I hadn’t thought about former top Clinton advisor Paul Begala for years. With all that’s gone on in Trump’s second term he hasn’t to my knowledge had anything to say. Until now. There are news stories gently exploring the concept of Comer having inadvertently opened the door to Trump having to testify under oath about Epstein by deposing Bill and Hillary Clinton. Begala set fire to the fainting couch of “My god – what a line it will cross to call a sitting President to give sworn testimony’
This is one of those times when Begala sounds exactly what you’d think someone from Texas would talk like. No holds barred double shotgun blast of rock salt type talk. Begala had a chat with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and as Alternet reports called bullshit on the notion of having to be all nice and polite with Trump because he’s a sitting President. For those who’ve forgotten or are too young to remember during his second term Clinton was hounded for his behavior which let’s face it, was ‘hound dog’ like as in cheating on his wife.
I never for a minute bought Paula Jones’ claim Bill Clinton hit on her while Gov. of Arkansas. Not that she was ugly or anything but knowing the crap I’ll take for saying this most guys wouldn’t have looked at her and thought “What a babe.” Plus, Clinton would have lost interest as soon as she tried to talk to him. Say what you will about Monica Lewinsky but if Clinton was in the mood for someone young, Lewinski had the kind of education to be able to carry on an actual conversation with him while fooling around.
Nonetheless, Clinton was both a savvy lawyer and despite getting his ears pinned back in the 1994 midterms able to regain approval and popularity even as an admitted (remember that 60 minutes interview with him and Hillary about Ginnifer Flowers?) adulterer. Inspector Javert aka Kenneth Starr added in Jones’ accusations to his wide-ranging Whitewater investigation. So dogged was his pursuit he even tried to pierce Clinton’s attorney/client privilege. The WH Counsel is a public employee so David Kendall had no choice but Starr tried (and failed) to pierce privilege with Clinton’s personal attorneys HE was paying for!
It was tawdry, sordid and so on and again we have to admit there was always something of a sleaze factor when it came to Clinton and his roving eye. However unlike Trump he didn’t have a boatload of women accusing him of unwanted advances and even sexual assault. Even Lewinsky was a consenting, if young adult. Hell, she told her friends when she left for DC she’d packed her knee-pads. She was a political groupie, who had the misfortune to find herself with the ultimate political catch. She’s spent a lifetime paying for her lack of judgement and Clinton has paid plenty of penance himself.
The POINT however is that during Clinton’s second term he wound up providing testimony/evidence in both Civil and Criminal investigations. That is what Begala reminds us of, including the fact that he was asked to step outside while Clinton literally submitted to a blood draw for DNA matching. So Begala, who doesn’t present the visage of a good ole boy Texas hunter showed that characteristic is in his own DNA by blasting to smithereens the “Oh my – what a thing it would be for a President, especially a sitting one to sit for a sworn deposition.
As the linked article tells us GOP strategist and former Trump advisor David Urban tried to cover for Trump after Clinton was deposed. To Urban a distinction must be made between Clinton as a ‘former President’ and Trump as a ‘sitting President.’ Begala was a sharp operator and threw a lot of sharp elbows back in the day and he clearly assumed such an argument would be made. Begala was in fact locked and loaded and boy was his aim deadly accurate when he fired. Begala laid waste to Urban’s (and others) whiny ‘But Trump is a sitting President’ argument about it crossing some line:
“I worked for a sitting president [Bill Clinton] who was required to testify in a lawsuit, even though the lawsuit later got dismissed, and then they settled it on appeal. Then he was required to testify in front of Ken Starr’s grand jury. Then he was required to give blood. I was standing right outside the office when the White House medical unit took blood from the sitting president of the United States,” said Begala. “If the sitting president can be required to give blood, then this current president ought to be required to give testimony.”
