Posted on 10/02/2005 9:33:36 AM PDT by weegee
After the love (for Bill) is gone THE WAY WE WERE Writer recalls the betrayal that ended their political affair
I BROKE up with Bill a long time ago. It's always hard to remember love years pass and you say to yourself, was I really in love or was I just kidding myself? Was I really in love or was I just pretending he was the man of my dreams? Was I really in love or was I just desperate? But when it came to Bill, I'm pretty sure it was the real deal. I loved the guy.
As for Bill, I have to be honest: He did not love me. In fact, I never even crossed his mind. Not once. But in the beginning that didn't stop me. I loved him, I believed in him, and I didn't even think he was a liar. Of course, I knew he'd lied about his thing with Gennifer, but at the time I believed that lies of that sort didn't count. How stupid was that?
Anyway, I fell out of love with Bill early in the game over gays in the military. That was in 1993, after he was inaugurated, and at that moment my heart turned to stone. People use that expression and mean it metaphorically, but if your heart can turn to stone and not have it be metaphorical, that's how stony my heart was where Bill was concerned.
I'd had faith in him. I'd been positive he'd never back down. How could he? But then he did, he backed down just like that. He turned out to be just like the others. So that was it. Goodbye, big guy. I'm out of here. Don't even think about calling. And by the way, if your phone rings and your wife answers and the caller hangs up, don't think it's me because it's not.
By the time Bill got involved with Monica, you'd have thought I was past being hurt by him. You'd have thought I'd have shrugged and said, I told you so, you can't trust the guy as far as you can spit. But much to my surprise, Bill broke my heart all over again. I couldn't believe how betrayed I felt. He'd had it all, he'd had everything, and he'd thrown it away, and here's the thing: It wasn't his to throw away. It was ours. We'd given it to him, and he'd squandered it.
Years passed. I'd sit around with friends at dinner talking about How We Got Here and Whose Fault Was It? Was it Nader's fault? Or Gore's? Or Scalia's? Even Monica got onto the list, because after all, she delivered the pizza, and that pizza was truly the beginning of the end.
Most of my friends had a hard time narrowing it down to a choice, but not me: Only one person was at fault, and it was Bill. I drew a straight line from that pizza to the war. The way I saw it, if Bill had behaved, Al would have been elected, and thousands and thousands of people would be alive today who are instead dead.
I bring all this up because I bumped into Bill the other day. I was watching the Sunday news programs, and there he was. I have to say, he looked good. And he was succinct, none of that wordy blah-blah thing that used to drive me nuts. He'd invited a whole bunch of people to a conference in New York and they'd spent the week talking about global warming, and poverty, and all sorts of obscure places he knows a huge amount about.
When Bill described the conference, it was riveting. I could see how much he cared; and of course, I could see how smart he was. It was so refreshing. It was practically moving. To my amazement, I could even see why I'd loved the guy in the first place. It made me sadder than I can say. It's much easier to get over someone if you can delude yourself into thinking you never really cared that much.
Then, later in the week, I was reading about Bill's conference, and I came upon something that made me think, for just a moment, that Bill might even want me back. "I've reached an age now where it doesn't matter whatever happens to me," he said. "I just don't want anyone to die before their time any more." It almost really got to me. But then I came to my senses. And instead I just wanted to pick up the phone and call him and say, if you genuinely believe that, you hypocrite, why don't you stand up and take a position against this war?
But I'm not calling. I haven't called in years and I'm not starting now.
