Happy Birthday Slick Willie
I'm back from vacation and hope to get back to regular posting in this community. Today, August 19, 2010, is former President Bill Clinton's 64th birthday. Clinton was the 42nd President and the first president born from the baby boomer generation. He was 46 years old when elected, making him the third youngest president (behind Teddy Roosevelt at 42 and John F. Kennedy at 43.)
Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III, in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before Bill was born. Clinton was raised by his grandparents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and operated a small grocery store, while his mother Virginia Dell Cassidy was studying nursing. When she returned from nursing school she married Roger Clinton. He formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward his stepfather when he was 14. In his memoir "My Life", Clinton wrote that he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother Roger Clinton, Jr., to the point where he intervened multiple times with the threat of violence in order to protect them.
President Clinton's greatest accomplishment may be being the last President to bring down surplus budgets, something that has never been done since. Unfortunately for him, he will probably be most remembered for his sexual misconduct. Throughout his career, Clinton was the subject of various allegations, though the only extramarital sexual relationships he has admitted to were with Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers.
A woman named Paula Jones brought a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton while he was president, alleging incidents occurring while Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. Clinton argued that as a sitting president, he should not be vulnerable to a civil suit of this kind. The U.S. Supreme Court held that "deferral of this litigation until petitioner's Presidency ends is not constitutionally required." However, on April 2, 1998 a U.S. judge in Arkansas, Susan Webber Wright, ruled that since Jones had not suffered any damages, the case should be dismissed. On July 31, 1998, Jones appealed the dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On November 18, 1998, Clinton agreed to an out-of-court settlement, and agreed to pay Jones and her attorneys a sum of $850,000.00. Clinton, however, denied ever engaging in a sexual affair with Jones.
In 1998, another woman, Kathleen Willey, alleged Clinton sexually assaulted her four years previously. In 1998, Juanita Broaddrick alleged she was raped by Clinton some twenty years previously. The accusations by Willey and Broaddrick were never brought before a court. The independent counsel determined Willey gave "false information" to the FBI and inconsistent sworn testimony related to the Jones allegation. Broaddrick's only sworn testimony about Clinton was a previous denial of any harassment by Clinton. Gennifer Flowers, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Perdue, and Dolly Kyle Browning each said she had had adulterous sexual relations with Clinton during or before his service as governor. Gracen later apologized to Hillary Clinton for having sex with her husband.
Dolly Kyle Browning alleged that she and Clinton engaged in a long sexual affair. Browning began writing a "semi-autobiographical novel" about the affair. In the publication process, Browning asserted that Clinton did everything in his power to prohibit and undermine publication. Browning sued Clinton for damages, but he case was dismiised and the US Court of Appeals denied her appeal.
Clinton's sexual relationship with a 22-year-old White House intern named Monica Lewinsky led to a national scandal. After the 1998 elections, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton, based on allegations Clinton lied about his relationship with Lewinsky in a sworn deposition in the Paula Jones lawsuit. This made Clinton only the second U.S. president to be impeached after Andrew Johnson. The Senate concluded a twenty-one day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote on both counts falling short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an office holder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty. Some Republicans voted not guilty for both charges. On the perjury charge, fifty-five senators voted to acquit, including ten Republicans, and forty-five voted to convict; on the obstruction charge the Senate voted 50-50
Here is a youtube video of Clinton's denial of having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky:
and here is his "apology" in which he admitted having an "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky.
Ultimately, Clinton's many accomplishments have been tarnished by his personal and moral flaws. However this didn't seem to tarnish Clinton's popularity. Clinton's 66% Gallup Poll approval rating was the highest Gallup approval rating of any Postwar President leaving office, three points ahead of Ronald Reagan
Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe, III, in Hope, Arkansas. His father, William Jefferson Blythe, Jr., was a traveling salesman who died in an automobile accident three months before Bill was born. Clinton was raised by his grandparents Eldridge and Edith Cassidy, who owned and operated a small grocery store, while his mother Virginia Dell Cassidy was studying nursing. When she returned from nursing school she married Roger Clinton. He formally adopted the surname Clinton as a gesture toward his stepfather when he was 14. In his memoir "My Life", Clinton wrote that he remembers his stepfather as a gambler and an alcoholic who regularly abused his mother and half-brother Roger Clinton, Jr., to the point where he intervened multiple times with the threat of violence in order to protect them.
President Clinton's greatest accomplishment may be being the last President to bring down surplus budgets, something that has never been done since. Unfortunately for him, he will probably be most remembered for his sexual misconduct. Throughout his career, Clinton was the subject of various allegations, though the only extramarital sexual relationships he has admitted to were with Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers.
A woman named Paula Jones brought a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton while he was president, alleging incidents occurring while Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. Clinton argued that as a sitting president, he should not be vulnerable to a civil suit of this kind. The U.S. Supreme Court held that "deferral of this litigation until petitioner's Presidency ends is not constitutionally required." However, on April 2, 1998 a U.S. judge in Arkansas, Susan Webber Wright, ruled that since Jones had not suffered any damages, the case should be dismissed. On July 31, 1998, Jones appealed the dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On November 18, 1998, Clinton agreed to an out-of-court settlement, and agreed to pay Jones and her attorneys a sum of $850,000.00. Clinton, however, denied ever engaging in a sexual affair with Jones.
In 1998, another woman, Kathleen Willey, alleged Clinton sexually assaulted her four years previously. In 1998, Juanita Broaddrick alleged she was raped by Clinton some twenty years previously. The accusations by Willey and Broaddrick were never brought before a court. The independent counsel determined Willey gave "false information" to the FBI and inconsistent sworn testimony related to the Jones allegation. Broaddrick's only sworn testimony about Clinton was a previous denial of any harassment by Clinton. Gennifer Flowers, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Sally Perdue, and Dolly Kyle Browning each said she had had adulterous sexual relations with Clinton during or before his service as governor. Gracen later apologized to Hillary Clinton for having sex with her husband.
Dolly Kyle Browning alleged that she and Clinton engaged in a long sexual affair. Browning began writing a "semi-autobiographical novel" about the affair. In the publication process, Browning asserted that Clinton did everything in his power to prohibit and undermine publication. Browning sued Clinton for damages, but he case was dismiised and the US Court of Appeals denied her appeal.
Clinton's sexual relationship with a 22-year-old White House intern named Monica Lewinsky led to a national scandal. After the 1998 elections, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton, based on allegations Clinton lied about his relationship with Lewinsky in a sworn deposition in the Paula Jones lawsuit. This made Clinton only the second U.S. president to be impeached after Andrew Johnson. The Senate concluded a twenty-one day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote on both counts falling short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an office holder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty. Some Republicans voted not guilty for both charges. On the perjury charge, fifty-five senators voted to acquit, including ten Republicans, and forty-five voted to convict; on the obstruction charge the Senate voted 50-50
Here is a youtube video of Clinton's denial of having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky:
and here is his "apology" in which he admitted having an "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky.
Ultimately, Clinton's many accomplishments have been tarnished by his personal and moral flaws. However this didn't seem to tarnish Clinton's popularity. Clinton's 66% Gallup Poll approval rating was the highest Gallup approval rating of any Postwar President leaving office, three points ahead of Ronald Reagan