I suspect both Cooper and Urban were wishing they were wearing whatever the hell adult diaper Trump uses. Urban in particular had to admit in the laugher “That’s pretty good! That’s a pretty good line, Begala. Pretty good line.” Begala wasn’t done. To Cooper trying to move on with a quip about Begala maybe having worked on that line Begala reloaded and fired again:
“I was there every day,” responded Begala. “I still I still have PTSD. You’re triggering me. Isn’t that the kid’s say, now? I’m triggered.”
By deposing Clinton, Begala said Republicans could not have made a stonger argument to depose Trump.
“[It was] industrial strength, highly enriched weapons grade stupidity,” said Begala. “Even the Republicans on the committee said president Clinton cooperated and that he was helpful. He answered all the questions, never took the 5 Amendment. So, he comes out of this just fine. But I think it’s now very difficult to say Clinton has to testify, but Trump doesn’t.”
Sitting President Clinton gave both sworn testimony and his blood for an investigation. The least Trump should be required to do is give sworn testimony. Come to think of it, ask yourself this: Why was Clinton required to provide a blood sample? It was because Lewinski’s (she thought at the time) friend Linda Tripp urged her to NOT have the dress with the semen stain cleaned but to carefully pack it away. E. Jean Carroll said the dress she was wearing when Trump raped her went into a closet and has sat undisturbed ever since. Given the advances in DNA technology it’s more than a little possible a blood draw from Trump might reveal his own bodily fluids on Carroll’s dress. And, give lie to his ‘I never knew her and even if I did she’s not my type.’ (Remember how in a deposition in that case he mistook Carroll for Trophy Wife #2 Marla Maples)
Anyway I think “Clinton Gave Blood – Trump Should Give Testimony” makes for a pretty good rallying theme moving forward. But let’s start calling out politicians and journalists who get faint hearted about the ‘groundbreaking’ prospect of asking Trump to sit for a sworn deposition about Epstein and those files he’s got Bondi covering up. That bridge for sitting Presidents got blown up – by Republicans. We’re stuck on the side of the river where Presidents have to answer subpoenas just like the rest of us and if they don’t like it they’ve only got themselves to blame.
Never forget when they rail about Trump Derangement Syndrome which is barely a decade old they’ve been afflicted by CLINTON (both Bill and Hillary) for over three decades. Now it’s biting them in the ass and they suddenly want to respect traditional norms? Not only no but HELL NO! Trump will of course fight tooth and nail to not have to sit for a deposition but the more he fights the worse he will look. Even to MAGAs so I say ramp up the pressure on him to sit for a deposition AND as with Clinton have the video put on TV right after. And Begala who at times has admittedly been a prick is exactly someone to lead the charge. He didn’t have any role with Obama or Biden. He’s a Clinton creation and that makes him perfect for the job of hammering Republicans on this.
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If the republicans didn’t have double standards, they’d have no standards at all.
This brings joy to my mean little heart. From what you’ve said, there is NOT a way for Trump to wiggle (waddle, really) out of having to testify. I would love it. Watching him trying to keep his facts straight would be joyous, because he’s going to slip since his brain has turned to mush. I would actually watch that, I think. Oh, wait. Damn. They’ll do it behind closed doors. Damn. There’s a very, very small chance of it being public. The Clintons wanted it opublic and the committee wimped out. They’re afraid of the orange tin god with feet of clay, so we won’t get to see it. Damn again.
Clinton’s deposition was made public by Ken Starr, and pretty quickly. So again, the GOP established the standard that not even a President got to hide sworn testimony no matter how embarrassing.
“Nonetheless, Clinton was both a savvy lawyer and despite getting his ears pinned back in the 1992 midterms able to regain approval and popularity even as an admitted (remember that 60 minutes interview with him and Hillary about Ginnifer Flowers?) adulterer.”
I believe you meant the 1994 midterms since Clinton didn’t take office until Jan 20, 1993.
“Inspector Javert aka Kenneth Starr added in Jones’ accusations to his wide-ranging Watergate investigation.”
And that should probably be “Whitewater” investigation. Watergate happened a couple of decades prior.