Bill Clinton is famously concerned about his place in history. He should rest easy; his place is secure. He has it all to himself: No president has ever before been credibly accused of exposing himself to a strange woman and demanding oral sex. No president has even been incredibly accused of it, for that matter. And we wager no president ever will be again.
When future scholars write the story, they should reserve special scorn for Robert Bennett, Clinton’s lawyer in the Paula Jones matter. The man simply cannot stay out of the news. And every time he talks, he embarrasses his client. For months now, Bob Bennett has publicly insisted the president has no memory of meeting Paula Jones — and vividly remembers never touching her. Last week, Bennett’s defense team leaked word that it had secured a deposition from one of Jones’s former employers, who was prepared to testify that she was a tramp — and that he had slept with her. On NBC’s Meet the Press, Bennett himself promised “some surprises” in the case, and allowed as how he was prepared — on behalf of the president of the United States — to “put her reputation at issue” if need be.
In rape prosecutions, this is known as the “nuts and sluts” defense. Feminist organizations, after an eternity of hypocritical silence, finally went berserk. Bennett was forced to backtrack. But the p.r. damage was done.
The president’s insurance companies no longer permit Bob Bennett to count his media appearances as billable hours, according to Newsweek. They’re probably annoyed that Clinton hired Bennett in the first place.
