Times Picayune opinion writer, Tim Morris did his best in a column dated 2/28/18 to try and link the Lewinsky-Clinton relationship that took place 20 years ago to the MeToo movement of the present that started with the numerous accusations against Donald Trump by many women who said Trump forced himself on them and sexually harassed them. Some women said the encounter was physical with Trump pushing them up against a wall. And of course we have Trump's words on tape how a star can do what ever he wants to a woman, even grabbing them by the you know what.
The conservative strategy when republicans find themselves in trouble is to bring a democrat into the situation and try and change the subject. Morris who is a self proclaimed conservative tries to do just that with his article. He uses a commentary by Lewinsky recently published in Vanity Fair who wrote her situation takes on a new meaning in the wake of the MeToo movement and talks about her lack of support from women at the time She confirmed that her relationship with Clinton was consensual, the position she always claimed from the very beginning.
The article ends by saying:" Embracing the MeToo movement without condemning Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky has always represented a huge contradiction. Lewinsky has it right." Well no, both Lewinsky and Morris has it wrong. The only thing common between the Lewinsky-Clinton relationship and the MeToo movement against Trump lies in the fact that both served as President and Trump at the time of the accusations was a powerful business man. There was nothing consensual about the sexual harassment by Trump as alleged by the many women who made the charge and Trump's own words tell the real story Clinton's behavior was condemned at the time and the republican controlled U.S, House impeached him. President Clinton was tried by the U.S. Senate led by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and was acquitted,
President Trump has reached such a low level that conservative opinion writers are doing their best to try and cast Clinton, Obama and other democrats in the same mold as Trump.. Its good writing for the republican base but shows how low some journalists will stoop to support President Trump and his failure to lead. But the MeToo movement won't let them forget about the trumpet man's words.
Lewinsky never accused President Clinton of sexual assault or harassment and was not the one who broke the story. That distinction goes to Linda Tripp who Lewinsky confided in. Tripp became a traitor to her own friend when she went public. Unlike the women who accused Trump, Lewinsky defended her relationship with Clinton when she testified under oath before the grand jury and gave a deposition before congress
Lewinsky and Morris have it all wrong, there are no huge contradictions at all between the Lewinsky-Clinton relationship and the MeToo crowd. The reason there was no MeToo crowd to support Lewinsky was Lewinsky's admittance that the relationship was consensual. The MeToo complaint against Donald Trump is all together different and it comes from some 19 different women. And that really says it all.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
