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Trump attacks Bill Clinton’s sex scandals Monica Lewinsky in fight with Hillary
By Bonnie K. Goodman
Examiner.com, December 29, 2015 8:33 PM MST
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is not letting Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clintonget away with attacking and calling him sexist. Now that Hillary’s husband former President Bill Clinton is going on the campaign trail, he is the perfect target and example of the Clinton’s record and history of “sexism” and “abuse towards women.” Since Saturday, Dec. 26, Trump has been going after the only one in the campaign that has the worst record towards women, Bill Clinton. On Tuesday morning, Dec. 29, Trump told NBC’s Today show he has been referring to Clinton’s sex scandals while president. Republicans and Democrats alike agree that Clinton is a legitimate target to attack.
After days of back of forth about sexism, and alluding to former President Bill Clinton track record with women in a series of tweets and interview, Trump clarified he is specifically referring to the Paula Jones sexual harassment case and his affair with White House internMonica Lewinsky. Both scandals consumed and distracted Clinton’s presidency leading him to become on the second impeached president, who would have been ousted from the presidency if not for the Democratic Senate that spared him.
Trump speaking on the phone to NBC’s the Today show said, “Well, if you look at the different situations; of course, we can name many of them. I can get you a list and I’ll have it sent to your office in two seconds. But there were certainly a lot of abuse of women, and you look at whether it’s Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones or many of them.”
The fight began after Hillary Clinton started to attack Trump as sexist after he used a vulgar Yiddish term against her. At a campaign rally on Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 the GOP frontrunner went after Clinton for losing to Obama, who was 30 percent behind in the polls and then sped up to compete and win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Trump said, “Even a race to Obama, she was gonna beat Obama. I don’t know who would be worse, I don’t know, how could it be worse? She was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost, I mean she lost.”
Trump used the Yiddish slang, vulgarity “schlong” as a verb, although the word means penis in Yiddish. The Clinton campaign and candidate Hillary Clinton have condemned Trump’s remarks. Trump defended himself denying the word “schlonged” is a vulgar term, but that it means, “beaten badly.” The Clinton campaign, in turn, is using the incident to argue that Trump is conducting a war on women, a favorite Democratic attack on Republicans. At a rally on Tuesday, Dec 22, Clinton argued voters “shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency.”
Hillary Clinton told The Des Moines Register in an interview on Dec. 22 “It’s not the first time he’s demonstrated a penchant for sexism. Again, I’m not sure anybody’s surprised that he keeps pushing the envelope.” The Democratic frontrunner also said, “Nothing really surprises me anymore. I don’t know that he has any boundaries at all.” Hillary also hurled other accusations, “His bigotry, bluster, his bullying have become his campaign. And he has to keep sort of upping the stakes and going further.”
After which Trump warned Hillary “be careful as you play the war on women or women being degraded card.” Trump also tweeted, “Hillary, when you complain about “a penchant for sexism,” who are you referring to. I have great respect for women. BE CAREFUL!”
Trump also sent out his campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson to attack Hillary on CNN, Wednesday, Dec. 23. Pierson told CNN, “Hillary Clinton has some nerve to talk about the war on women and the bigotry toward women when she has a serious problem in her husband.” Pierson also attacked Hillary as bullying her husband’s victims, something many of them have accused Hillary of over the years. Pierson said, “What’s interesting about this, this notion of being bullied is, I mean, I can think of quite a few women that have been bullied by Hillary Clinton to hide her husband’s misogynist, sexist secrets.”
Clinton opened the door, giving Trump the opportunity to go after the former president whose personal history with women is what led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. Clinton is often remembered more for his scandal-filled presidency, than his policy accomplishments. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday Trump said, Bill Clinton is “fair game” because his presidency was “very troubled, to put it mildly, because of all the things she’s talking to me about.” Trump also said he can use these lines of attack because Hillary is “playing the woman’s card.”
Trump went on Twitter on Saturday, letting loose saying, “Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE’S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!” In another tweet, the GOP frontrunner also promised, “I will do far more for women than Hillary, and I will keep our country safe, something which she will not be able to do-no strength/stamina!”
Trump was not finished will Bill after the Clinton campaign announced he will begin campaigning, Trump was even more specific in another tweet. On Monday, Dec. 27, Trump wrote, “If Hillary thinks she can unleash her husband, with his terrible record of women abuse, while playing the women’s card on me, she’s wrong!”
The Clinton campaign responded, “Though Donald Trump has pushed around nearly all of his fellow Republicans, Hillary Clinton won’t be bullied or distracted by attacks he throws at her and former President Clinton. But when his insults are directed at women, immigrants, Asian-Americans, Muslims, the disabled, or hard working Americans looking to raise their wages – Hillary Clinton will stand up to him, as she has from the beginning. Donald Trump’s words are demeaning, his policies are just as destructive. Hillary Clinton will challenge Donald Trump and all the other Republicans who will rip away the progress we’ve made.”
Former President Clinton will begin campaigning for his wife in earnest in the new year. Clinton’s campaign announced on Monday, Dec. 27 that he would begin with two events in New Hampshire. The campaign’s release said, “President Clinton knows that the stakes are higher than ever this election year. He knows the people of New Hampshire want a president who will create shared prosperity, so that everyone has a chance at a brighter future. And, he knows Hillary Clinton is prepared to do that job.”
In 2008, Clinton proved controversial and detrimental to his wife’s campaign; his presence has already made his record an easy target for Trump who will no doubt continue invoking it whenever, Hillary goes after the Republican and his record and so-called war on women. Fellow Republican candidate and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina agrees the former president is a legitimate target telling Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” on Monday, Dec. 28, “Of course Bill Clinton is fair game. He’s a former president.” Although Fiorina, other Republicans and Democrats do not believe it is a successful strategy.
Trump even has liberal Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus on his side also saying Clinton is fair game. Marcus writing in a column on Tuesday, Dec. 29 stated, “In the larger scheme of things, Bill Clinton’s conduct toward women is far worse than any of the offensive things that Trump has said. Trump has smeared women because of their looks. Clinton has preyed on them, and in a workplace setting where he was by far the superior. That is uncomfortable for Clinton supporters but it is unavoidably true.”
Both Clinton and Trump are virtually tied in potential general election matchups. According to the most recent Rasmussen Reports telephone survey released on Monday, Dec. 28 Clinton would have 37 percent of the vote while Trump would garner 36 percent.
History Musings... Bonnie K. Goodman 
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