A segment on Monday’s CBS "Early Show" by co-host Julie Chen about accusations by the late President Ford of Bill Clinton being a "sex addict," was in sharp contrast to an interview last week with author Sally Bedell Smith, when co-host Harry Smith referred to the Clintons as a "still-young couple" and "political rock stars."
Smith teased the Monday segment on Clinton’s sex addiction by saying, "Plus, a presidential scandal comes back in the spotlight. Find out who's calling Bill Clinton a sex addict." Contrast that statement with Smith’s glowing assessment of the Clinton marriage from last Tuesday’s segment on Bedell-Smith’s new book on the Clinton marriage:
A simple Google search reveals there are more than 40 books about this still-young couple. They met in law school, two bookish, wonkish, idealistic kids who somehow transformed themselves into political rock stars.
Strangely, in last week’s segment Smith never thought to ask a single question about the affect of Bill Clinton’s sex scandals on the marriage.
During Monday’s segment, Chen described the accusations by the late President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford as chronicled in "Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable, Off-The-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford," by author Thomas DeFrank. Chen then asked sexual health expert, Dr. Jennifer Berman, to define the term "sex addict," and followed up by scolding the Fords for even making such an allegation:
What's your reaction to this book and the Fords saying this? I mean, how would Gerald Ford, or Betty Ford, for that matter, know if Bill Clinton was or was not a sex addict?
Berman responded by discussing the fact that the Fords had a "personal relationship" with the Clintons and had simply "observed sort of the ways that he interacted with women." Berman even went on to say of Clinton, "All I can say is that he definitely engaged in high-risk behavior that is concerning --" Chen seemed a little surprised by this observation and pressed Berman:
CHEN: Like what?
BERMAN: That almost cost him the presidency.
CHEN: Like?
BERMAN: I mean, high-risk behavior is defined as, you know, something like having unprotected sex, having sex with prostitutes, or engaging in activity that is high risk in terms of to your family --
CHEN: But you're not saying Bill Clinton did that, you're saying these are typical behaviors of someone who --
BERMAN: "Of sex addicts. Well, Bill Clinton having a relationship with an intern in the White House, if in fact he did, would be considered, you know, a high-risk behavior."
While Julie Chen’s shock at the idea of Clinton actually showing signs of being a sex addict is interesting, Berman’s "if in fact he did" comment in reference to his admitted affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky is even more troubling. But I guess that depends on what the definition of the word "is" is.
Finally, just in case Bill Clinton really is a sex addict, it’s certainly not his fault:
CHEN: Betty Ford said in the book -- this is a quote -- "you know that -- you know there is treatment for that kind of addiction. A lot of men go through it with a lot of success." Is that true?
BERMAN: There is treatment. And actually, it is a real addiction.
CHEN: What's the treatment?
BERMAN: The chemicals that are released in the brain are similar to the chemicals that cocaine causes. So the treatment is much like the 12-step programs in alcoholism and drug addiction, and it requires therapy and it requires changes in behavior, and there are even some medications that treat obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Here is the transcript of the 7:49am segment:
7:22AM TEASER:
HARRY SMITH: Plus, a presidential scandal comes back in the spotlight. Find out who's calling Bill Clinton a sex addict.
7:31AM
HANNAH STORM: Also, what President Ford and his wife had to say about Bill Clinton's sex life and why.
7:39AM
HARRY SMITH: Plus, President Ford calls President Clinton -- yeah, listen -- a sex addict. We'll ask sex expert Dr. Jennifer Berman if he's right.
7:45AM
HANNAH STORM: And stay with us, we're coming right back to take on sex addiction. It's in the news because one president said another president needed help for it.
7:49AM SEGMENT:
JULIE CHEN: This morning in "Health Watch," sex addiction. In a new book, "Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable, Off-The-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford," author Thomas Defrank writes that the former president considered Bill Clinton a sex addict and that he ought to get treatment for it. Betty Ford, who practically invented rehab, as founder of the Betty Ford clinic, apparently agreed with her late husband. Dr. Jennifer Berman is a leading expert on sexual health. Good morning, Dr. Berman.
JENNIFER BERMAN: Morning.
CHEN: First of all, define what a sex addict is for us.
BERMAN: Well, sex addiction is really defined as engaging, a person that engages in multiple sexual acts, sexual activity, sexual partners, that he is, or she, is unable to stop or control. Generally, these experiences or these relationships are unfulfilling, and there is a compulsive nature to it.
CHEN: What's your reaction to this book and the Fords saying this? I mean, how would Gerald Ford, or Betty Ford, for that matter, know if Bill Clinton was or was not a sex addict?
BERMAN: You know, apparently, they had a personal relationship with him and observed behavior and observed sort of the ways that he interacted with women, and I'm sure they're drawing these conclusions on speculation. I certainly couldn't say, you know, whether Mr. Clinton is a sex addict or not. All I can say is that he definitely engaged in high-risk behavior that is concerning --
CHEN: Like what?
BERMAN: That almost cost him the presidency.
CHEN: Like?
