Bill Clinton: Unhinged!

[Marnie]

I saw this and was scary; you can find links to the "interview" all over the net, but here is how Chris Wallace described it.

"I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me. "

I was delighted to get the chance to interview former President Clinton. This was the first one-on-one sitdown he's ever given "Fox News Sunday" during our 10 years on the air.

The groundrules were simple--15 minutes--to be divided evenly between questions about the Clinton Global Initiative and anything else I wanted to ask.

I intended to keep to the groundrules. In fact--I prepared 10 questions--5 on the CGI and 5 on other issues.

I began the interview with 2 questions about Mr. Clinton's commitment to humanitarian causes. His answers were cogent and good-humored.

Then--I asked him about his Administration's record in fighting terror--fully intending to come back to CGI later (as indeed I did).

I asked what I thought was a non-confrontational question about whether he could have done more to "connect the dots and really go after al Qaeda."

I was utterly surprised by the tidal wave of details--emotion--and political attacks that followed.

The President was clearly stung by any suggestion that he had not done everything he could to get bin Laden. He attacked right-wingers--accused me of a "conservative hit job"--and even spun a theory I still don't understand that somehow Fox was trying to cover up the fact that NewsCorp. chief Rupert Murdoch was supporting his Global Initiative. I still have no idea what set him off.

Former President Clinton is a very big man. As he leaned forward--wagging his finger in my face--and then poking the notes I was holding--I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me.

The President said I had a smirk. Actually--it was sheer wonder at what I was witnessing.

I tried repeatedly to adhere to the ground rules--to move the President along--and back to the CGI. But he wanted to keep talking about his record fighting terror.

When it became clear he wanted to throw out the ground rules--then I just went with the flow of the interview.

From FishBowlDC

[LadyGunivere]

He doesn't want to be blamed for his ingornance......

[Marnie]

The video is available for anyone to see by searching that video service we cannot link to from Worthy. But don't expect to see a melt-down and consider the source -- Fox. He could hardly be called unhinged though. He showed the same amount of frustration as Bush did when he went off on the Republicans who stood up against him during the whole torture "media" blitz.

I am curious what you believe Clinton to be ignorant about though.

He doesn't want to be blamed for his ingornance......

River, I just watched it again; it was definitely a melt-down. And Chris Wallace is not a Republican nor a conservative. And Fox is a more legitmate news source than CNN these days. But I will say the things Clinton claimed re: his attempts to get Bin Laden are not at all false. He did his "best," as he says, but alas, no cigar. I would not fault Clinton--he really had no co-operation from the FBI or CIA or the Pentagon. Of course, he was distracted through part of his term, which didn't help his cause any.

[other one]

well, I watched the interview when it aired and I say he had a smirk.... he may not have realized it was a smirk but it was a smirk. I'll not get into what I personally think of Clinton or the thread might get locked and George might actually just kick me off the boards, but I would say that Clinton really made several good points this morning about Fox News.

Have any of you read Richard Clark's book???????

sam

[Marnie]

Have any of you read Richard Clark's book???????

sam

Yes. I won't comment on it's veracity.

[Leonard]

Well, I'm no Cinton fan, but this was hardly a 'melt-down.' I think for Bill Clinton this was certainly an emotional point, as he is usually quite controlled. Some of what he said is plainly disingenuous, but 'animated' is more accurate than 'outburst'!

Would God he had been so animated about getting Bin Laden while he was in office!

[RustyAngeL]

I saw the interview twice...I recall he shook that same finger in the face of the American people when he declared that " I did not have sex with that woman Monica Lewinski" I didn't believe him then and I was right and I don't believe him now. The man is unable to tell the truth about anything.

[Marnie]

I am NO fan of Bill's, but I do know he did make an effort to get Bin Laden during his second term. He got NO co-operation from the Pentagon. At least in that he was telling the truth. The problem was we had no respect for his leadership or the people around him, who were more corrupt than he was.

[nebula]

but I would say that Clinton really made several good points this morning about Fox News.

What's wrong - Democrats can't stand "turn about" treatment.

[Scarletprayers]

I think he over reacted for sure, but by and large it was a good interview, and I am no Bill Clinton fan. We all get frustrated and defensive when we feel people are attacking us about something, and since I'm sure he has heard that jab about Bin Laden numerous times, he got defensive.

I don't think the reporter was smirking, I think he was kinda in shock that Mr. Clinton reacted the way he did.