Clintons Resent Weiner Comparisons

Bill and Hillary are not cool with Anthony and Huma's recollection of the 1990s.

huma-hillary

Bill and Hillary are not cool with Anthony and Huma’s recollection of the 1990s.

NY Post (“Bill and Hillary Clinton are ‘livid’ at comparisons to Weiner’s sexcapades and Huma’s forgiveness“):

Bill and Hillary Clinton are angry with efforts by mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner and his campaign to compare his Internet sexcapades — and his wife Huma Abedin’s incredible forgiveness — to the Clintons’ notorious White House saga, The Post has learned.

“The Clintons are upset with the comparisons that the Weiners seem to be encouraging — that Huma is ‘standing by her man’ the way Hillary did with Bill, which is not what she in fact did,” said a top state Democrat.

Weiner and his campaign aides have explicitly referred to the Clintons as they privately seek to convince skeptical Democrats that voters can back Weiner despite his online sexual antics — just as they supported then-President Bill Clinton in the face of repeated allegations of marital betrayals.

“The Clintons are pissed off that Weiner’s campaign is saying that Huma is just like Hillary,” said the source. “How dare they compare Huma with Hillary? Hillary was the first lady. Hillary was a senator. She was secretary of state.”

Except that Hillary didn’t become either Senator of Secretary of State until after standing by her man. Indeed, many think she was able to turn the non-job of First Lady into being a United States Senator representing a state in which she’d never previously lived precisely because she was able to leverage the sympathy she gained from the humiliation her husband visited on her.

Indeed, so far as we know, all Weiner did was send a digital photograph of his namesake organ to another woman. Huma’s husband, unlike Hillary’s, actually did not have sex with that woman.

That said, the real takeaway from both cases is that, while the exploits of the sleazy husbands are the public’s business, what with said exploits having taken place while they were in elective office, the wives are entitled to decide from themselves whether their marriages are worth saving without a lot of public commentary.

FILED UNDER: Gender Issues, US Politics, , , , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. The editors at The New York Post would be proud of this post title.

  2. ElizaJane says:

    This is seriously insulting. I know a lot of people, male and female, who support Hilary Clinton because of her political views, her obvious intelligence, and her quality of being a highly capable individual.I don’t know one person who supports her because they feel, or felt, sorry for her.

  3. Andre Kenji says:

    Bill at least managed to get sex from his scandals.

  4. ElizaJane says:

    You don’t all need to down-ding me for supporting Hilary! I actually have never been a fan myself. But speaking as a woman, I do want to argue that Hillary Clinton didn’t coast by on the wifely sympathy vote. She’s stood for something that people who I know have voted for.

  5. C. Clavin says:

    Funny headline aside…the only other Weiner story we need to see on OTB is when he drops out…right?

  6. Moosebreath says:

    @C. Clavin:

    Weiner pulls out, not drops out.

  7. JKB says:

    @Andre Kenji: Bill at least managed to get sex from his scandals.

    That’s not true, as asserted, Bill did not have sex with that woman. She on the other hand, did have sex with the President of the United States in the Oval Office. Apparently, its all about whose formerly privates were handled by whom.

  8. Tillman says:

    Ah, look at ’em — pretending their sex scandal is somehow dignifying because they’ve occupied higher office.

  9. Gromitt Gunn says:

    @JKB: The comparisons in question relate to the 1992 campaign revelations and the “Stand By Your Man” interviews. He definitely did have sex with those women.

  10. C. Clavin says:

    Moosebreath…
    Welll played, sir.

  11. Tyrell says:

    Time for a cigar?

  12. DRE says:

    The Clintons should be far angrier with the “top state Democrat” who talked to the Post than they are with Weiner and company.

  13. James Joyner says:

    @Doug Mataconis: Thank you, sir.

    @ElizaJane: HRC is obviously an exceedingly bright and capable woman. She was a better Senator and much better Secretary of State than I predicted she would be. But the fact remains that she did not have a traditional Senate resume, did not have strong ties to New York, and was widely disliked prior to the scandal. There were hundreds of stories written about her noble struggle in the fact of Bill’s betrayals and how much they humanized her, especially among women.