BERMAN: I mean, high-risk behavior is defined as, you know, something like having unprotected sex, having sex with prostitutes, or engaging in activity that is high risk in terms of to your family --
CHEN: But you're not saying Bill Clinton did that, you're saying these are typical behaviors of someone who --
BERMAN: Of sex addicts. Well, Bill Clinton having a relationship with an intern in the White House, if in fact he did, would be considered, you know, a high-risk behavior.
CHEN: You mentioned -- you said he or she. How often are women falling into this category of sex addicts?
BERMAN: Well, that's a good question. It actually affects more men than women. Women can be sex addicts as well. However, in women, the incidence is more love addict, they're more addicted to what the relationship and the endorphins associated with falling in love than necessarily the sex act itself.
CHEN: Betty Ford said in the book -- this is a quote -- "you know that -- you know there is treatment for that kind of addiction. A lot of men go through it with a lot of success." Is that true?
BERMAN: There is treatment. And actually, it is a real addiction.
CHEN: What's the treatment?
BERMAN: The chemicals that are released in the brain are similar to the chemicals that cocaine causes. So the treatment is much like the 12-step programs in alcoholism and drug addiction, and it requires therapy and it requires changes in behavior, and there are even some medications that treat obsessive-compulsive disorders.
CHEN: Dr. Jennifer Berman, thank you so much.
BERMAN: Thank you.
CHEN: You're welcome.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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CHEN: Like what? BERMAN:
October 29, 2007 - 13:58 ET by sublight68CHEN: Like what?
BERMAN: That almost cost him the presidency.
CHEN: Like?
Is Julie Chen really that thick-headed? Rhetorical question.
BERMAN: "Of sex addicts. Well, Bill Clinton having a relationship with an intern in the White House, if in fact he did, would be considered, you know, a high-risk behavior."
Along with having State Troopers deliver women to your hotel room, exposing yourself to state employees, groping, raping...you know, those other pesky actions that might be considered "high-risk" behaviors.
good times
October 29, 2007 - 14:08 ET by acumenLife on the road can be tough for "rock stars".
So the treatment is much like the 12-step programs...
We should check with Chris Wallace and see how Bubba is progressing on the step 9 - making amends part. Heck, there is a whole Vast Right Wing owed an apology, not to mention the rest of the world he wagged his finger in the face of and lied to. Maybe he can do like a general amends kind of thingy. Wow, rock stars got it tough. Good luck on that 12 stepper Bubba...
"Political Rock Stars"
October 29, 2007 - 14:23 ET by Chris NormanTherein is a symptom of liberal bias by the media. They treat the Clintons like "rock stars" not officials who the voters had put their trust. As "rock stars" they are given a pass on a lot of their misdeeds. In fact, misdeeds that would be considered ruinous for candidates or office holders are, instead, expected and excused in "rock stars" and are, when you get right down to it, part of their mystique. By labeling them as rock stars and treating them as such, the media gives them a pass...
That's exactly right. Set
October 29, 2007 - 14:38 ET by sublight68That's exactly right. Set the bar low and keep expectations lower.
Abusing and mis-using women? Well sure, that's just part of being a "rock star."
When you have no standards, you can never fail.
That's exactly right. Set
October 29, 2007 - 14:38 ET by sublight68That's exactly right. Set the bar low and keep expectations lower.
Abusing and mis-using women? Well sure, that's just part of being a "rock star."
When you have no standards, you can never fail.
SEX ADDICTION & ROCK STARS...
October 30, 2007 - 02:38 ET by danybhoyWell, almost everytime I've seen the terms Sex Addiction & Rock Stars together is on VH1's "Behind The Music". I can hardly wait to see Bill Clinton's "Behind The Music". His would be as insane as any of the bands I've seen featured. They should get on that right away over at VH1.
"Some of us are wise, some of us are otherwise" Mark Levin
It's a funny story
October 29, 2007 - 14:30 ET by KC MulvilleKyle, your story reveals how hilarious Chen's clumsy attempt to defend the Clintons really is. Nice job.
Chen tried to spin the gossip into an official accusation of clinical neurosis. Then she invited on a professional psychologist to dismiss the gossip as unprofessional, but then the professional agrees with the idea! That's priceless.
I try to stay away from speculating about anyone's marriage, including the Clinton's. Normally, I figure it's none of my business. If they kept it to themselves, I'd rather everyone left it alone -- like Rudy seems to be doing. However, when they trumpet their marriage as a political asset, that just abuses our restraint. If you're going to use your marriage to promote your candidacy, you can't expect people to ignore the conflicts and problems.
Good grief! Well of course
October 29, 2007 - 15:46 ET by motherbeltGood grief! Well of course Ford's assessment was unprofessional...he's not a professional!!
How enamored of the Clintons are Chen and her bosses? They take a bit of gossip, the opinion of an ex-President with absolutely NO training in psychology or anything similar, and take it as their duty to prove him wrong.
And then they get hoist on their own petard doing it!
You gotta love it.