Ephron, based in New York, is a writer and director.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001188/
Writer - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s)
Bewitched (2005) (written by)
Hanging Up (2000) (screenplay)
... aka Aufgelegt! (Germany)
You've Got Mail (1998) (screenplay)
Michael (1996) (screenplay)
Mixed Nuts (1994) (screenplay)
... aka Lifesavers
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) (screenplay)
This Is My Life (1992) (screenplay)
My Blue Heaven (1990) (written by)
Cookie (1989) (written by)
When Harry Met Sally... (1989) (written by)
Heartburn (1986) (also novel)
Silkwood (1983)
Perfect Gentlemen (1978) (TV)
"Adam's Rib" (1973) TV Series
Producer - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s)
Lucky Numbers (2000) (producer)
... aka Bon numéro, Le (France)
Hanging Up (2000) (producer)
... aka Aufgelegt! (Germany)
You've Got Mail (1998) (producer)
Strike! (1998) (executive producer)
... aka The Hairy Bird (Australia) (Canada: English title: working title)
... aka All I Wanna Do (USA: new title)
... aka College femminile (Italy)
... aka Filles font la loi, Les (Canada: French title)
Michael (1996) (producer)
My Blue Heaven (1990) (executive producer)
Cookie (1989) (executive producer)
When Harry Met Sally... (1989) (associate producer)
Director - filmography
(2000s) (1990s)
Bewitched (2005)
Lucky Numbers (2000)
... aka Bon numéro, Le (France)
You've Got Mail (1998)
Michael (1996)
Mixed Nuts (1994)
... aka Lifesavers
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
This Is My Life (1992)
I think this is a repost. However, it wouldn't surprise me if more than one liberal is crying like this.
This article could be detrimental to the health of your eyes. Ephron-- ugh!
I pass on her movie drivel and I'll pass on her editorials too!
Written while on her knees!
It must hurt to be a liberal
Ephron is an empty-headed idiot who still refuses to see Clinton for what he is.
"Anyway, I fell out of love with Bill early in the game over gays in the military. That was in 1993, after he was inaugurated, and at that moment my heart turned to stone."
I hear this and I don't get it - Didn't people who feel like this listen as Clinton was running for President?
Baloney. It will ALWAYS be about Bill Clinton to Bill Clinton.
In her movie and book Hearburn there was a wonderful scene that described Bill Clinton's sycophants.
Ephron wrote the book after her then husband, Carl Bernstein, had an affair with the wife of one of the ambassadors to the United States (British, I think). (A hilarous book, if you like to read.)
While in counseling, she told the shrink she wanted him back; the psychiatrist said, "Well, you're doing much better; last week you wanted him dead."
To which she responded, "I want him back, but I want him back dead."
Now's she just mad at Clintoon for where we are today, conveniently ignoring the fact that we are engaged in a war with 7TH-century fascists who would consider slitting her throat an act that their God enthusiastically supports! In her mind, if Clinton had stood up for the gays in the military position, the Islama-whackos would have no beef with us!
What can you expect from someone who was once married to Carl Bernstein???
Well she's sorta right. Thousands of people would have died due to 9/11 no matter who was President, but under Gore, no soldiers would, because Gore would have immediately surrendered, and her incredibly untalented ass (see Bewitched to find out how that mind works) would be in a Burka living in the United States of Allahland!
Little Willie, will he? No. He won't go home.
He's still workin' on that legacy, Like Carter: both still "makin' friends."
Here's some primary authority
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/784426/posts
Tai-Chung
Huh? What people are those? The WTC victims? I think that still would have happened with *gag* president Algore *gag*. Plus, in that alternate world, if Algore had not taken decisive action as President Bush did, we could have a lot more dead now than we really do. And I suppose the thousands of Iraqis who are probably alive today thanks to our removal of their murderous dictator don't mean squat to Ms. Ephron.
What does that even mean? You mean that Atta and AQ would have never flown those planes into the Twin Trade Towers, the Pentagon, and the Pennsylvania dirt?
Another female, liberal writer who needs to get laid.
Thousands and thousands would still be alive if Gore had succeeded Bubba into the White House. Not very likely.
Just another easily swayed sheeple.....
IMO
Let's get this straight. The ONLY reason Nora Ephron doesn't love bill clinton is that he failed to impose open homosexuality on the military.
But now she's prepared to forgive him, even for that.
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