  14. Caj says:

    Hillary doesn’t need this malarkey going on with Anthony Weiner and his wife who seems stupid enough to keep defending his irrational and never ending it seems crazy behaviour! That will reflect on her if she decides to run in 2016. We know Republicans love flogging a dead horse so they will talk about Weiner from now all the way through until the election in 2016!

  15. bill says:

    @Andre Kenji: that’s the biggest difference, sxting is not sealing the deal….unlike hillary’s husband. and more than just the cigar time in the oral office.

  16. bill says:

    @ElizaJane: you don’t know a lot then, just saying. why else would a bunch of ny’ers put a reverse carpet bagger in the senate? she’s from freakin arkansas and had no experience in senate dealings- which makes her the perfect pity party candidate. and she couldn’t even control her husbands sexual overdrive……he needed to bang a fat chick because she doesn’t put out? that’s the most embarrassing part of it, the “then leader of the free world” trying to bang some fat young broad- he should have gotten hollywood tail or a supermodel at least.

  17. Lynda says:

    @Caj:

    his wife who seems stupid enough

    Way to go for showing sympathy to a person dealing with possibly the hardest decision of their life , impacting not just their future but their kid’s future, in the full glare of the public.

  18. C. Clavin says:

    “…she couldn’t even control her husbands sexual overdrive……he needed to bang a fat chick because she doesn’t put out?…”

    Well now…bill establishes himself as the biggest a$$hole on an Internet full of a$$holes.
    I’d love to have a window into the domestic bliss at bill’s house.
    I’ve got a sawbuck that says he still beats his wife and kids.
    What a pathetic excuse for a human.

  19. An Interested Party says:

    …which makes her the perfect pity party candidate. and she couldn’t even control her husbands sexual overdrive……he needed to bang a fat chick because she doesn’t put out? that’s the most embarrassing part of it, the “then leader of the free world” trying to bang some fat young broad- he should have gotten hollywood tail or a supermodel at least.

    Won’t that be something when the “perfect pity party candidate” becomes the “leader of the free world”…how many heads will explode, and not in a pleasurable way…

  20. Lynda says:

    @bill:

    she couldn’t even control her husbands sexual overdrive……he needed to bang a fat chick because she doesn’t put out?

    And I thought Caj was insensitive to another human’s pain….

  21. Davebo says:

    @James Joyner:

    I took Doug’s comment to indicate the New York post and it’s well documented history of dickery!

  22. Pinky says:

    @ElizaJane:

    I know a lot of people, male and female, who support Hilary Clinton because of her political views, her obvious intelligence, and her quality of being a highly capable individual.

    I notice yout don’t mention her record. No one mentions specific accomplishments of hers. What key legislation did she sponsor in the Senate, what hearing did she conduct, what world crisis did she handle at State? Democrats were calling her one of the best Secretaries of State in our history – why? I know we don’t always get to pick our momnts, but at some point you have to question whether she is a highly capable individual when she hasn’t accomplished anything noteworthy.

    (And please don’t reply anything like “after the mess Bush left us in…”. That’s not an answer.

  23. Tony W says:

    @Pinky: You probably didn’t notice, but we’re not at war with Libya. Or Syria. Or Iran. Or North Korea.

    War is nearly always a failure of diplomacy. Do the math.

  24. bill says:

    @C. Clavin: nothing to refute, must resort to name calling….

    @An Interested Party: it’s a long ways away, it’ll take more than some propaganda “made for tv” movies to make her record better than it was.

    @Lynda: please recall how she made fun of tammy wynetts “stand by your man” as being non-feminist…….and what did she do when her hubby cheated on her? it’s always about the money/power- deal with it. like she’s some soft shoulder to cry on….

  25. C. Clavin says:

    @ bill

    “…@C. Clavin: nothing to refute, must resort to name calling….”

    Are you serious you scumbag…you think that deserves to be refuted?
    If I had my way you would be banned.

  26. Pinky says:

    @C. Clavin:

    If I had my way you would be banned.

    So far on this thread, you’ve called Bill a wife/child beater, an a$$hole, a scumbag…If this site were better run, you’d be banned. Bill’s comments were vulgar, but you gave up the high ground just as fast.

