Posted on 06/19/2004 8:59:06 PM PDT by wagglebee
Two days before his $12 million book hits stores, ex-President Bill Clinton has already blown his stack at one TV interviewer who questioned if his contrition over his affair with Monica Lewinsky was credible.
"Bill Clinton loses his temper with David Dimbleby during a BBC television interview to be broadcast this week when he is repeatedly quizzed about his affair with Monica Lewinsky," reports Sunday's London Telegraph.
"The former American president, famed for his amiable disposition, becomes visibly angry and rattled, particularly when Dimbleby asks him whether his publicly declared contrition over the affair is genuine," the paper claimed.
Clinton is said to appear visibly angry during the BBC sit-down for a period of several minutes, in a scene that could disrupt the carefully crafted rollout for his megabucks memoir.
U.S. interviewers have so far handled the impeached ex-president with kid gloves during book interviews. CBS's Dan Rather praised the presidential tome to the hilt after his own sit-down with Clinton, set for broadcast Sunday on CBS's "60 Minutes."
But for sheer entertainment value, Rather's overwrought gushing is likely to pale next to Dimbleby's performance.
A BBC executive who witnessed the interview, which took place in a New York hotel last Wednesday, told the Telegraph:
"[Clinton] is visibly angry with Dimbleby's line of questioning and some of that anger gets directed at Dimbleby himself."
They eyewitness said that the ex-president's videotaped rage is not a momentary flash, but instead a "substantial and sustained" outburst.
Clinton's meltdown is set for broadcast Tuesday night on BBC's popular "Panorama" show.
Dan Rather said this morning on Face the Nation that Clinton means he literally slept on a couch.
It usually is clear when one is speaking metaphorically, and in this case, from the phrasing and repeating of same, it is clear that Clinton wishes to convey the notion that he actually slept on a couch, which is absurd.
That's the only thing that you can do with someone like Clinton. He's nothing more than a kid; he will scoop in as much good attention as he can, but when the good attention doesn't come his way, he will do anything to get negative attention.
Ignoring him is indeed best.
Bob Schieffer asked Dan Rather this morning if Clinton meant it literally and Dan said yes.
There had been no indication that I had interpreted prior to hearing that, that Clinton was speaking metaphorically--and I know how to perceive a metaphor when I see one. It was typical Clinton embellishment of his story that he wants people to think he literally slept on a couch. And now Danny Rather confirms that Clinton is saying he really really slept on a couch (I think Danny believes him, no surprise).
I know I have no plans to watch Sixty Minutes.
I think Gary Aldrich wrote in his first book, they had separate bedrooms.
Sure wish Sid Viscous writes a book. You/we would be in it.
May I suggest another year of therapy and couseling for Mr. President?
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