Posted on 09/24/2006 1:37:33 PM PDT by rface
Following today's buzz generating conversation with Bill Clinton, Chris Wallace shared some of his post-interview thoughts with FishbowlDC:
I was delighted to get the chance to interview former President Clinton. This was the first one-on-one sitdown he's ever given "Fox News Sunday" during our 10 years on the air.
The groundrules were simple--15 minutes--to be divided evenly between questions about the Clinton Global Initiative and anything else I wanted to ask.
I intended to keep to the groundrules. In fact--I prepared 10 questions--5 on the CGI and 5 on other issues.
I began the interview with 2 questions about Mr. Clinton's commitment to humanitarian causes. His answers were cogent and good-humored.
Then--I asked him about his Administration's record in fighting terror--fully intending to come back to CGI later (as indeed I did).
I asked what I thought was a non-confrontational question about whether he could have done more to "connect the dots and really go after al Qaeda."
I was utterly surprised by the tidal wave of details--emotion--and political attacks that followed.
The President was clearly stung by any suggestion that he had not done everything he could to get bin Laden. He attacked right-wingers--accused me of a "conservative hit job"--and even spun a theory I still don't understand that somehow Fox was trying to cover up the fact that NewsCorp. chief Rupert Murdoch was supporting his Global Initiative. I still have no idea what set him off. Former President Clinton is a very big man. As he leaned forward--wagging his finger in my face--and then poking the notes I was holding--I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me.
The President said I had a smirk. Actually--it was sheer wonder at what I was witnessing.
I tried repeatedly to adhere to the ground rules--to move the President along--and back to the CGI. But he wanted to keep talking about his record fighting terror.
When it became clear he wanted to throw out the ground rules--then I just went with the flow of the interview.
All true, but he interviewed Fat Teddy and made him look like a alcohol-sodden, drug-zombied idiot. For that Roger had to pay.
Yes. Yes. Yes. And Sandy Burglar removed the evidence. "There is no evidence," as Lady Macbeth said in her famous interview, about another crime.
Smirking liberal liars hate being smirked at!
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(that's making me smirk, just reading it)
If Hillary gets in, the Clintons as a couple will be able to use against Wallace and all conservative the vast investigative resources supplied by the Patriot Act, thanks to the conservatives who have unquestioningly allowed a massive shift of power to the executive branch, not thinking that it could one day be used against them by a liberal president.
It is a FACT, that is UNDISPUTABLE, that when Bill Clinton screwed around with an intern, he set himself up to fail on at least one front, the war on terror.
Why do I say this?
It is clear that he avoided responding to the embassy bombings because he was worried about the "wag the dog" claims. Had he not actually engaged in sex with an intern, something that WE would get fired for, there would have been no basis for claiming "wag the dog".
I love the fact that the "Path to 9/11" lit a fire under him, I just want to watch him stew in his own juices.
As Chris Wallace pointed out after the interview, Clinton could have taken the 93 bombing of the towers as a declaration of war and the people would have been behind him, but he did not. He treated it as a crime and as a result, gave Al Qaida years to formulate their 9/11 activities without any threat.
I did see that. Thanks for the info.
I think Chris Wallace has a bit of courage to go through that rage and not get angry himself.
Question to Chris: Can you believe Clinton could abuse women?
Clinton's rant sounds just like the staged speeches of Iselin and the trail of Arkanicides is not a fantasy!
If I were in Wallace's shoes I would have stopped the interview with a chop to the adams apple and a thumb in his eye!
the clintons were doing those kinds of things anyway with executive power - even without the patriot act. what are they going to do, have chris wallace declared an enemy combatant?
True - oh so very true. If Hillary gets in, a lot of people are going to be singing the blues.
I think you are right about this. A politician cannot loose his temper with a reporter in this way and maintain any respect with journalists. Clinton simply did what feels good--go into a rage. And once he exploded, he saw no reason to correct himself and just continued.
I think he was too shocked to react.
difference is, they were breaking the law before (and if Bush had b-lls, we'd see prosecutions); in the future, they'll be using oppressive powers that the law now explicitly grants them.
Clinton was pissed because he and the Dem's are not used to being asked tough questions on these talk shows. They are used to being tossed pre-arranged puff-balls so to hit them out of the park. So, Chris's questions were something new to Clinton and he didn't know how to handle them, too bad, so sad, ha, ha!
there is a bit of it on foxnews.com
amazing comments...on bin laden and his failure..
clinton thinks its on peoples minds because of the media conservative or otherwise is out for him...
amazing...
Hilarious!
I said he can take some comfort. I didn't say he was safe.
Clinton is paranoid.
Seriously, he is.
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