  27. John D'Geek says:

    The only thing that comes to mind is “They can’t compare — Bill didn’t allow pictures of his …”.

  28. Pinky says:

    @Tony W:

    You probably didn’t notice, but we’re not at war with Libya. Or Syria. Or Iran. Or North Korea.

    We did go to war against Libya, and every one of the countries you named is worse off, less democratic, more hostile, and/or closer to a nuclear arsenal than they were 5 years ago. War may be a failure of diplomacy, but a lot of things are failures of diplomacy.

  29. C. Clavin says:

    “…you gave up the high ground just as fast…”

    There’s no high ground with people like bill…it’s like Kerry and the Swiftboaters…the high ground does nothing but encourage more vulgarity.

  30. Pinky says:

    @C. Clavin: …and the low ground does nothing but encourage more vulgarity, with you participating in it. I can only say as an observer that nearly everyone on this site seems to be so angry at each other that they can’t make points on the issues. Either that or they don’t have anything of interest to say other than attacking each other.

  31. James Downey says:

    Not surprised. However, Billery has asked for this. Maybe she would rather, as I would, focus on the murder of four Americans and her part in that debacle? Or her part in the great Arab Spring? Remember, the spring where we jumped from something reasonably in control to our being the laughing stock in the whole area?

    Hey Billery, let out some slack.

  32. James Downey says:

    @John D’Geek: John – the technology was not available back then.

  33. rudderpedals says:

    This comment thread is causing repeated 1990s flashbacks for me. Anyone else? To the youthful, if you were too young or distracted to pay attention to politics in the 90s just imagine this thread’s clenis fixation with minor variations repeated every single damned day for eight years.

  34. C. Clavin says:

    @ Pinky…
    When you have people typing this kind of crap…

    “…focus on the murder of four Americans and her part in that debacle?…”

    ….what more is there to say than that person is an idiot?
    Want civil discourse? Try dealing in reality.
    Want to type vulgar BS dredged from the fever-swamp of fundamentalist absolutism? You reap what you sow.

  35. C. Clavin says:

    @ Pinky…
    A more reasoned response to a valid point…
    You are right, I did give up the high ground…frustrated by trying to get through to people who have no interest in the real world….that type pure fiction with the conviction of a religious zealot.
    Yeats:

    “… The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity…”

    There is also the Dunning/Kruger Effect.
    Thanks.

  36. James Downey says:

    @C. Clavin: You and civil discourse seem to be the perfect oxymoron.
    Facts, such troublesome pesky items.

  37. Pinky says:

    @James Downey: Is there any reason you’re peeing on Clavin’s shoes? Would it kill someone to have a civil communication?

  38. Gromitt Gunn says:

    @James Downey:

    Facts, such troublesome pesky items.

    Says the dude focused on BENGHAZI!!!!

    Hah.

  39. Tillman says:

    @Pinky: If we focused on civil communication, it would become clear that certain ideas, policies, etc. are better, both in the light of reason and in empirical proof so far.

    Vested interests in both sides (I should say all sides) would prefer not to have this civil discourse because then they’d lose something, either a paycheck or a belief.

    Also, people just like taking a side and slugging it out with one another.

  40. C. Clavin says:

    @ Tillman and Pinky…
    Of course it would become clear that MY ideas, policies, etc. are better…and thus I risk nothing.
    But I do like slugging it out.

  41. James Downey says:

    @ElizaJane: @Gromitt Gunn: And what do you not understand. Someone has to. Your heroin and her mentor caused it..

  42. James Downey says:

    @Pinky: Civil goes both directions

  43. James Downey says:

    @Pinky: Pinky – you should get a life. At least don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. Could make you cough up your IQ of .005

  44. John D'Geek says:

    @James Downey: Two words — “Polar-oid”. ;p

  45. The Q says:

    .”….he should have gotten hollywood tail or a supermodel at least…..” see this is how Bill outsmarted you.

    I am always taken aback by Bill’s approval ratings of 66% at the height of the scandal. If you break down the #s ala Silver, you would have to believe that Bill’s rating with women was “off the charts high – in the high 70s, as men tended to break even on their approval of bill.”

