Chelsea Clinton questioner: Lewinsky matter 'needs to be talked about'

The young man who got the "none-of-your-business" response from Chelsea Clinton this week about the effects of the Monica Lewinsky scandal on Hillary Clinton's credibility maintained today that he had asked a legitimate question.

"What I said was I just wanted to know your opinion [if] Hillary showed weakness during the Lewinsky scandal and she might not be a strong-enough leader," Evan Strange, a student at Butler University in Indianapolis, said today during an appearance on CNN.

Strange, a staffer on the student newspaper, said that he attended Chelsea Clinton's address with members of his mass communications class and that a couple of his classmates later came up to him and said it was a worthy question.

"Wow," Clinton told Strange in her widely reported response. "You're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know, maybe 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business."

Reflecting on the moment, Strange said, "Just mentioning Lewinsky, I think she probably shut down" and didn't want to talk about it. "I think she has that right. But it needs to be talked about. No. 1, she is campaigning for her mom, so any question is valid, especially when there is a $3-trillion budget at hand."

He added that the Lewinsky scandal was "just something that's in the back of everyone's minds."

And yes, he said, he is a Hillary Clinton supporter, "as of now."

-- Mark Silva

Mark Silva writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune's Washington bureau.

Comments

[George]

Don't be evasive, Chelsea. You'll start to look like Slick Barry Obama, he's got tons of quotes at SlickBarry.com. Hillary is still the best Dem candidate, but if you're going to campaign, stop hiding when you don't like a question. You're not the little first daughter any more. Act like an adult, or get out of politics.

[Po Win]

Please post this comment:

The media created a million dollar cause celeb for Ms. Lewinsky. The frenzy over this affair has resurfaced despite sweeping coverage, and, it has nothing to do with the economy, job loss, home foreclosures, the war in Iraq and Afganistan and other issues that affect this nation's standing in the world, economically and ecologically. Yesterday, the CNN video exploiting a midget (?) to mimick and harass Mrs. Clinton was in very poor taste. CNN deliberately left no room for comment. Keeping journalistic integrity intact, we should avoid coverage of meritless fodder; this includes covering remorseless provocateurs.

[Victor]

>

I saw that dork from Butler yesterday on CNN. He is IN NO WAY a Hillary supporter. What a bunch of crock. He's just a poser getting his 15 minutes of fame right now for a question that was obviously not an appropriate one to ask Chelsea. I hope this backfires on Obama supporters in Indiana and people sympathize with Chelsea and her mother. By no means was this a legitimate question; it was more of a cheap shot.

Although I'll give the dork one thing. At least he's applying what he's learned from his phony major (communications) to real life situations. Perhaps he should have doubled in Political Science as well so he could have maybe thought twice about whether or not what he asked was appropriate.

[eric]

Bill Clinton did it publicly with Monica...

Hillary lied about Bosnia...

Bill didn't inhale...

Chelsea dodged the question regarding her father's sexual appetite.

True none of these truths have nothing to do with our economy, foreign policy and the present Iraqi war.

So, "the parents" of your spouses, lovers or significant other had nothing to do with their birth also, right?

Need I remind you people, that a presidential political campaign is similar to the game of dots. Everything connects whether you think its significant or not. It is a given.

[marian]

The question was fair. If Chelsea is going to campaign for her mother, she can't pick and choose what questions she's going to answer. Hillary Clinton is always talking about her experience and being ready from day 1. I think a lot of people want to know what the young man asked - if she couldn't control her husband, how is she giong to run the country? That's what I want to know.

[Tina]

The question was irrelevant. HRC was not responsible for Bill Clinton's infidelity. Questions related to actual policy are perfectly appropriate. I lived through the nonsense, and just as it was then, it remains now--a distraction and a waste of time.

[dave]

it is fair to ask questions. it is fair to ask irrelevant questions. relevance is a fickle quality attributed to information. the relevance of a question is relative. it can change with the processing of information. it is fair to respond to a question. it is fair not to. it is not being fair to yourself to insist on staying conceited, ignorant, arrogant or deluded. it is fair to respect each other. it is fair to learn your fair share. like it or not, as you like.