Monica Lewinsky has just penned an article in Vanity Fair describing how her life has changed since her infamous affair with President Bill Clinton and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough tore into members of the media who still defend Clinton over Lewinsky.
Appearing on Morning Joe on Wednesday May 7, Scarborough condemned the treatment of Lewinsky: “You women's rights ladies , you were sick in the '90s. You all went around, you defended the wrong person.” [See video below.]
The MSNBC host continued to dissect the media’s treatment of Bill Clinton over Lewinsky:
I mean, I wonder if one of these female columnist’s daughters who worked -- had a daughter who worked for an extraordinarily powerful man who is in her early 20s and the man was in his 50s. And the man preyed on their young daughter.
Their young daughter in her early 20s was preyed upon by a really powerful man. The most powerful man in the world in their 50s, I wonder if they would be attacking the 22-year-old or the most powerful man in the world? I think these women, if any of them are mothers, would not be attacking the woman who was preyed upon.
Scarborough went on to condemn how the media continues to give Clinton a free pass:
The guy who not only to Monica Lewinsky but a lot of other people. He got a free pass. And his approval ratings went up in the '60s. And I learned when that train was coming just step back and let it pass because there was nothing that was going to be said. He always got free passes. He is still getting free passes.
The takedown of the media didn’t stop, with Scarborough concluding his rant by criticizing so-called women’s rights groups for alligning themselves with a serial adulterer:
I still can't believe the way he was treated in the 1990s. And it was always the women. The victims. And these people come out, and have the nerve to come out after defending him, after defending him, claim to come out wanting to support women and protect women. Women's rights unless we’re protecting a really, really powerful man who’s on our side politically. Swear to God, I’m going to pass out.
See relevant transcript below.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
May 7, 2014
6:23 a.m. Eastern
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Alright, time now to take a look at the morning papers. Something Halperin and Willie noticed and I can’t disagree. We don’t want to talk about this more but we’re noticing all of these opinion pieces, look at that, about Monica Lewinsky. All female columnists all just raking her over the coals. I don't get it. It's really disappointing, actually. I mean, I'm not saying this woman's a hero but I would suggest that she probably had a very difficult time during the time when it was revealed that the president took advantage of her in the White House. I don't understand these women.
MARK HALPERIN; It's great for the Clinton’s. To me that’s the most important thing politically.
BREZINSKI: It’s great for the Clinton’s so maybe that's what they're doing. Maybe they’re like you know smarter than they think. But I think it's kind of disappointing. I can't believe what I'm Reading in the "New York Post."
JOE SCARBOROUGH: By the way this is something–
HALPERIN: That’s true most days.
SCARBOROUGH: I -- you know, my rule has long been, do not talk about impeachment. Do not talk about anything surrounding impeachment. It's like don't talk about the start of the Iraq War. There's just some things you leave behind. In this case though, I've got to say, how old was he, 52, 53? She's like 22, 23. Really? They’re giving him still by attacking her, who stayed quiet all these years.
BRZEZINSKI: Didn’t take money.
SCARBOROUGH: They're attacking her. I don't know in defense of him.
BRZEZINSKI: Probably went through hell.
SCARBOROUGH: I don't get it. I don't get it at all. I just--
BRZEZINSKI: And let me just say one last thing. Can you imagine what it must have been like to have yourself all over the internet like that, because the internet was just taking off. The Drudge Report and everything in terms of social media really spreading the word and just ripping her to shreds. I know kids in small local communities that can be taken literally from straight "A's" to something else because of a text that went bad or because of a picture that went bad. Can you imagine the hell this girl went through. I think she can write an article about it.
JON VANDEHEI: And she's clearly been tormented and people are making fun of her for comparing herself to somebody who was bullied in the article. But she essentially has been publicly bullied for decades.
BRZEZINSKI: Oh Monica close your mouth and disappear. Andrea Peyser really? Really? Come on. That’s so cheap.
