubba as the most culpable in the group.

Not so the many self-styled feminists who trashed Lewinsky, including America's feminist first lady. Recently released archives report how the first lady told friend Diane Blair that she considered Lewinsky to be a "narcissistic looney tune," while Clinton blamed herself for her husband's extramarital junket.

"I find her impulse to blame the Woman -- not only me, but herself -- troubling," Lewinsky writes.

The sisterhood got buried in an avalanche of excuses, starting with: Boys will be boys.

The pro-Clinton mantra during impeachment held that if Hillary could forgive Bubba, surely the country should, too.

I never thought Hillary Clinton owed Lewinsky anything, but she did owe the voters the truth -- and that took a long time coming. Now with the passing of time, perhaps Hillary should come out and forgive Lewinsky, too, if only to assuage those Dems who saw Hillary Clinton's forgiveness as the great indulgence, the cleaner of all slates.

It's time to let Lewinsky, as Clintonistas used to say, move on. She has graduated into an elite group: people who learn from their mistakes.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 05/08/2014 6:22:00 AM PDT by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
This is fascinating, really. Every day, millions of people have affairs but her youthfully reckless decision cost her decades of self-worth and happiness. It isn't like she murdered someone, right? The most striking thing here is how much it devastated her life but had no real long-term impact on the Clintons, due to there total lack of morality.
Make no mistake, though Lewinsky is still a lib, no matter how badly she was used. Just like a good Marxist will be faithful to the party even after being milked dry and discarded.
2 posted on 05/08/2014 6:32:09 AM PDT by ArtDodger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Poor Monica if only she hadn't been caught she never would have been humiliated for servicing the married President of the United States.

...she never would have been humiliated for being just another notch on Slick's bedpost.

3 posted on 05/08/2014 6:36:03 AM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ArtDodger

That’s all Bill will be remembered for. Tough titty.


4 posted on 05/08/2014 6:37:05 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Cheney is right IMHO.


5 posted on 05/08/2014 6:39:13 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Who frickin cares about this slut?


6 posted on 05/08/2014 6:39:46 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
She has graduated into an elite group: people who learn from their mistakes.
The natural disposition is always to believe. It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity, and they very seldom teach it enough. The wisest and most cautious of us all frequently gives credit to stories which he himself is afterwards both ashamed and astonished that he could possibly think of believing. - Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments

7 posted on 05/08/2014 6:39:49 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion ("Liberalism” is a conspiracy against the public by wire-service journalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

The Blue dress should be on display at the Smithsonian - along with the Oval office bathroom sink.


8 posted on 05/08/2014 6:41:18 AM PDT by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: glorgau

I’m surprised it’s not on display at Clinton’s presidential library.


9 posted on 05/08/2014 6:44:36 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

IIRC she got a job from one of Clinton’s friends making around $75k/yr.
Not bad for a teenager with scraped up knees. That was pretty good money back then.

And the BS about Clinton taking advantage of her.
She admitted she intentionally bent over his desk showing off her thong to entice him.


10 posted on 05/08/2014 6:44:39 AM PDT by Vinnie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Monica may have learned from her mistakes but the Clintons keep making them and all they’ve learned is covering up is better than admitting the truth.


11 posted on 05/08/2014 6:46:39 AM PDT by dowcaet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Dude its been years ago. What difference does it make?
That’s all the article implies in more flowery terms .....Same attitude!


12 posted on 05/08/2014 6:49:13 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then or now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

IMHO, nothing more than a cheap media-driven trick so that Killary can call this “old news” as she runs to finish the destruction of our country.


13 posted on 05/08/2014 6:55:47 AM PDT by upchuck (Support ABLE, the Anybody But Lindsey Effort. Yes, we are the ABLE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Cry me a river, Monica.

You put yourself into that position of ‘humiliation’,and you certainly wre old enough to know better.

Apparently, the genetic ability to recognize a world-class horn-dog isn’t getting passed on to younger generations.


14 posted on 05/08/2014 7:09:23 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
The Clinton's were major criminals even before they inhabited the White House. One of many Clinton scams—harvesting blood from the Arkansas prison population—left many transfusion recipients in the U.S. and Canada with ghastly diseases including AIDS. Later they sold U.S. policy to the highest bidder, transferring advanced military technology to China in exchange for campaign cash, a crime that included top congressional Democrats. The collapse of the Soviet Union presented a unique opportunity for the U.S. to influence and nurture Democracy in Russia. Instead Clinton and Al Gore turned loose a group of greedy Democrat cronies—including George Soros—to loot Russia of mineral and industrial assets at fire sale prices.

These and many more crimes are the real legacy of these glorified chicken thieves.

15 posted on 05/08/2014 7:21:54 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Well, that certainly is a medieval outlook in this enlightened age.

Funny how a woman who has sex with more than one guy is a slut, but a guy who bangs numerous women is lifted up as being a man’s-man who knows how to score.

I suppose if it were the other way around, you’d be touting his exploits at having achieved the elite designation of banging the female prez instead of calling him a slut.

IMO, she got a rotten deal. She was forced into hiding as if she wore a scarlet letter on her forehead, but it’s like Clinton’s part was swept under the rug.


16 posted on 05/08/2014 7:32:17 AM PDT by beachn4fun (Guns are not the problem. People are. Forget the magazine...check your attitude.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Vinnie

Exactly. She knew precisely what she was doing.

You mean to tell me she didn’t know he was married? Please.

Not to excuse Clinton, but this narrative about “poor naive Monica” won’t hunt.


17 posted on 05/08/2014 7:40:30 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
In a recent interview, she said:
Notice that, whenever a Clinton -- especially Hillary, is being portrayed as the media darling, Monica manages to find cameras and microphones -- and then complains with her 'poor me' that she wants out of the limelight.

When Hillary was speeding along to her coronation in 2008, Monica was in the MSM news as much as Hillary.

Monica is still capitalizing on the Clinton affair.


18 posted on 05/08/2014 7:41:16 AM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Agree.

Yet, even the ‘conservative’ talkies are spending large time segments on her and what happened nearly 2 decades ago.

Even on FR there have been DOZENS of threads about her in the last week or so. And, these are the same topics and comments FR was getting in 2008, etc.

Whenever Hillary is getting positive attention, Monica seems to manage to find cameras and microphones, too.

The only positive note is that FoxNews is NOT running BREAKING NEWS - MONICA every 10 minutes.


19 posted on 05/08/2014 7:46:27 AM PDT by TomGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dowcaet
Monica may have learned from her mistakes but the Clintons keep making them

hillary is still treating Monica as an object of scorn rather than as a person. I think it hurts hillary that her mean streak is coming through and that should hurt her image with younger voters.

20 posted on 05/08/2014 7:50:53 AM PDT by grania
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson