Timing is everything. Monica Lewinsky, who laid low for the past 16 years, has resurfaced.
Teary eyes brought out sympathetic murmurs for Lewinsky today, after she got emotional in a speech to more than 1,000 millennials at Forbes magazine’s inaugural 30 Under 30 summit in Philadelphia.
“It is only my fourth time delivering a speech in public,” she said. “So if I seem nervous, forgive me, because I am. And a little emotional, too.”
It was Lewinsky’s first public speech since she resurfaced for the first time in years in a Vanity Fair essay in May. It was also her most extensive public remarks since she was outed as President Clinton’s go-to intern for extracurricular sex in the White House in the late 1990s.
Now 41, she was there to talk up her plan to launch a “cultural revolution” against cyberbullying, which she says helped ruin her life. The revolution will be be Twitterized; she just joined.
There is a little more to all this than just cyber-bullying. Lewinsky became a prominent national figure because of her behavior. Her attempts to paint herself as a victim fell on deaf ears with me. Think what you want about Bill Clinton. Monica wasn’t a victim. She was a grown woman and most importantly, she knew that Clinton was a married man.
I am sure she fantasized that he would leave Hillary and marry her. She had had at least one other affair with the director of a play she was in. He, too, was married. Perhaps Lewinsky was a collector of men. She calls herself Patient 1. That doesn’t even make sense. Boo Hoo, Monica.
She isn’t a victim. If you don’t want to be in an instant fish bowl, don’t fool around with a married man who just happens to be the most powerful man in the world. The world will be watching and some of its inhabitants will have something to say about you and your behavior.
The ‘woman scorned” is coming out in her and is exhibited by her timing–right before Hillary announces her bid for the presidency. Lewinsky still looks stupid and bitter. I expect her efforts to scuttle Hillary will have the reverse effect.
Unbelievable. Her behavior ? Really? Here, in short form, is the only real war on women and its not about access to birth control. The Democrats protected Clinton at the expense of a young girl (19 ? when it started – and yes let’s forget all about the illegal supervisor to employee part that is a battle in the real war on women) and they lied about it over an over again. Yes, she was totally, nievely and completely gone in love with Clinton. GEEZUS, that’s why this is illegal. And Clinton knew it, used it and abused it. Yes, Clinton was and is married, on Tuesdays maybe but otherwise only for other official photo op functions – and she knew that too. Bullying her was a piece of cake for you democrats, you had already successfully bullied Kathleen Willey and Gennifer Flowers. but hey when a strategy works let no sense of decency complicate the facts.
Only a democrat could do this and get away with it and remain a democratic rock star. I mean here’s a guy who wantonly used a 19-year-old intern in the Oval Office of the White House countless times, and lied about it under oath only to be supported by the democratic fathfull. What a joke. Ask Paula Jones, ask Kathleen Willey, ask Linda Tripp, ask Ken Starr, the list goes on and on and on. It is the definition of a war on women by not just Clinton, but the party and media apparatus itself that supports him – and Hillory — that would have hung out any federal employee and any republican to dry.
And as to Hillory and the impact on her, lets be very clear, What, are you telling me — that she had no role in any of this. She was the commander of the defense, the author of the bullying strategy, the protector of her political seat at the table and her future aspirations.
Actually, both blue and Moon are right. Exactly right.
But I put most of the blame on the President. HE was the one in charge. He was the “adult” in the room.
How many times did Bill forget that he was a married man?
@blue
Blue, listen to yourself. How paternalistic. Seriously, the laison was not illegal. Monica was a legal adult. This post isn’t about Bill Clinton. The post is about Lewinsky. Naïve? Oh Please. Seriously.
She had already had an affair with another married man before she hit the White HOuse, according to many sources. I believe the man was a director or coach of a play she was in. She knew.
There was no coercion or job related stress on Lewinsky.
Bill Clinton is a very magnetic personality. Have you ever met him or been around him? I probably have about 6 times. Its very difficult to describe.
Lewinsky has nothing to do with war on women. Saying that it does just shows you really have no clue what the war on women really is all about.
@Wolve
The post isn’t about Bill. It is about Lewinsky.
People make think what they want. However, this isn’t the venue to share those thoughts.
@Cargosquid
She is the one who has resurfaced. He never went away. Apparently the American people don’t feel his personal behavior back in the day mattered.
I just felt her speech was offensive. She once again tried to play the victim. She is no victim and she was an adult.
I would probably express ” adult in the room” a little differently than you.
Clinton failed Affairs 101. Never involve yourself or compromise yourself with someone who has a whole lot less to lose than you do.
Lewinsky had nothing to lose. She had to brag about giving the president…well…you get the drift.
He had everything to lose and almost did. A person with less charisma would have.
“Think what yu want about Bill Clinton”
It’s not about Bill Clinton? !! Takes two to tango. Whose cigar was that, anyhow?