SCARBOROUGH: I mean, I wonder if one of these female columnist’s daughters who worked -- had a daughter who worked for an extraordinarily powerful man who is in her early 20s and the man was in his 50s. And the man preyed on their young daughter. Their young daughter in her early 20s was preyed upon by a really powerful man. The most powerful man in the world in their 50s, I wonder if they would be attacking the 22-year-old or the most powerful man in the world? I think these women, if any of them are mothers, would not be attacking the woman who was preyed upon. But for some reason, and, again, we don't want to bring it up -- but for some reason, this is what went on in the 1990s. You want to know what's in my head all the time? This is what went on in the 1990s. The guy that acted horrifically. The guy who not only to Monica Lewinsky but a lot of other people. He got a free pass. And his approval ratings went up in the '60s. And I learned when that train was coming just step back and let it pass because there was nothing that was going to be said. He always got free passes. He is still getting free passes. Again, for anybody who has a daughter that has anything to do with these attacks on Monica Lewinsky, ask yourself what you would do if your daughter who lived in shame and was a punch line for 18 years and after 18 years actually spoke for the first time while the man who did what they did to the young woman--
BRZEZINSKI: Continues to be an international hero.
SCARBOROUGH: Was the rock star to end all rock stars. And by the way, all these years later, this is not about Bill Clinton. Okay. We all believe in forgiveness. He's been forgiven. This by the American people- this should be about the women who are piling on Monica Lewinsky this morning. If it were your daughter, what would you do? If it were your daughter, what would you do? It's a disgrace. It was a disgrace then. It's a disgrace now. And I can't believe I’ve had to go back to the 1990s and talk about this. Because I swore I would never talk about it again.
BRZEZINSKI: I'm sorry.
SCARBOROUGH: Because you know what, because this happened in the 1990s. Forget about her. Forget about her. Forget about her. Talk about Juanita Broderick. Talk about all these other women. Again, I believe in forgiveness, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Why is it that even in 2014 it is the women who are turned into the bad guys? I never got it. I still don't get it. And all these years later, there are females going out protecting Bill Clinton from his horrific act. I’m about to pass out now. Again, I wouldn't bring it up, as you joke around a whole lot, Bill Clinton and I have made up. We're friendly. We're even nice to each other.
BRZEZINSKI: Oh, my gosh.
SCARBOROUGH: This is not about Bill Clinton. This is about the women who were eviscerating Monica Lewinsky, who Willie [Geist] as you said for 18 years was quiet. And by the way lived a life of shame. And her entire existence, her entire existence reduced to a punch line. And she stays quiet, shows a lot of dignity. A lot more dignity than people who preyed upon her and then tried to turn her into a slut or a nut. A 22-year-old daughter, really? And now, they're coming out and kicking her in the face. Please, you all are sick. And you were sick in the '90s. You women's rights ladies , you were sick in the '90s. You all went around, you defended the wrong person. Time and time again, whether it was Juanita Broderick, whether it was Monica Lewinsky, you defended him. And you are doing it 18 years later. You're pathetic. And if you have young daughters, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s all I’m going to say. I swear to God I will not talk about this again for another 20 years.
BRZEZINSKI: Well I’m glad you did. I really appreciate it. I’m so glad you said that.
SCARBOROUGH: Go ahead, Willie. I'm so angry right now, I'm shaking. I still can't believe the way he was treated in the 1990s. And it was always the women. The victims. And these people come out, and have the nerve to come out after defending him, after defending him, claim to come out wanting to support women and protect women. Women's rights unless we’re protecting a really, really powerful man who’s on our side politically. Swear to God, I’m going to pass out.
BRZEZINSKI: Anyone disagree? I just need to know. Do you disagree Jim VandeHei? Mark Halperin, do you agree? Al Hunt do you disagree?
AL HUNT: No.
BRZEZINSKI: Julie Pace, any issue with this?
JULIE PACE: No issues.
BRZEZINSKI: Willie you want to step out?
WILLIE GEIST: No, but I just did finally read all the way through Maureen Dowd. She doesn't go after Monica Lewinsky. Her point is, ugh we're going back to the ‘90s I don’t want to hear about this again. Let’s move past this.
BRZEZINSKI: She calls her disingenuous.
SCARBOROUGH: Actually, her point is my point. I don’t want to go back through this again.
GEIST: She has a couple points of criticism, but she says she sympathizes. The real bullies are the Clintons and their attack dog. So she has criticism of Monica Lewinsky and says she would rather see the circus move through town.
BRZEZINSKI: I think at this point–
SCARBOROUGH: By the way, I’ve got to say I was not talking about Maureen at all. Because Al Hunt, Maureen makes a point that I'm making here. You went through it as well, Jim was there as well. Mark was there, Al, for those of us who went through it in the 1990s, ugh, we don't want do go through it again. It was a miserable, miserable time. But God, when this woman is attacked the way she is in these papers, I just sort of Al, don't get it, I didn’t get it then, I don't get it now.
