Why Bill Clinton is always on a string, His
second term as President came to an untimely halt after allegations
of scandal, affair, bribery and corruption led to his impeachment.
Yet, public opinion of Bill Clinton changed much in the years
following his impeachment. Some continue to praise him
retrospectively for his economic and diplomatic accomplishments; others
criticize him for these same reasons. His rank in the pantheon of
U.S. Presidents is much disputed. Perhaps these 19 facts will help inform your
opinion…
Yes,
Bill Clinton gave a presidential pardon to his half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr.,
who was serving time in prison for cocaine possession. He spent a year
inside in 1985 after being convicted, but on January 20, 2001, Bill pardoned
Roger so that his criminal record would be expunged
Everyone
knows about the famous Monica Lewinsky affair, but did you know there were many
other alleged cases of sexual misconduct? Take Paula Jones for example. She was an Arkansas state employee
who accused Clinton of sexual harassment. Then there’s the porn star, Gennifer Flowers, who claimed she had been in a
relationship with Clinton since 1980. There were many others; the Lewinsky case
is just a drop in the bucket.
According
to a Secret Service officer, ole’ Bill juggled at least three affairs during
his tenure in the White House. In addition to Monica Lewinsky,
Bill ‘entertained’ Vice President Walter Mondale’s daughter, Eleanor
Mondale, at the time a T.V. journalist, as well as an unnamed
receptionist. The officer revealed: “I stood guard, a pistol at my hip, outside
the Oval Office, the last barrier before anyone saw… Eleanor Mondale and Monica
Lewinsky could not satiate the president’s horn dog sexual desires.”
On
the subject of Bill’s alleged sexual improprieties, here’s another.
Juanita Broaddrick alleged in 1999 that Bill Clinton had raped her two
decades earlier. She had a tell a tell-all interview on Dateline
NBC. She filed a lawsuit in the summer of 1999 to
obtain documents the White House may have gathered on her. During this same
time, she was audited by the IRS, and was forced to drop the charges.
No,
we aren’t referring to the fact he probably holds the record for the most
unfaithful president. However, Bill was the first Democrat to win two terms
since FDR back in 1936. He was also the first sitting president to testify
before a grand jury investigating his own conduct (after Paula Jones sued
Clinton for sexual harassment).
At
the tail end of his 8-year tenure, Bill Clinton was taken to hospital to have a
cancerous lesion removed from his back. Doctors speculated that his
condition may have been exacerbated due to the stress of Clinton’s
presidency and subsequent impeachment. Bill soon returned to health, as the
cancer did not spread after its removal.
The
Monica Lewinsky affair was the dagger that ended Bill’s presidency.
However, contrary to popular belief, Bill wasn’t impeached for the
affair itself, but was rather charged with perjury. His infamous
statement, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,” was a lie under
oath that led to his impeachment. On December 19, 1998, Bill Clinton became the
first president impeached since Andrew Johnson in 1867.
He
famously admitted to trying Marijuana in college, but reassured the American
public that he did not inhale (yea right). In another bizarre admission on
MTV, Bill said he preferred wearing briefs to boxer shorts. He also had at
least one affair behind Hillary’s back (that he’s admitted to). Surely, there
are more juicy secrets that he’s been reluctant to admit.
Soon
after Bill became president in 1993, first lady Hillary Clinton allegedly
engineered the firing of seven employees of the White House travel office.
It was later discovered that a travel firm with ties to the Clintons was
hired to replace them. Multiple investigations absolved Bill of
involvement, but Hillary Clinton was found to have made false statements to
investigators.
When
American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling were imprisoned in North Korea in
2009, Bill Clinton was sent to broker their release. Their crime? They entered
North Korea illegally from China. Clinton’s trip was successful, and the
journalists were released. However, there was much speculation as to the
political motivations of Bill selection as emissary.
Blumenthal was a top aide in the Bill
Clinton administration who directed messaging at the height of the Lewinsky
scandal. He also served as an adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential
campaign. After becoming Secretary of State, Hillary sought to hire
Blumenthal’s counsel. However, her request was refused by the Obama
administration, which was apparently still sensitive to Blumenthal’s role in
the attacks on candidate Obama. Regardless, Clinton sought out Blumenthal’s
counsel informally and cut him a check from the Clinton Foundation. Blumenthal
was apparently behind the idea that the Benghazi attacks were spontaneous,
calling into question the Clintons’ judgment.
Since leaving
the White House in 2001 (up to their necks in legal debt),
the Clintons have made millions of dollars in speaking engagements, most
notably towards large financial firms and other special interest
groups. Questions have been raised as to conflicts of interest
and quid pro quos. For example, following Hillary’s appointment to
the State Department, Bill Clinton began doubling and even tripling
what he had been charging in his post-White House years
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