# Bill Clinton cheated on his wife? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187 "2003-01-27T06:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/41 "2003-01-27T18:01:57Z")
Every marriage has it’s share of compromises where people put up with things they aren’t entirely thrilled with. My mother wasn’t entirely happy about leaving all her friends and family behind to move to a strange country when she was pregnant with my little brother, but out of love for my father and respect for her marriage she did it. Setting up housekeeping with 2 1/2 kids and a dog wasn’t easy in a new country, especially since the first several days were in a motel. If it were me, the first time I caught my husband cheating, we’d be having a long talk. If he continued to do so, despite my beliefs about divorce, I might well decide to divorce him. I don’t know what arrangements the Clintons have in their marriage, and none of them are all that relevant me whether it’s how affairs are handled or who did the dishes. Certainly Hillary Clinton is more aware than anyone that Bill has had affairs, but she has chosen to handle it her own way. As for politicians committing adultery, it’s not exactly unheard of among politicians in either party. Me, in the words of Dear Abby, I’ll MYOB. CJ ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/42 "2003-01-27T18:06:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > Many voters seem to believe that traditional family people make better leaders. Of course, given the example of Richard Nixon, these voters may be dead wrong. \*\* For instance, the only President ever to have given up on a marriage, who had a child with his second wife less than 9 months after their wedding, and refused to speak to some of his own children later? Or one with a history of alcoholism, who dropped it in middle age only after his wife gave him an ultimatum, yet apparently passed a taste for liquor on to his underaged daughters? And, to boot, is the only President with a criminal conviction on his record for an action he refused to discuss with his own family? If that is the kind of “traditional family people” you want as your leaders, you can have them. And apparently you do, you hypocritical old fish in a barrel. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/43 "2003-01-27T18:29:17Z")
Tales of GWB’s alleged cocaine use are not well-founded by any means, but there is indeed enough foundation for the question to have been legitimately asked of him: > [@](#): > > Public statements of the Bush camp aside, rumors of his past cocaine use are not totally unfounded. In an April 1998 interview with Houston Public News reporter Toby Rogers, former President George Bush’s Chief of Staff Michael C. Dannenhauer admitted that G. W. Bush “was out of control since college. There was cocaine use, lots of women, but the drinking was the worst.” According to Dannenhauer, Bush’s use of cocaine started “sometime before 1977” and that former President Bush told him that George W. even experienced some “lost weekends in Mexico.” > > The Dannenhauer admission was published in a Web magazine called The Greenwich Village Gazette on September 13, 1999. However, the story, which did not mention Dannenhauer by name, was pulled only hours after going up because of fear of lawsuits and the publisher’s worry about there not being a second source for George W. Bush’s cocaine use. [http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0001a/fortunateson.html](http://www.monitor.net/monitor/0001a/fortunateson.html) ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/44 "2003-01-27T18:40:34Z")
Is, as it turns out, not the best term to put into a Yahoo search engine. Egads, my computer feels dirty. I was going to make some kind of point about open marriage, or something. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/45 "2003-01-27T19:03:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > This is a thoroughly vile anti-Clinton website, but it was the only place I could find a picture of Web Hubble, he perforce having to take a back seat to the Hubble telescope on Google’s Image search. Fortunately, if there’s a **Hubbell** telescope, it’s not particularly famous, so it should be easy to Google on [Webster Hubbell](http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cas05.htm). ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/46 "2003-01-27T19:39:41Z")
I think Chelsea looks more like Cherie Blair, which would really put the cat amongst the pigeons…… ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/47 "2003-01-27T19:49:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*it’s really not relevant. Whether Clinton, or anyone, cheated on his wife is of no moment. That’s a private issue between the spouses, and has no bearing at all on anything else. \*\* Says who? There are voters out there choosing candidates by height, hair style and eye color, probably. That’s their right, however misguided it may be. People have the right to put as much or as little weight as they’d like on this issue. There are a lot of people out there who don’t compartmentalize a separate set of rules for sex. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/48 "2003-01-27T19:53:44Z")
Ha!! Serves me right for assuming that Texican knew how to spell “Hubbell”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/49 "2003-01-27T19:55:45Z")
