Vanity Fair and the new "Friends of Bill" Clinton

Todd S. Purdum, former New York Times staffer and current Vanity Fair national editor, lets loose in the July issue of the magazine with a lengthy profile of Bill Clinton after leaving the White House.  It's getting reduced to sex in some places -- friends worried that he was spending suspicion-raising time with attractive women on the road -- but there's no smoking gun (to stick with political metaphors), and focusing on speculation about a return to form for the former wanderer-in-chief does the article a disservice.

Purdum, who covered portions of the Clinton administration, offers up a deeply reported look at a primal force in politics facing his own dissipation.  Scandal, big-bucks speaking fees, big-bucks pals like Ron Burkle with private planes, but also heart surgery and a clear physical deterioration.  Bill Clinton is no longer the man he once was, though he is still a force -- Purdum describes Clinton as "the smiling, snowy-haired man who is the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral he attends."

Purdum, who is married to Clinton's former press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, writes:

"To know Clinton is, sooner or later, to be exasperated by his indiscipline and disappointed by his shortcomings. But through it all, it has been easy enough to retain an enduring admiration — even affection — for a president whose sins against decorum and the dignity of his office seemed venial in contrast to the systemic indifference, incompetence, corruption, and constitutional predations of his successor’s administration. That is, easy enough until now.

"This winter, as Clinton moved with seeming abandon to stain his wife’s presidential campaign in the name of saving it, as disclosures about his dubious associates piled up, as his refusal to disclose the names of donors to his presidential library and foundation and his and his wife’s reluctance to release their income tax returns created crippling and completely avoidable distractions for Hillary Clinton’s own long-suffering ambition, I found myself asking again and again, What’s the matter with him?"

What's the matter, indeed.

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[Wayne Arnold]

Just a bunch of crap. Bill Clinton is the greatest President this country has had since FDR. His personal life is between him and his wonderful wife Hillary. I don't blame him one bit for being pissed off with Vanity Fair.

[Charlezzzzz]

Purdom describes Clinton as "the smiling, snowy-haired man who is the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral he attends."
Alice Roosevelt Longworth said it even better.
"My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening."

[Fareed]

Once accused never acquitted. Fact, Billy did get disbarred for lying in a Bimbo (sex victim) trial in Arkansas. If there is Smoke there is, has been or will be Fire. I don't know what to make of the veracity of Vanity Fair revelation. I do know the ghost of Monica Lewinsky et. al. will live on. And for that reason and perhaps no other Bill will never be allowed to set foot in the White House after disgracing the Home of our Nation. He never should have did what he did in the White House.

[dfs]

The real problem with Bill goes much deeper. We Americans have some expectations concerning the behavior of our ex-presidents, one of which is that they should comport themselves in a statesman-like way and another that they should keep themselves above the fray of partisan politics. Some presidents who have done this (John Adam, Hoover, Ford) have gained a universal respect they never enjoyed while in office. The trouble with Bill is that he seems not to understand what is required of him, and is retroactively demeaning the office of the presidency.

[G.A. BROWNE]

it is incredible how Liberal memory does a diservice to history. Bill CLinton presided over the "post cold war" divedend that he was fortuante to have given to him by Reagan, Bush. and Charlie Wilson. He did nothing of signficance save serve in the success of others. Let us hope we have now heard the last of Bill Clinton. His personal shortcomings occupying the highest office, is all anyone is going to remember. I feel sorrow for Hilary, but yet as everyone else wonders the same, what makes her stay with him? What moral compass does she use? It is to bad she was tied to his wagon.

[bob kholos]

Bill Clinton is rumored to buy Vanity Fair and rename it:
"VANITY UNFAIR."

[BJ]

SO I guess Obama and his surrogates could not come up with anything more against Hillary eh?

They have to drum up Bill... Sure, he's just like most men, after all. BUT what they fail to acknowledge is, he was the best Democratic president we've had in a long long time!

IF that's the best you can come up with OBAMA, BRING 'EM ON!!! You're gonna lose in November anyway.

[SUb]

bill clinton's long list of indiscretions indicate his amazingly poor judgement, his narcissistic disorder, and his egomaniacal disregard for the role of ex-president. mr. arnold, he's not a rock star, he's the former leader of the free world. he should act like it, and stop pushing his trailer-trash ethic over every aspect of his professional life.

[Ed S.]

"Greatest president since FDR?" I don't think so. Bill Clinton made it possible for the election of George Bush in 2000. That's Clinton's legacy--eight years of the worst president since the founding of our nation.

[08vote]

The way Hillary conducted her campaign for the WH this year, no wonder Bill sought the past refuge of other women (besides his ego, urging him on). I wasn't aware of the eight documented encounters Bill Clinton had with Monica Lewinsky, as revealed in the release of the WH papers earlier this year. Was all of this insistence on winning the Presidency by Hillary a personal ultimatum to Bill Clinton for his indiscretions in the White House? Hillary knew Bill's pattern of personal behavior way before Bill Clinton's Presidency, but her own quest for power and control took precedence over anything that could be construed as Bill's pseudo respect for Hillary Clinton as a person and their marriage as a whole.

If Hillary cares greater about the issues than of herself (which she claimed in her political campaigns), she will make her concession speech by June 7, 2008.

[SUb]

excellent point dfs. the trouble is, a narcissist will always find a rationale for whatever behavior they want to indulge. they are never wrong, never have to apologize, because as the center of the universe they simply cannot be at fault. i work in entertainment, it is littered with people of this type; bill clinton is just another textbook example of the form....

