Lynne Cheney says Clintons behind Monica Lewinsky story. Really?
The point of such a move described by Lynne Cheney would be to inoculate Hillary Clinton against a sudden return of the Monica Lewinsky story during any 2016 presidential campaign.
Monica Lewinsky poses for a photo during at a book signing at Brentano's book store in the Century City Mall, Los Angeles, 1999.
Robert Harbison/TCSM/File
Washington
Is it possible that the Clintons pushed for the publication of Monica Lewinsky鈥檚 new autobiographical essay in Vanity Fair? Yes, that seems far-fetched at first hearing, but that鈥檚 a theory Lynne Cheney pushed on Fox News on Tuesday after the Lewinsky piece was announced.
The point of such a move on the part of Clintonland would be to inoculate Hillary Rodham Clinton against a sudden return of the Lewinsky story during any 2016 presidential campaign. It鈥檚 an old political tactic: If there鈥檚 a negative story pending on your candidate, release it yourself, on your terms. Then dismiss it as 鈥渙ld news鈥� and attempt to get the media to move on.
鈥淚 really wonder if this isn鈥檛 an effort on the Clintons鈥� part to get that story out of the way. Would Vanity Fair publish anything about Monica Lewinsky that Hillary Clinton didn鈥檛 want in Vanity Fair?鈥� , an author and wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Look, Mrs. Cheney probably heard White House communications folks talking in just this manner during the presidency of George W. Bush. Where do you think she got this idea in the first place? But in the current instance, we think it鈥檚 pretty unlikely this happened.
That鈥檚 because the idea of such a scheme assumes the Clintons are more powerful and efficient than they really are. They鈥檇 have had to think of it, first of all 鈥� and if the Lewinsky story needed preemption, what about all the pre-scandals that led into it, such as the Whitewater real estate deal, the firings in the White House travel office, and so forth? Will they get a Clinton-leaked story in time?
And yes, maybe they could cook up a deal with Vanity Fair, but they鈥檙e smart enough to know that once a story passes beyond the first outlet, it becomes uncontrollable. Recently released documents from the Clinton White House show that Ms. Clinton in particular has little regard for the media, calling reporters full of ego with little in the way of brains. She鈥檇 avoid reporters if possible, instead of involving them in some grand preemption scheme.
Also, the Clintons would have had to conceal their involvement from Ms. Lewinsky herself, given the latter鈥檚 evident feeling that the Clinton White House tried to trash her reputation after the affair became public in 1998. So the whole thing just becomes too complicated. That鈥檚 the trouble with most conspiracy theories: They assume the world operates with the efficiency of 鈥淭he Bourne Identity,鈥� when it鈥檚 really bumbling along like 鈥淎nchorman 2.鈥�
That said, it鈥檚 interesting how wary many Republicans are about the possible political ramifications of the return of the Lewinsky story. While some see it as an opportunity, others see it as a trap, reports BuzzFeed鈥檚 on Wednesday.
That鈥檚 because some see it as a distraction, a way to lure the GOP away from a more exclusive focus on Clinton鈥檚 tenure as secretary of State and such substantive issues as the now-problematic 鈥渞eset鈥� of relations with Russia.
The BuzzFeed piece quotes top GOP operative Grover Norquist as saying that Republicans should show restraint when talking about Lewinsky, as reporters will try to get them to do.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like in baseball, if they throw out a bad pitch and you swing at it, then you鈥檙e an idiot,鈥� Mr. Norquist tells Mr. Coppins.