(Washington, DC) “Last night Hillary defended her husband’s Presidency but did not express forgiveness for his personal actions. She accepted a pat on the shoulder but did not kiss him.”
“This distance, which was also apparent during the Clintons’ recent foreign travels, is something new. Ever since the late seventies, Hillary has been ready and willing to do play whatever role is most helpful to Bill. The bigger the problem, the closer the embrace.”
“Hillary’s lack of support is the clearest indication yet that Clinton is really in trouble.”
“I believe that Hillary is hedging her bets. If Clinton survives this crisis, she will at least have held her fire. As the betrayed spouse, she will be seen as the victim. No one will begrudge her for not doing more. If it looks like Clinton will leave office, she will have already signaled her distance, a distance she will undoubtedly expand.”
“Of course, Hillary does not have total freedom to walk away. Her actions in several different scandals are still being investigated by Kenneth Starr. She may be charged with one or more crimes. I am sure the certainty of Presidential pardon is very much on her mind.”
Peter Flaherty is co-author of The First Lady: A Comprehensive View of Hillary Rodham Clinton, published in 1996 by Vital Issues Press. Flaherty is President of the National Legal and Policy Center, which successfully sued to open the meetings and records of the First Lady’s health care task force.