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I suppose you have to respect those who got to the mountaintop but like Bill Paley, Henry Luce, the Sulzbergers, the Grahams et al Hewitt let his absolute media power corrupt him absolutely and 60 Minutes turned into the perennial (and painful) post-football hangover featuring the bad old GOP, jailed filth who still maintained their innocence, and general cheerleading for commies large and small throughout the world.

Mike Wallace loved to apply the thumbscrews to corporate types but somehow legislators and lobbyists avoided the treatment for the most part.

I concur. And I vaguely remember the 60 Minutes interview with the Clintons, before Slick was elected. Some say it turned the tide and helped cement the election victory. Hewitt purposely portrayed the dastardly duo in a much more positive light than reality ever called for. Maybe some other freepers would remember the details.

I'm afraid I can't forget it.

Hillary was still semi-believable as a governor's First Lady and a heterosexual. Longer hair, frosted highlights, a skirt (!) and that legendary headband.

She played the loyal wife as best she could given her husband's track record up until that point but still committed her famous gaffe by stating she refused to play the part of Tammy Wynette and stand by her man. She also bristled at the role of a traditional first lady by pointing out she wasn't there to bake cookies. In short, her temper was nearly impossible to control and it flared up several times despite CBS' desperate bid to edit and soften her image.

Bill Clinton was...Bill Clinton. Economical with the truth and spouting the kind of elliptical nonsense that marked his terms in office. He admitted having 'caused pain in his marriage' (how? stepping on Hillary's foot?). Hillary cuddled up close while Bill mugged for the cameras, squinted, bit his lip, made his voice raspy and generally did a parody of himself.

Steve Kroft was the new kid on the 60 Minutes block back then and apparently made a stop at the Parker Brothers toy factory to stock up on Nerf balls which he then lobbed to the Clintons in the form of questions. Kroft was as star-struck in 1992 as Chris Matthews was in 2008.

Of course, at that time the three networks still dominated the airwaves and used/abused their power without regard for the truth or the consequences.

Along with all their other baggage the Clintons pulled one James Carville from his swampy native habitat and foisted him on the rest of the nation. Unfortunately he, like his paymasters, has failed to return to obscurity 17 long torturous years later.