No Remorse, Nor Apology Forthcoming

I guess I am supposed to apologize to President Bill Clinton.

After all these years of thinking he was a pathological liar and a philanderer, I have come to understand that it was really all his grandmother's fault.

Hillary told me so.

Now, enlightened by this recent revelation, I am to feel remorse for Bill.

She blamed his infidelity on a desire to please women that can be traced to his childhood.

Hillary:

"He was so young, barely 4, when he was scarred by abuse. There was a terrible conflict between his mother and grandmother. A psychologist once told me that for a boy being in the middle of a conflict between two women is the worst possible situation. There is always a desire to please one."

That's what she told the London Sunday Times over the weekend when they queried her about her Talk magazine interview.

Poor Bill. His entire adult life he just hasn't been able to stop trying to please women.

Come on.

The right wing conspiracy I can handle. The alleged Kenneth Starr/Linda Tripp/Goldberg plot I understood.

But this?

We've stooped to blaming the grandmother?

(Speaking of Linda Tripp, does anyone find it ironic that she is the only one in the whole Lewinsky mess that got indicted? Bill lies to a federal grand jury, obstructs a little justice and impedes a legitimate Congressional investigation, and Linda Tripp gets indicted for making a tape.)

Of course, grandma and mom are long gone and can't defend themselves, so what the heck?

I wonder who decided that Hillary should come out and talk about that stuff right now.

It boggles my mind.

You know it was no spur-of-the-moment deal. It was well thought out, well planned. They probably even took a poll.

Hillary and her circle of friends are smart people, but I think it was dumb to do an interview and blame grandma.

All it did was raise a whole bunch more questions. And it also brought the Lewinsky matter back to editorial pages and talk shows around the country.

How could that be a good thing?

I guess maybe they're trying to reach all those women voters who wonder why Hillary hasn't dumped Bill yet.

It's fun to watch these things unfold over time.

It's amazing how short some people's memories are and how glaringly inconsistent their positions on particular issues can be.

For example, wasn't it Hillary who continually berated the media for meddling in her and Bill's private lives?

I think it was.

So now she comes out and reveals all these tragically private details, igniting a media feeding frenzy.

Do you want the coverage or don't you, Hillary?

And what about all those friends of Bill talk show circuit types who roundly criticized anyone who attempted to psychoanalyze the president based on his behavior in the Lewinsky matter?

Remember?

If someone said Bill was a sexual predator, they would rush to his defense. It is reckless and unprofessional to even attempt to diagnose someone's mental state without a series of in-depth interviews, they would say.

Now, the presidential defenders are hitting the airwaves with all manner of diagnoses. Saying that it all makes sense. Explaining his need to please women. Showing us why he's not really responsible. How he's a victim of his own childhood.

And you know what?

Not one of them has ever interviewed Bill.

And by Wednesday, Hillary was doing some spin control and tap dancing.

She's quoted by the Associated Press as saying, 'Everybody is responsible for their behavior and I am a very strong proponent and believer in personal responsibility, so I hope that people will take that message away from this.'

I haven't read the interview yet, but I doubt she blames Bill for anything in it.

And she said, 'I really believe strongly that the country has put that issue behind it. I have as well.' Mrs. Clinton added, 'I've said all I'm going to say on that.'

Well, I think most of us had put that issue behind us. That is, of course, until Hillary brought it up again.

And I want everyone to remember that on Aug. 4, 1999, Hillary said, "I've said all I'm going to say on that."

I'm glad Hillary believes in personal responsibility. I bet Bill believes in it, too. Now if they would just start practicing it.

It wasn't too long ago that Bill was lying to us. Then he was blaming his lies on investigations by Ken Starr. Before that, Hillary said Bill wasn't lying. She was blaming his problems on a vast right wing conspiracy. Now she concedes he was lying, but only to protect her or because of some long-past abuse by his female relatives.

I would like to suggest that we forget about the conspiracy, Lewinsky, Tripp, Starr, mom and grandma.

Let's just blame Bill.

I guess I'm not ready to apologize.