Hey Julie...former Senator Bob Kerrey once said that Clinton was "an unusually good liar." Are you sure you don't want to have on a psychologist who deals with pathological lying, to prove HIM unprofessional and wrong? He would probably come in and say, yup, he exhibits all the symptoms of a pathological liar.
Actually, the whole
October 29, 2007 - 15:12 ET by dscottActually, the whole discussion doesn't do well for Hillary any way you slice it. If Hillary is seen as the victim of an sex obsessed spouse who continually cheated due to his addiction, then how can she possibly have the gravitas to be POTUS?
On the other hand if it is as I speculate it to be about Bill's behavior being a response to repressive control, then Hillary again is put in a very bad light. I speculate based on Hillary's known controlling behavior while in the Whitehouse demanding to review and ok decisions of Bill, the POTUS elected by the majority, regarding government policy, makes her an abusive spouse. It is rumored that Hillary has struck Bill on a number of occassions even while as POTUS! Spouses who are battered sometimes engage in the same risky behavior as Bill did to exert some element of control over their miserable lives. This makes Hillary a spouse batterer, a domestic abuser. Bill Clinton is one of those people who can't stand up to their spouse or know his own mind (passive-aggressive). So Hillary, as a domestic abuser, is not POTUS material on any level.
In this sense I feel sorry for Bill Clinton, he is the victim here. Ok liberals, do you really want an abuser for POTUS? Is this your idea of a leader? Someone who abuses and bullies their charges? Is cursing and shouting a family value, much less desirable characteristics of a POTUS?
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. dscott's corollary: The line between malice and stupidity is called depraved indifference.
I know it's nitpicky,
October 29, 2007 - 15:49 ET by motherbeltI know it's nitpicky, dscott, but I have to correct one thing:
demanding to review and ok decisions of Bill, the POTUS elected by the majority,
Bill Clinton never got a majority of the vote. He won the first time with 43% and the second time with 49%.
Your absolutely right, I
October 29, 2007 - 15:58 ET by dscottYour absolutely right, I should have said legally elected POTUS. But of course someone will dispute that one too. Sigh...
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. dscott's corollary: The line between malice and stupidity is called depraved indifference.
I don't think anyone
October 29, 2007 - 17:11 ET by motherbeltI don't think anyone disputes that Clinton was legally elected.
Also, I find the rest of your post....fascinating.
Yeap, I think Bill is a
October 29, 2007 - 17:22 ET by dscottYeap, I think Bill is a battered spouse under ruthless controlling domination and this goes a long way to explain why he behaves the way he does, the lying, the cheating, the redefining of questionable behavior, quibbling about the meaning of words, etc... A victim is not reponsible for their behavior, it is someone else's fault. Note the similarities. If Bill wasn't a male but a female, how differently do you think it would have played out in the media?
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. dscott's corollary: The line between malice and stupidity is called depraved indifference.
Besides being our first
October 29, 2007 - 17:32 ET by Chris NormanBesides being our first black president, wasn't he our first female president, too?
Clinton - was not a sex scandal..
October 29, 2007 - 16:16 ET by Gary HallClinton - was not a sex scandal..
..it was a media scandal -- kept under wraps.
The media knew about Clinton's wandering and occasionally aggressive sexual addictions, as well as the rumors floating around regarding his drug use. Equally as well, they were familiar with his draft dodging problem.
When the candidate, or sitting politician, is of another party, the media sees it as their job to pull out all of investigative stops and dig, dig, dig -- then report, report, report. They see their job, in that case, to turn the voters against the person in question.
The scandal here was that the media protected the Clintons. Still do.
The scandals in Clinton's background is about the stuff - the real meat - that the press really despises (when it's the other party), campaign corruption, corporate favoritism, lying, doing nothing for the little guy, ignoring genocides and pandemics (HIV/Aids), looking the other way when countries are being raped and taken over (Afghanistan), selling arms and technology to other 3rd world countries, creating and enacting programs - oh, like extraordinary rendition, etc.
PS - So far, I see not a mention of this story in the NY Times, LA Times, or the Washington Post. My imagination tells me, that they'll get around to it, but reporters can't just jump on this one and report it, there'll be plenty of meetings and decisions to be made, so that they can discover just the right spin to attach to the story.
Looks like CBS quickly developed several good spins on the story. 1. Why would the Ford's talk about it? Oh for goodness sakes, give me a break - anyone listened to Jimmy Carter lately?
2. Berman: "Well, Bill Clinton having a relationship with an intern in the White House, if in fact he did"
What? If? If he did? Is the media still fighting with that. Can one imagine a journalist stitting quiet, when the guest says, "If Bush had a DUI when he was a youngster." The journalist would chime in, "That's rather settled information."
From my count of the record, Monica's relationship with Big Bad Bill was close enough that she performed the deed in question on the leader of the free world, rite there in the people's house some ten, that's 10 times, that's # # # # # # # # # # times. See Contacts Log.
In my -- scratch that -- well, I think most of us would call that a relationship, unless you were paying for it. Of course then it would still be a relationship, only an illegal business relationship.
The media scandal lives on.