Monday, January 28, 2008

The Clintons' Political Divorce

To end a marriage in New York, the usual grounds are adultery or "cruel and inhuman treatment." Hillary Clinton, who stood by her man from Gennifer to Monica, is finally taking steps to dump him politically for spousal abuse.

"Clinton’s Camp Seeks Gentler Role for Ex-President" is the headline of a New York Times story today that reports "Democrats inside and outside the Clinton campaign on Sunday debated and in some cases bemoaned the degree to which former President Bill Clinton’s criticism of Senator Barack Obama last week had inflicted lasting damage on his wife’s presidential candidacy."

On the editorial page, Clinton-hater William Kristol is clucking that "putting her in the White House brings a hyperactive Bill back in with her. Who needs it?"

Like any other abused wife, Mrs. Clinton tried to minimize the damage on "Face the Nation" yesterday, saying "the spouses of all three of us have, you know, been passionate and vigorous defenders of each of us and, you know, maybe got a little carried away," attributing her husband's behavior to "sleep deprivation" on the campaign trail.

It may be too late to try to "keep the big dog on the porch," as they say in Arkansas, but unless Hillary Clinton takes firm steps to divorce him politically, they can stop worrying about what to call Bill Clinton when she gets to the White House.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's so typical of you old white males to put every story about Hillary in purely gender terms. Really--it's the frickin 21c!! The little lady has to divorce herself from the big buck?--oh please--get a GRIP!!!!

Misogyny is alive and well in these blogs and in the media.