Frankly, I am not interested in your opinion about Clinton. I am speaking about Lewinsky. There are people out there who see her as a tragic figure. She is trying to present herself as a victim and says she is coming back to defeat cyber-bullying.
THAT is what the article is about. Why rehash Clinton? I can’t think of a single reason why I would want to do a redux of an old expensive story.
Seriously. Move on. You have totally missed the point. You are free to think whatever you want just please spare us the repeat.
And after all that you have this:
“We do not believe that violence against women is ‘simply cultural’ — we believe it is simply criminal… I am proud that my husband has stood up as President to confront the violence and to protect American women.”
– Hillary Clinton 10/20/97, an active participant in suppressing, shaming, intimidating and silencing all of her husbands many victims.
“I am sure she fantasized that he would leave Hillary and marry her. ” Supposedly, Bill was leading her to believe this. Whether to get more favors from her or to keep her quiet until after the ’96 election, we can only guess.
I think your attack on Lewinsky is unfair. She certainly has a right to say every word she’s been saying. Which is mostly about the media shaming a woman based on sex.
She has every right to say it and I have every right to say that she still sounds like a stupid bimbo. Now, what part of my assessment do you disagree with or think is unfair?
Actually, most of the shaming I heard wasn’t directed at Lewinsky. However, what I did hear was that she was messing with someone else’s husband. She did know about Hillary.
I never heard that Bill told her he was going to replace Hillary with Lewinsky. WHO said that? Monica? That is such BS.
I don’t think Bill had to lure “favors” out of her. I do remember she complained because he wouldn’t have intercourse with her.
Actually, I don’t give a hoot about Monica and won’t waste any time trying to analyse her psyche. She had a brief news blip and will likely have little real effect on anything….except maybe if antsy Clintonistas keep bringing her up and extending the lifespan of that news blip.
Actually, according to historians, she changed the face of the presidency.
Any hesitancy on the part of the press to avoid topics was over. The line was crossed.
All the “other women” enjoyed a protection that simply does not exist today.
Actually, fans of Clinton are not who keep bringing up Lewinsky. Far from it. She brought herself up. Clinton fans would rather then entire ordeal vaporize.
Lewinsky/Clinton involved an unequal power relationship. He, the President of the United States (read CEO, manager, boss, professor, what have you) and her, the subordinate. In any other professional environment, she would be considered a victim because of the power imbalance, and it could be treated as sexual harassment. Just because she consented does not mitigate the power issue. There’s a lot of potential for exploitation in those relationships, which is why many organizations have strict fraternization rules.
Most of those strict fraternization rules are often ignored at that level also, realistically.
I think we also have to ask ourselves, who really owns the power in sexual relationships of a consensual nature.
The President is sort of everyone’s boss.
No one is saying, once again, that Clinton did the right thing. No one is justifying his behavior.
The post is about the timing of her return to educate us all about cyber-bullying. Seriously. Do you think we need Monica to enlighten us? She is once again being the victim…not of bill but of the press and her poor choice of friends. Had she not bragged about fellating the President, none of the trauma would have happened. She made bad choices.
By “brief blip” I meant this recent appearance, not the original national nightmare. If Clinton supporters wish for the entire ordeal to vaporize, why give Monica even more face time with the web audience? I would think they would want to ignore her appearance and just let it go away. No big deal there. With all the other things on the national plate right now, Monica ranks rather low, if at all.
Oh I doubt if we have seen the last of Miss Monica. There is apparently a lot of American discord over her. Different people feel differently about her.
In fact, there is some discussion about her being a “victim” (there’s that word again) of the war on women. Again, that isn’t what the war on women is about. The War on Women is global and deals with lack of empowerment.
Individual women are still entitled to make jackasses of themselves.
By “brief blip” I meant this recent appearance, not the original national nightmare. If Clinton supporters wish for the entire ordeal to vaporize, why give Monica even more face time with the web audience? I would think they would want to ignore her appearance and just let it go away. No big deal there. With all the other things on the national plate right now, Monica ranks rather low, if at all.
By “brief blip” I meant this recent appearance, not the original national nightmare. If Clinton supporters wish for the entire ordeal to vaporize, why give Monica even more face time with the web audience? I would think they would want to ignore her appearance and just let it go away. No big deal there. With all the other things on the national plate right now, Monica ranks rather low, if at all.
Don’t ask me what happened. Looks like I hit a triple somehow.
Bet you couldn’t do that again if you tried. LOL
I’ll raise you one democrat for a republican…
@Emma – best comment award.
