Clinton loses temper when delusions exposed on BBC

In an interview with the British paper, the Guardian, Mr. Clinton tells how Nelson Mandela, the hero of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, helped him through his "Zippergate" scandal involving Whitehouse intern Monica Lewinsky.

"[Mandela] told me he forgave his oppressors because if he didn't they would have destroyed him," Mr Clinton said. "He said: 'You know, they already took everything. They took the best years of my life; I didn't get to see my children grow up. They destroyed my marriage. They abused me physically and mentally. They could take everything except my mind and heart. Those things I would have to give away and I decided not to give them away.' And then he said 'Neither should you'.

What sumblime sophistry and delectable delusion! Clinton compares himself with the heroic victim of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and must learn, like him, to forgive his oppressors! The delusion may not run as deeply as Clinton himself would like, however, as became evident when Clinton lost his temper under questioning about the Lewinsky affair during a recent BBC interview. As reported in the British paper, the Telegraph:

The former American president, famed for his amiable disposition, becomes visibly angry and rattled, particularly when [David] Dimbleby asks him whether his publicly declared contrition over the affair is genuine.

According to one BBC executive who saw the interview, the atmosphere, which was initially warm, turned decidedly chilly as Clinton became visibly angry at Dimbleby himself.

"As outbursts go, it is not just some flash that is over in an instant. It is something substantial and sustained. It is memorable television which will give the public a different insight into the President's character. It will leave them wondering whether he is as contrite as he says he is about past events."