W Post --today Dick Armey: Clinton and Gingrich traded stories about their girlfriends
By Matt DeLong Marvin Olasky of the Christian magazine, World, has _a new interview out_ (http://www.worldmag.com/articles/17243) (subscription req'd.) with former GOP House majority leader and FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey. The Texas Republican alleges that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and ex-President Bill Clinton used to "bond" over wine and cigars while sharing stories about their respective marital infidelities. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's _excerpt from the interview_ (http://www.worldmag.com/sea rch.cfm?q=dick+armey&submit.x=0&submit.y=0) : Olasky: In 1998 during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, a reporter asked you what you would do if you were in President Clinton's position. You're said to have replied, "I would not have gotten a chance to resign. I would be lying in a pool of my own blood with Mrs. Armey standing over me saying, how do I reload this thing?" True? Armey: True. By the way, she outshoots me with a handgun and knows how to reload it. Olasky: Who did know? Armey: When I heard that Newt had been carrying on an affair for all the years that we'd worked together, I went home and said, "Honey, I had no idea about this." She said, "Of course not. You're the last person in town Newt would have wanted to know about this." Newt was scared of me. What I discovered: Clinton found out about the Gingrich affair and called Newt over to the White House for a private meeting between the two of them. Clinton said, "You and I are alike." Which meant, shut up about Monica or I'll start telling your story. Olasky: Was it blackmail or bonding? Armey: Newt and Clinton actually developed sort of a bond over it. They had many meetings that we didn't know about where they'd drink wine and smoke cigars and talk about their girlfriends. It's fascinating; why would you confess to your mortal enemy what you wouldn't tell your closest friends? Olasky: Why did he? Armey: Politicians are fascinating. If you ever want to do developmental psychology, use them. They are much, much, much more skillful at developing rationalizations than developing rational thought. If true, the anecdote could require a radical reevaluation of the nature of the relationship between the two men, who were typically described as fierce enemies. Gingrich, of course, became House speaker after the tidal wave 1994 midterm election, in which the Republican Party seized control of Congress. Clinton and Gingrich became famous adversaries, culminating with Clinton's impeachment by the House for lying to Congress about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in December 1998 -- though Gingrich resigned the previous month following GOP electoral losses. Clinton was later acquitted by the Senate. In 2007, Gingrich _acknowledged carrying on an extramarital affair_ (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258001,00.html) during the Lewinsky scandal. in 2000, Gingrich divorced his wife and married his mistress, a former congressional aide. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
