Posted on 06/25/2004 3:32:01 PM PDT by kattracks
LONDON (AP) — Monica Lewinsky begs to differ. The former White House intern scorned Bill Clinton's explanation that he had an affair with her "just because I could," and accused the former president of failing to correct the record and make clear their relationship was mutual in his new memoir.In her first public comments on the book, "My Life," Lewinsky accused Clinton of trying to destroy her with his characterization of the affair as something dirty and wrong, and argued the liaison was one of mutual affection.
"I really didn't expect him to go into detail about our relationship" in the book, the 30-year-old Lewinsky said in an interview with The Daily Mail.
"But if he had and he'd done it honestly, I wouldn't have minded. ... I did, though, at least expect him to correct the false statements he made when he was trying to protect the presidency."
"Instead, he talked about it as though I had laid it all out there for the taking. I was the buffet and he just couldn't resist the dessert," she was quoted as saying.
In an interview with Independent Television News broadcast Friday, Lewinsky said she was especially upset by Clinton's assertion on CBS' "60 Minutes" that he embarked on the affair "for the worst possible reason. Just because I could."
"I was really upset when I first heard it," Lewinsky said.
She said she had spent the past several years trying to "move on" and build a life.
"It has been so difficult because of so many of the lies that he has told about me and about what happened," she told ITN.
"I can understand someone wanting to save his presidency. But I don't accept that he had to completely desecrate my character, which not only affected me, but my family, my friends and my future."
Lewinsky noted that when prosecutors began pressuring her about her affair with the president, she was the same age his 24-year-old daughter, Chelsea, is now.
"How would he feel if (Chelsea) was trashed by the person she had had the relationship with — a person who has denied it to save himself — if she was called a liar, a stalker, crazy, stupid?" the Daily Mail quoted Lewinsky as saying.
She said Clinton, 57, has tried to rewrite history in his book.
"Having read some accounts of what was in this book, I was already disappointed, but curious," she said. "Probably still a bit naive, thinking, well, maybe there's a surprise, maybe he'll be a different, more mature person than what we have seen in the past few days. But I was wrong," she told ITN.
"I really didn't expect him to talk in detail about the relationship, because he is a married man and he has worked hard to stay married and it would be inappropriate, I think, to discuss the details.
"But what I was hoping, and did expect, was for him to acknowledge and correct the inaccurate and false statements that he, his staff and the DNC (Democratic National Committee) made about me when they were trying to protect the presidency. His strategy to try and defeat (former special prosecutor) Ken Starr was to debase my character."
"In the process he destroyed me."
Lewinsky said her relationship with Clinton had been mutual, "from the way it started, all the way through."
"My memories of it were much more positive. I think that I had enjoyed someone being so happy to see me, and certainly the gifts that were exchanged were touching."
The broadcaster declined to comment when asked whether it had paid Lewinsky for the interview. The Daily Mail did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press.
Monica, it wasn't mutual.
She should tell the details and write her own book, I'm sure it would sell as many as Clintons...people want the whole scoop it appears. Besides, it would make his look like the "liar, liar pants on fire" coward that he is.
She got that right. I certainly would not claim that Monica was the hors d'oeuvre.
And some people never grow up.
Monica, Bill is only in love with Bill, and everyone else is just a tool or a toy.
As much as I dislike the guy, didn't she go looking for him? I feel sorry for a lot of the women he has had in his life but Monica isn't one of them.
Clinton's Badge of Honor
If she truly wants to get on with her life, she should shut up and do it, and stop botheringtherest of the world with her whining. It's bad enough we've got Clinton wallowing around dragging all this up again. Do we really need her adding to the mix.
His ego is a black hole into which all is sucked into.
May he only be destroyed in my lifetime. May his nose grow as large as a scrotal sack.
why didn't he title it
My Life in the SINK
Yep. I'm glad she's speaking out though. Many bought the Starr destroying little girl mantra and now she is saying it was the Sinkmaster that did it. Ah, the legacy continues to grow, showing a very small, selfish man...
Monica, Bill is only in love with Bill, and everyone else is just a tool or a toy.
A living breathing sink.
Can you imagine what the janitor thought when he looked into that sink?
what the ##$%?
What would Lewinsky even say? "I s*cked the President's c*ck? Oh, and I'm fat?"
Both Clinton and Lewinsky just need to fade away.
I think it already is!
Although I detest Lewinsky's behavior, I think the Clintoon lies should be debunked, point by point, etc. It would gall him to see her making money off of the affair, and it would take away attention from Hillary as well.
Besides it makes the Clintoon's less and less appealing for a return to the White House. Only the soap opera queens would be interested in "Narcissism Unveiled".
I can almost feel sorry for her, but she is still excusing Clinton.
"My memories of it were much more positive. I think that I had enjoyed someone being so happy to see me, and certainly the gifts that were exchanged were touching."
I am sure Clinton was happy to see you, it gave him somewhere to put his cigar.
Yes Monica that ciger touched you thats for sure.
Wake up kid the party's over. Clinton in no way is trying to protect his marriage that is crap anyway, he could have given the kid a break, but no ,he takes this shot at her for reasons known only to himself. What a slap in the face, a face he once used for his own pleasure.
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