CNN's Mixed Signals: Lewinsky Scandal Casts Doubt on Hillary, But GOP Shouldn't Raise It

Matthew Balan | May 8, 2014
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The 8 May 2014 edition of New Day on CNN hyped Monica Lewinsky's Vanity Fair article and acknowledged that former President Clinton's sex scandal with the now former White House intern casts doubt on Hillary Clinton's credibility in the realm of women's issues. Chris Cuomo noted that Lewinsky "makes a decent case that women, who are all gathering around Hillary as the obvious choice for them, may want to rethink it, based on how she characterizes her role in her husband's affair."

Panelists Amy Chozick of the New York Times and Republican strategist Margaret Hoover agreed with Cuomo's point, but all three, along with anchor Kate Bolduan, played up the "delicate position" for Republicans if they raised the Lewinsky scandal in a potential presidential race against Hillary Clinton. Hoover hyped that Mrs. Clinton would likely gain an advantage from the issue:

MARGARET HOOVER, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: ...There's no reason to pursue this. And also, she's a victim. Hillary has always done best consistently when she's a victim of the press or a victim of her circumstances. So there's no reason for Republicans to pursue this. And, frankly – yeah, she had a 66 percent approval rating when she was first lady during this, and 66 percent approval rating at her height as secretary of state.

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