Lines Have to be Drawn Sometimes

Today I read about a controversial new book that will be hitting the shelves in the next few months. The book's subject? Hillary Rodham Clinton. The woman has never even said she would run for president yet, and still there is so much chatter and attacks, you would think that is was March of 08.

Not to be confused, I don't support Hillary, and find her to be quite repulsive. However, some line need to be drawn in the sand, and nobody deserves the amount of criticism that she has has to endure. It seems that in politics, digging up a little dirt on your opponent is not enough; you need to make sure you not only drag them through the mud, but sometimes make to downpour that contributes to the manufacture of the mud.

The author in question is Edward Klein, writer of other such novels as THE KENNEDY CURSE; FAREWELL, JACKIE; amongst others. Klein is not known as a right-wing conspiracist, but that is exactly what Hillary calls him. But to be quite honest, I really understand her stance this time.

Klein's book, THE TRUTH ABOUT HILLARY: WHAT SHE KNEW, WHEN SHE KNEW IT, AND HOW FAR SHE'LL GO TO BECOME PRESIDENT, goes so far to contend that the Clinton's daughter Chelsea was conceived by the act of rape. He details that Bill had told someone that he was going to "rape his wife". Matt Drudge at the The Drudge Report follows a little on this story.

My contention is that this type of attack does nothing for the political process. It only makes it seem even sleazier than, and let's be honest, it already is. Do I care where Hillary stands on abortion, foreign policy, taxes, and government spending? Hell yes. I don't care how her child was conceived, I don't care what her favorite color is, I don't care how many bowel movements she had two weeks ago. Understanding how people came to believe what they do and be motivated by what they believe is important to grasping how policies are decided upon, but this new book just builds upon a part of politics that has grown too big.

I don’t feel sorry of Hillary; she is a big girl and has shown over the last decade that she has a tough exterior. But I don fell sorry for Mr. Klein and authors like him that chose to write books about people that no one really should have any privy to learning, only in order to line their pockets. Hillary has a right to be upset, but don’t place the blame on the Republicans, because they know that soon enough, books will show up with them as subjects as well.