Monica Lewinsky probably was abused by authorities, the FBI and Ken Starr’s group of losers. That is unacceptable.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lewinsky-mistreated-by-authorities-in-investigation-of-clinton-report-says/2014/10/23/9a61bf6e-5a0e-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html?tid=pm_pop
Monica was very much used by many powerful and looking to be powerful people. And she was set up in order to try and bring Clinton down. Shame that people will spend so much energy to bring someone down, instead of spending that time, energy, money to bring other people up.
The fact that her and Clinton had a relationship is just that – between her and Clinton and Hillary. Who really cares? Newt (House Speaker) was having an affair with a Congressional Aide at the same time – but the Republicans were ok with that long running affair. We as a society are too obsessed with sex.
Totally agree. Paula Jones was also a set up. She got a nose job out of the deal.
We aren’t even obsessed with our own sex lives, just everyone else’s.
I’m amazed at the lack of outrage regarding the Ken Starr tactics on the part of all those on this blog who constantly rant about “freedom and liberty.” Holding a young girl for hours without allowing her to see her lawyer, trying to coerce her into wearing a wire against the president with threats of a 27 year prison sentence for her AND prison for her mother, using false pretenses for meetings are all examples of Starr tactics that threatened her freedom and liberty.
I guess they’re all for freedom and liberty UNLESS it involves “getting” a democratic president- then, it’s whatever means are necessary…
I never heard tea party outrage over the multimillion dollar price tag that went along with that “getting” a democratic president either.
Apparently Monica was too young to be a willing partner in a sexual relationship but not too young to be abused by the FBI and Ken Starr’s goons.
“Paula Jones was also a set up. ”
I don’t agree. The woman was harassed, and told the truth about it. Let’s not be angry at her for either of those things.
She was the tool of the religious right. She was paid for her cooperation. I believe she worked with Jay Saslaws group out of Charlottesville.
I am not angry at her. I am calling it as I see it. A nose job for a ….well, you know where this is going.
“Paula Jones was also a set up. ”
I don’t agree. The woman was harassed, and told the truth about it. Let’s not be angry at her for either of those things.
Also, it bears noting that Jones only came out and started complaining after reading defamatory things about her in the press, as if she were servicing the President.
I don’t believe he was president when she was up in his suite. I could be wrong. Its been many years since I read the account. She was actively sought after by those with gotcha mentality.
Clinton was extremely reckless in terms of harassing women, and engaging in sexual relations with interns (to include phone sex on open phone lines and answering machine messages). An out of control individual.
And as far as Moinica Lewinsky goes, he is extremely lucky that she had sympathy for him, as well as for the idea of not harassing people over consensual sex, and didn’t want to help make him look bad. Even after he had told everyone that she was a stalker and left her hung out to dry, not realizing that he had splooged on her dress. (As opposed to getting it all in the sink, and on the towels that he left on the floor for the steward to clean up [I’m not making that up]).
She was rather brilliant in not giving Ken Starr a lot of ammunition, even while testifying in detail about sexual matters. To the great frustration of Starr’s staff. Almost anyone else, he would probably have been impeached, or at least the GOP would have had to work harder to preclude an actual impeachment.
The women gave the guy sexual release, got dragged over hot coals for it, and never did exact revenge properly upon him. I see her as a bit of a hero in the whole affair.
I doubt she wanted to exact revenge on him. She was in love.
However, she was not his victim.
The reason he wasn’t impeached is one word S-E-N-A-T-E.
Even if you don’t want to give her proper credit for restraint in the matter, you would have to admit that the woman has every right to tell her story and to speak to matters on internet bullying.
This aspect doesn’t get talked about much,,but she pretty much got gang-raped by Ken Starr – http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/politics/moncia-lewinsky-post-report/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
@Moon-howler
Heh… the reason the S-E-N-A-T-E didn’t convict was because they were intimately familiar with two more words…..
A-L and G-O-R-E.
They didn’t want that nut job as President.
Many of them didn’t think he was a nut job.
@Cargosquid
oh, Please. The reason why is because if you impeached Clinton, you would also have to had gone after half of Congress who were doing the same thing and telling the same lie. Newt, Barr, Edwards, the list goes on. The most ardent, fiercest individuals spearheading the Impeachment were also the worst offenders.
Livingston, Lott, about 15 others I am too lazy to look up.
Is this before or after larry Flynt offered the million bucks?
I don’t think they ever intended to impeach Clinton- just to drag him through the mud to reduce his legislative effectiveness, and it worked at the time.
But his rock-star status amongst many Americans reflects his overall record as president, and it’s becoming more clear what thugs Starr and his crew were, and what a joke his “investigation” was.
It cost the American people a fortune. I guess that was ok though. Starr was a thug and a prima donna.
Yeah, instead of a nut-job who would have been a leader in clean energy, we got a nut-job that invaded Iraq under false pretenses and de-stabilized the entire region to try to serve the dirty energy interests.
I know who would have been better for the future of our country and the world, and we got the wrong nut-job…