\<\< returns after quick Google check \>\> It’s still “Ew”… ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/50 "2003-01-27T20:03:08Z")
Hmmm, I find this intriguing. When it comes to the sex life of political figures we supposedly have a right to know, and yet according to MSU 1978’s cite above, the some members of the GOP do not have this same policy when it comes to drug use (an actual crime, mind you). > [@](#): > > For example, Elizabeth Dole said drug use was a “personal” matter, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), said people deserve “privacy” on the issue. At least I’m consistent, I say both of them are none of my business. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/51 "2003-01-27T22:50:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Elvisl1ves:_ > For instance, the only President ever to have given up on a marriage, who had a child with his second wife less than 9 months after their wedding, and refused to speak to some of his own children later? Or one with a history of alcoholism, who dropped it in middle age only after his wife gave him an ultimatum, yet apparently passed a taste for liquor on to his underaged daughters? And, to boot, is the only President with a criminal conviction on his record for an action he refused to discuss with his own family? So none of these things affect your opinion of these Republican candidates? Please. Get the plank out of your own eye. And where the hell is **light strand** ’s moral outrage here? Speculating on the parentage of a child is “ugly beyond belief,” but insinuating that a child is an alcoholic is perfectly fine? Are you still proud to be a Democrat? Because I’m feeling nauseous. **Texican** ’s story about the origins of the rumor that Dubya used cocaine is true (except I would have said that Dubya’s statement led to _media_ speculation that Dubya must have done it, rather than it being caused by some sinister element within Ann Richards campaign), and **minty** has provided a great cite that there was some fuel for the rumors ( **minty** always seems to do that). Of course, it sounds to me like **ElvisL1ves** is just using the rumor to feed his irrational hatred of George W. Bush. Some people will pass on _any_ rumor if it involves the Bushes, right **Czarcasm**? > [@](#): > > _MSU 1978:_ > So he cheated on his wife and lied about it. Not a good thing, but not exactly earth shattering. Personally, I’d be more worried about someone that refused to answer questions about cocaine use as a young man. That’s your choice. Some other people might think that marital infidelity with a young intern, getting blowjobs while talking to foriegn diplomats, and committing perjury within the last year are just as relevant as using cocaine 25 years ago. If you want to hold a candidate’s cocaine use or alcoholism against him, that’s fine, but don’t begrudge the same treatment of your candidate. For the record, I would factor in both youthful cocaine use and recent infidelity in deciding whether I wanted to vote for a candidate. They are indications of a candidate’s character, and I think character is pretty important given the nature of the business of politics and the potential for corruption in D.C. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/52 "2003-01-27T22:53:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Texican \* > \*\*There are many published accounts stating that Hillary and Vince Foster had a long term relationship going. Has anyone else noticed the similarity between Chelsea’s facial features and Web Hubble’s? She looks a lot more like him than Bill. \*\* Yes. Everyone has noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/53 "2003-01-27T23:12:34Z")
Age Quod Agis, The Bush twins have been charged in court with [underage](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jenna1.shtml) drinking twice. I think it’s in bad taste to bring it up, but there it is. Which is to say, it’s not quite the same as speculation about ones parentage. Especially when such speculation is based upon something as stupid as her looking like another public figure. Personally I think Chelsea looks a lot like my friends father, but I don’t they are related. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/54 "2003-01-27T23:41:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _light strand:_ > The Bush twins have been charged in court with underage drinking twice. I think it’s in bad taste to bring it up, but there it is. So you’re not outraged because the Bush daughters _actually are_ alcoholics, which you base on two incidents in college? Well, you certainly are willing to give the kids the benefit of the doubt, aren’t you? By the way, I don’t mean to alarm you, but approximately 99% of my college class had at least two drinks during college, myself included. But now that I’m aware of the standard for alcoholism, I’ll be checking into Betty Ford right away. > [@](#): > > _Texican:_ > I am curious, does your indignation carry over to when there are unsubstantiated, ugly rumors about Republicans? > > _light strand:_ > Absolutely it carries over. I guess the hamsters ate the words “does not.” ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/55 "2003-01-27T23:50:16Z")