    Well, when you average 50% male approval, one soon realizes that women had to approve of him in the high 70s to get the average of 66

    If Clinton goes and gets “the starlet or supermodel” no doubt women would have HATED him, as cheaters and liars rank high up on the list of female opprobrium.

    Yet Bill had enormous support from this cohort, belying all logic as they flocked to support him. Why?

    Its because he screwed the “fat chick”. You see, if he would have done Morgan Fairchild or Heidi Klum, women would have turned on him, but since he did the fat girl, women forgave him, felt sorry for him, blamed HRC for not giving such a fine man, the “lovin'” he so desperately sought. He was a good provider and father married to a “souless, non sexual, cold hearted bitch” – in other words their female boss who they hated.

    “If I was married to Bill, you can bet I would give him all the love he needed and he would never have to stray.”

    Believe it or not, I was part of focus groups observing women and their reaction and what I wrote is absolutely true. If not, how then does anyone explain his 66% approval rating during his impeachment?

    Most women didn’t like HRC and she got blamed for Bills’ philandering. And the fact that he did it with the “everywoman Monca” in the end saved him in a distinctly weird Freudian way.

  46. bill says:

    @C. Clavin: typical liberal, fee speech is great as long as you agree with it?

  47. Jenos Idanian #13 says:

    Let’s see…

    Hillary briefly dabbled in the cattle futures business, and managed to turn $1,000 into almost $100,000. Huma did some “consulting” work as moonlighting while working for the State Department, and pulled in a likely six figures in addition to her government salary.

    Hillary has some very close relatives that are quite shady characters (brothers Tony and Hugh Rodham), Huma’s family has extensive ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

    Hillary was a politically ambitious woman who allowed her politically ambitious husband to cheat on her repeatedly, apparently willing to be treated like a doormat to preserve her share of his political successes. Huma is a politically ambitious woman who allowed her politically ambitious husband to cheat on her repeatedly, apparently willing to be treated like a doormat to preserve her share of his political successes.

    Hillary didn’t seek elected office until her husband had exhausted all his electoral ambitions. Huma has never sought elected office.

    Nope… don’t see the parallels at all.

  48. Jenos Idanian #13 says:

    @James Joyner: HRC is obviously an exceedingly bright and capable woman. She was a better Senator and much better Secretary of State than I predicted she would be.

    I find myself having to agree with you here. I thought she would be an absolute disaster in both roles, and instead she was essentially a non-entity in both, with no real notable accomplishments in either role. The only word I would quibble with is “capable.” I don’t recall that being demonstrated.

    Ever.

  49. mrbitter says:

    @ElizaJane: Hillary is only interested in herself… the government and high government office are play things to her? Outside of being Bills wife, what has she done? What did she accomplish as Secretary of State?

    The thing they have in common is they are all hacks…

  50. mrbitter says:

    @Jenos Idanian #13:

    What did she accomplish… she shows up for work, everyone kisses her ass… nothing changes for the better it only get worst… Hillary was to be the first woman president and that’s not going to happen.

  51. mrbitter says:

    War rages in the middle east… Iran is out of control… Israel is at the brink of nuclear war… Gitmo is still open… and let’s not forget Libya… the Clinton’s need to do us a favor and retire….

  52. Jenos Idanian #13 says:

    Oh, and Weiner’s communications director went off on a now-former intern, calling her a “b*tch,” “tw*t,” and “c*nt.” And those words aren’t “butch,” “twit,” and “cent.”

    Will Weiner actually fire him for “improper communications?”

    And Andy Borowitz has the inside news on who will now be managing Weiner’s campaign…

  53. bill says:

    @The Q: so he gets props for doing a commoner?! how suave of him!

  54. Tillman says:

    @Jenos Idanian #13: I got exactly what I expected when I clicked on that link.

  55. bill says:

    @Jenos Idanian #13: it was a chick, barbara morgan, she’s ticked as she bailed on a six figure gig across the river to be in weiners camp- little did she know!

  56. rodney dill says:

    One had a humidor, the other has a Huma door.

  57. Jenos Idanian #13 says:

    @rodney dill: And I thought Weiner had no shame… that was truly, truly awful.