Sexual misconduct conversation revives questions on Bill Clinton
into the public spotlight.
“It’s about time,” Kathleen Willey, another woman who WASHINGTON — Another accused Clinton of sexual woman went on national harassment, said Wednesday. television this week to press She expressed bitterness her case of sexual assault by that liberals and feminists did a powerful figure. But the not believe her or the other accused was not Roy S. Moore accusers at the time. “They’re or Harvey Weinstein or Donhypocrites,” she said. “They ald Trump. It was Bill Clinton. worship at the altar of all things
“I feel like people are startClinton. They’re all over Roy ing to believe and realize that Moore, but they had nothing I was truly sexually assaulted to say about Bill Clinton when by Bill Clinton,” Juanita Broadhe was accused of doing what drick said on Fox News nearly he was accused of doing.” two decades after first going Some Democratic leaders public with her story. “All vic- rejected the comparison. “I tims matter. It doesn’t matdon’t think there’s any douter if you’re a Democrat or ble standard here,” Sen. Chris a Republican. Who cares if Van Hollen of Maryland, the you’re straight or you’re gay, chairman of the Democratic or if you believe in God or “the Democratic Party needs Senatorial Campaign Comnot. We all have a right to be to make its own reckoning mittee, said last weekend on believed.” of the way it protected Bill “Fox News Sunday.” “You
The cultural conversation Clinton.” Michelle Goldberg were also talking in this case, about women, power and sexwrote a New York Times col- as you know, about allegations ual misconduct that has con- umn headlined, “I Believe of child sexual abuse.” sumed the United States in Juanita.” David Rothkopf, a Clinton’s behavior, proved recent weeks has now raised former Clinton administraor otherwise, has long been a question that is eagerly protion official, said Monica S. an uncomfortable subject moted by those on the polit- Lewinsky “deserves an apolfor Democrats. Many chose ical right just as it discomfits ogy from many of us she has to defend him for his White those on the political left: What never received.” House trysts with Lewinsky about Bill? While Fox News The emerging revisionism because, despite the power and other conservative outmay influence a historical legdifferential between a presilets revive years-old charges acy Clinton and his allies have dent and a former intern, she against Clinton to accuse spent the past 17 years scrub- was a willing partner. To this Moore’s critics of hypocrisy, bing of scandal. Despite his day, Lewinsky rejects the idea some liberals say it may be impeachment on perjury and that she was a victim because time to rethink their defense obstruction for covering up of the affair; “any ‘abuse’ came of the 42nd president. sexual liaisons with Lewinsky, in the aftermath” when the
Matthew Yglesias, a liberal Clinton had made progress in political system took over, as blogger who once worked framing the national memory she wrote in 2014. at the Center for American of his presidency as a time of Willey, Broaddrick and Paula Progress, a pillar of the Clin- peace and prosperity. Jones, however, described ton political world, wrote But the arrival of President unwilling encounters. Jones on Vox.com on Wednesday Donald Trump on the polit- asserted Clinton, while he that “I think we got it wrong” ical stage has chipped away was governor of Arkansas and by defending Clinton in the at that. To counter damage she was a state employee, 1990s and that he should have from the “Access Hollywood” summoned her to a hotel resigned. Chris Hayes, the lib- tape recording him boasting room, dropped his pants and eral MSNBC host, said on Twit- about groping women as well requested oral sex. Willey, a ter that “Democrats and the as allegations by a number former White House volunteer, center left are overdue for a of women that it was more accused him of kissing and real reckoning with the alle- than just “locker room talk,” groping her in the Oval Office. gations against him.” Trump recruited Broaddrick Broaddrick, an Arkansas nurs
Caitlin Flanagan, a social and other women who had ing home owner, alleged that critic who calls herself a “lifeaccused Clinton to join him Clinton forced her to have sex long Democrat, an enemy of on the campaign trail last year. during a meeting on the cammachine feminism and a sexThe spate of sexual misconpaign trail in 1978. ual assault survivor,” wrote duct stories in recent weeks Clinton’s lawyers have dison The Atlantic’s website that has brought those cases back puted all three charges.
Peter Baker