Only you, Age Quod Agis, are claiming they are alcoholics. I take alcoholism seriously, and I don’t believe that “passed a taste for liquor” even implies a drinking problem. I believe that it implies that underage girls were drinking, and oddly enough underage girls _were_ drinking. I suppose I lack moral outrage, because I don’t really see anything wrong with 19 year old girls having a drink when they are in college (as long as they ain’t driving, which they weren’t). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/56 "2003-01-28T13:59:14Z")
**AQA** , I made it clear that it isn’t a “rumor” as you put it. Nor is something “irrational” if it is based on facts. I was simply pointing out **december** ’s hypocrisy (and not just his, obviously) in condemning a Democrat’s “family values” while endorsing the worse ones of Republicans. It isn’t “moral outrage” if it’s partisan, and yours plainly is. Where is that plank you speak of? ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/57 "2003-01-28T14:31:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by light strand \* > \*\*Hmmm, I find this intriguing. When it comes to the sex life of political figures we supposedly have a right to know, and yet according to MSU 1978’s cite above, the some members of the GOP do not have this same policy when it comes to drug use (an actual crime, mind you). > > At least I’m consistent, I say both of them are none of my business. \*\* In most cases, I would agree with you. If what you do affects no one but yourself, or possibly even others who are agreeing to the situtuation, then fine. But there are a few things about the Clinton transgressions that are different. First, his lying under oath was done in order to deny justice to Paula Jones, who alleged that he whipped his dick out at her and told her to kiss it. Second, Monica was a subordinate. If I got a blowjob at work from anyone much less someone over whom I had power, I’d be fired for it. Third, he was getting said blowjob on occasions while on the phone making decisions to send troops into harms way in Bosnia. This to me is the most offensive part of all. Fourth, in the transcripts of the Starr report it states that Clinton expressed to Monica during their phone sex sessions that he was concerned that his phones might be bugged by foreign govts. That is willfully putting yourself into a position to be blackmailed. In other words, putting your own gratification above the needs of national security. ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/58 "2003-01-30T11:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by light strand \* > \*\*Texican you have issues. It took me all of three seconds to find this [article](http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm#cocaine)regarding the cocaine issue. I wouldn’t call the allegations totally “baseless”, but they don’t appear to be well founded either. > > However, Bush is a public figure. He placed himself in eye of the media. Chelsea did not. \*\* your article was about what I expected, giving allegations from a suspect source. At least the article pointed out that its source wasnt exactly one that could be relied on for veracity. ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/59 "2003-01-30T12:00:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MSU 1978 \* > \*\*Texican, how can you say that there were no allegations of GWB drug use? I’m no Libertarian, but I find [this](http://www.archive.lp.org/rel/19990825-Bush.html) pretty much on target. He could have answered a simple question but chose not to. Cocaine use was and is a felony. Cheating on your wife is not. You strain gnats and pass camels. \*\* Again, this article does not provide any allegations. It is merely a report on his answers to questions. Personally I don’t think drug use in the 70s should be anything of significance. Anyone who wants to equate it to Clinton’s behavior needs to ask himself “would my boss get fired if someone learned he did some drugs in college 30 years ago, or would he get fired if he were busted having sex with a subordinate in his office during business hours.” ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187/60 "2003-01-30T12:06:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by light strand \* > \*\*Age Quod Agis, The Bush twins have been charged in court with [underage](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jenna1.shtml) drinking twice. I think it’s in bad taste to bring it up, but there it is. Which is to say, it’s not quite the same as speculation about ones parentage. Especially when such speculation is based upon something as stupid as her looking like another public figure. Personally I think Chelsea looks a lot like my friends father, but I don’t they are related. \*\* It is kinda hard for me to get worked up about "underage drinking when a mere 18 years ago when I was in college in Texas I was drinking legally at that time. And a mere few years prior to that, kids were legal to drink while still in high school. Regarding the “charge” resulting from that Mexican restaurant, I guess everyone has already forgotten that the police were content to write a ticket as they would do for most anyone, but the waitress (also a democrat party activist) “insisted” on charges being filed. I hardly thinking that having a margarita at dinner is evidence of alcoholic behavior in any case. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-clinton-cheated-on-his-wife/151187.md?page=4)