Clinton to Address JFK Library in Wake of Intern Revelations

NewsMax.com ^ | 5/17/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Ex-President Bill Clinton will discuss his legacy at Boston's John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on May 28, in an event announced just hours after news broke that Kennedy, like Clinton, carried on a sexual relationship with a White House intern.

"Senator Edward M. Kennedy will introduce President Clinton, who will engage in a wide-ranging conversation with presidential historian Michael Beschloss," the Kennedy Library said, in a statement posted to it's Web site on Tuesday.

"President Clinton will reflect upon his own legacy and some of the central themes related to President Kennedy including the role of the U.S. in the world, domestic issues concerning the advancement of rights and opportunities for all Americans, and the importance of public service," the library explained.

News of the Kennedy intern scandal first appeared on Tuesday's front page of the New York Daily News, whose publisher, Mort Zuckerman, is a staunch Clinton media ally.

The revelation that Kennedy had the Clinton-like dalliance was merely alluded to in Robert Dallek's new Kennedy bio "An Unfinished Life," which offered a brief second hand account that an unnamed 19-year-old was kept on the White House staff primarily to provide Kennedy with "sexual release."

But Zuckerman's paper launched a full investigation. And by Thursday, the News had tracked down Marion "Mimi" Fahnestock, now a 60-year-old church worker in midtown Manhattan who confirmed that she carried on a sexual relationship with the 35th president from June 1962 to November 1963.

The result was a week's worth of front page headlines that made the JFK story one of the most talked about in the nation - and had conservatives wondering if those pushing the story hardest were actually more interested in rehabilitating Clinton's image.

Dallek himself is scheduled to address the Kennedy Library next Tuesday, in a session that will likely be dominated by Kennedy-Clinton comparisons - though the author himself has said that he considers the find relatively insignificant.

The JFK intern story wouldn't be the first time the Daily News publisher went to bat for Clinton in a big way. In 1995, both Zuckerman and then newly crowned House Speaker Newt Gingrich traveled with Clinton aboard Air Force One to and from Yitzhak Rabin's funeral.

Afterwards, the News published a front page story blasting Gingrich for throwing a temper tantrum - allegedly because he felt Clinton did not treat him with enough respect during the trip.

Under the headline "Crybaby," the News front-paged a characature of the leading Republican as a baby in diapers in the midst of a screaming fit. The report ended up being among the most damaging of all media attacks on Gingrich.

On Saturday the Daily News went so far as to make the JFK revelation the topic of an editorial - invoking the news to downplay the seriousness of the charges against Clinton.

"The story also fills a gap, however small, in the public record," the paper said. "And it provides some context: Bill Clinton, who was impeached because of his indefensible dalliance with Monica Lewinsky, was not, it turns out, the only Oval Office occupant with an eye for the interns."

In fact, Clinton was not impeached for his dalliance with Lewinsky, but because he perjured himself about the relationship in testimony before a federal judge and a grand jury in an attempt to obstruct justice in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Clinton Scandals

[JulieRNR21]

In fact, Clinton was not impeached for his dalliance with Lewinsky, but because he perjured himself about the relationship in testimony before a federal judge and a grand jury in an attempt to obstruct justice in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

The clinton lovers always conveniently ignore his perjury, obstruction of justice & witness tampering! And the fact that he was fined & found in contempt of Court by a federal judge; was disbarred in Arkansas and barred from pleading a case before the Supreme Court.

[Endeavor]

"The story also fills a gap, however small, in the public record," the paper said. "And it provides some context: Bill Clinton, who was impeached because of his indefensible dalliance with Monica Lewinsky, was not, it turns out, the only Oval Office occupant with an eye for the interns."

No, he was impeached because he lied under oath, you maroons.

[Fred Mertz]

Kennedy and Clinton: two of the weakest leaders in the 20th Century.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

This whole thing has clinton's fingerprints all over it. It is his modus operandi. He feels that comparisons with JFK and also Jefferson somehow help him. During the height of impeachment we had the "verdict" of "historians" that Jefferson had a thing going with Sally Hemmings.

The now disgraced historian, Joseph Ellis gave a talk at UNC, and told a story about clinton that I attended, well before the Lewinsky story broke. At the time Ellis was humping his book on Jefferson. He (Ellis) spoke at the White House and clinton approached him afterwards and asked Ellis if he thought that there was any substance to the Jefferson-Hemmings rumors. This conversation took place in the mid-90's before it had become "accepted" that such a liason did exist. At the time Ellis stated that his historical opinion (he has since changed it) was that the liason did *not* occur. At the talk I attended he reported that clinton looked "truly disappointed" to learn this.

I think that clinton thinks that these comparisons show him (clinton) in a better light. I think he's clearly wrong, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that clinton is somehow involved with the latest JFK disclosure.

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? I believe Rush said, "this is just another x42 rewrite the legacy tour".

[jaz.357]

RUSH IS RIGHT! It is just X42 rewrite.

[kattracks]

ping

[OneTime]

"Kennedy and Clinton: two of the weakest leaders in the 20th Century."

I think Jimmy Carter has the top honor for weakest.

[aimhigh]

Kennedy, the pedophile.

[OldFriend]

Love the timing. No matter what the pervert tries to do to change the subject, it always comes back at him.....Monica Monica Monica

[Ax]

Anyone who thinks that clinton's legacy is anything but that stained blue dress is delusional.

[kattracks]

And by Thursday, the News had tracked down Marion "Mimi" Fahnestock, now a 60-year-old church worker in midtown Manhattan who confirmed that she carried on a sexual relationship with the 35th president from June 1962 to November 1963.

Makes you wonder why Mimi decided to "come clean" so quickly.

[RichInOC]

Bubba, no matter how you try to pretend otherwise, you're no Jack Kennedy. Kennedy was a better president in three years than you ever could have been in eight. Kennedy had a beautiful, intelligent, classy wife. Kennedy had two bright, attractive, adorable children. And above all...he knew that fine cigars were intended to be smoked after the act of love, not to be used in it.

[RLK]

The point universally missed is that Clinton was a psychopath and seriously mentally unstable to commit the acts he felt entitled to commit. His mentality was too dangerous to be in the Oval Office.

[scott7278]

JFK wasn't the object of a sexual harrasment lawsuit at the time of his affair. He also didn't commit perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power to supress the evidence that demonstrated his pattern of behavior. Because of his flagrant disrespect for the law, a woman was denied her day in court.

Impeachment was never about sex; it was about a man using his authority to trample over the "common folk" and set himself above the law.

Never forget!

[widowithfoursons]

They should hold this on a bridge over a river, and maybe Clinton could take a bite out of Ted just to show him how it's done.

[Waco]

X42 and her spouse. Figures

[ex-Texan]

This is a joke, right ?

[Libloather]

Clinton will reflect upon his own legacy...

This should be breaking news - no?