[wadswor]

Who cares who he sleeps (or does not sleep) with? Why does America believe that they have a right to access any American's private life. How would YOU like someone looking in YOUR bedroom window? Geez, these folks are nothing more than peeping toms.

[Jason Shapiro]

Bill Clinton is the same person he always was - slick Willy. He's never been anything but an opportunistic, charlatan of a politician for whom "truth" is nothing more than what he wants it to be. He always promised everyone something and ultimately delivered nothing - unless it directly benefited him.

[B.W.THOMAS]

BJ said:
"They have to drum up Bill... Sure, he's just like most men, after all. BUT what they fail to acknowledge is, he was the best Democratic president we've had in a long long time! "

First of all, he is NOT like most men. Most men would not have disgraced the presidency as he did. ...and second, you're right -he was the best Democratic president in a long time. That in itself is nothing to brag about. He was only one of a few who were re-electd to a second term, and he almost didn't get to finish that.

G.A.Browne got it right with his/her comment.

[bernie castillo]

Bill Clinton is the man. You pipsqueaks just hate somebody who is living the LIFE. You are also ingrates who forget that his term was the best there is of any President in the last century.

[Craig]

Bill's legacy is also losing the Democratic majority in the House and Senate. By the way, this is coming from a man who once shook his hand and was a supporter.

[Gotta Hand It To Bill Clinton]

According to the VF article, ole Bill Clinton is making millions $$$ from the Burkles and Dubai billionaires of the world. No one even knows how many millions Bill Clinton (and Hillary) stand to earn from Bill's efforts. It's a secret.

Besides flying around in borrowed private jets, ole Bill is hanging around sludge like Jeffrey Epstein, an about to be convicted felon (sex-related charges).

Why didn't all Bills backroom deals and conflicts of interest come up in the Democratic campaign? If Michelle Obama had been doing those deals or hanging around with some of Bill's friends it would have been on ALL the talk shows.

What a piece of work Bill Clinton is.

I'm assuming all of the Bill Clinton would have come out in a general election if Hillary had become the nominee. I don't see how she would have been elected with not only her own personal baggage but ole Bill's too.

[Ellie]

lol Those of you who think other men have not disgraced the White House in the same way Bill did are delusional. Just about every president if not ALL OF THEM were cheating or did cheat on their wives at some point in time. I don't know who ya'll are trying to kid. Bill got caught and they made an example out of him. Flat out. So you can say the same for JFK, Roosevelt, and probably Reagan and Bush as well. Those affairs have been swept under the rug I'm sure. So for those of you "holier than thou" out there, probably you should think more objectively and stop judging others.

[Lorna Clark]

To this mindless writer get alife idiot. Its writers like you who disgrace the proffession with crap like this. Bill Clinton is loved and respected all over the world.

[Janice in NC]

So what is Vanity Fair saying here? Much of NOTHING that I can tell. This is pure speculation alluding to something that might not even exist. Bill probably has large groups for lunch comprised of attractive and unattractive people as well. This is an attempt to draw negative attention on the Clintons to further bolster the golden halo of the magical candidate Obama.

No proof of any wrong doing by Pres. Clinton here. I admire how hard he has worked for his wife. The big wheels of the DNC have turned on Hillary and are now trying to shove Obama in our faces and force him on the country.

Bill Clinton made some mistakes, but he went to work for working class Americans everyday. So I applaud him!!

[SEP]

This article must have its origins with the Obama campaign. The unethical methodology used to get him elected the first time was followed up by what? The next time he was elected it was due to an annonymous information leak that crippled his opponent. Let's hear more about that one..... this seems to be more of the same from the candidate of 'CHANGE'

[Janice in NC]

This is nothing! Vanity Fair is fishing in an empty pond. There is no proof of any wrong doing on the part of Bill Clinton here - so VF should stop trying to make things up!

I am grateful for the positive difference Pres. Clinton made in the lives of working Americans when he was in office. He made some mistakes, but he did his job as president and helped people.

Journalism in this country has hit rock bottom ranging from being "totally in the tank" for BHO to this nonsense.

[LK2008]

What a piece of crap article ... "deeply reported" ... that's a joke, right ? Dozens of quotes or allusions to "anonymous aides" ... whatever. Todd Purdum seems like a small, bitter man. I love how he can't resist including a couple of trivial slights he imagined Clinton visited upon him ... and who's the narcissist ?

[Bubba]

Dollar Bill is cashing in and doesn't like being called out, much less reminded that he's lost some political skill.

The real story is the classic savage Clinton response- they start with their standard why-didn't-you-talk-about-how-great-I-am / won't-someone-think-of-the-children line, denounce the piece as "personal destruction" but in the next breath spit out every possible bit of mud they can find at the writer and magazine. (Remember how they were saying Monica was a liar and stalker, even when she had not made charges herself, until the evidence overwhelmed them?) Just like they did all who displeased them.

It's the 90s all over again! What better way to remind the superdelegates of the scummy side of this narcissistic man's 8-year Me-Generation series of ego trips and unending devotion to lying, sometimes seemingly just for the sake of lying to see if you can get away with it.

[Olandus]

It is amazing how dillusional the Clinton supporters are. Is this not the same President who lied to the American people and to congress about his affair? Is this not the same President who sold technology to the Chinese? Is this not the same President that has more dealing with shady charactes than slim shady? Obama didnt do anything to Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton is tarnishing Bill Clinton! How about doing some homework and research the accusations about Bill and see what you come up with. I would guess alot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh never mind, just ask Monica.