Hillary Clinton: President's infidelities were 'weakness' caused partly by childhood abuse

August 1, 1999
Web posted at: 6:32 p.m. EDT (2232 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton says in an interview that despite President Bill Clinton's adulterous affairs, she has stood by him because the infidelities were a "weakness" caused in part by the emotional upheaval of childhood abuse.

But despite the problems, she said, Clinton is "a very, very good man" with whom she maintains "a deep connection that transcends whatever happens."

Mrs. Clinton commented in a wide-ranging interview with a new magazine, Talk, which debuts on newsstands Tuesday. Excerpts of the interview were faxed to CNN.

In the interview, Mrs. Clinton blamed early trauma for many of the president's later problems.

"He was so young, barely four, when he was scarred by abuse," she said. "There was terrible conflict between his mother and grandmother. A psychologist once told me that for a boy being in the middle of a conflict between two women is the worst possible situation. There is always a desire to please each one."

When asked Sunday to elaborate on the abuse comments, White House spokesman Mike Hammer said, "I have nothing to say on it at this time."

As to suggestions that the White House was blindsided by the interview, Hammer added, "I'm sure she talked to the president. But I don't know the level of their discussions on it."

White House spokeswoman Marsha Berry confirmed to CNN that the first lady had granted the interview to Lucinda Franks that will appear in Talk magazine, but refused to comment on what she called "a story about a story." She said the first lady will have no comment until at least Tuesday, when the article is scheduled for publication.

Former top Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos said Sunday on ABC that Mrs. Clinton was unwise and made a mistake in what she told the interviewer.

Mrs. Clinton told the magazine that her husband had "weaknesses. Yes, he needs to be more disciplined, but it is remarkable given his background that he turned out to be the kind of person he is, capable of such leadership."

'This was a sin of weakness'

Rumors of affairs have clouded the Clintons' marriage since their days in the Arkansas governor's mansion.

"You have to be alert to it, vigilant in helping. I thought this was resolved 10 years ago," Mrs. Clinton says. "I thought he had conquered it; I thought he understood it, but he didn't go deep enough or work hard enough."

The president's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky followed the deaths of Clinton's mother and her father and the suicide of family friend and White House aide Vince Foster, Mrs. Clinton noted.

"He couldn't protect me, so he lied," Mrs. Clinton said of her husband. "..In Christian theology there are sins of weakness and sins of malice, and this was a sin of weakness."

The first lady called the time period following her husband's affair with Gennifer Flowers "a very good stretch -- years and years of nothing." Clinton admitted in a deposition filed in connection with Paula Jones civil suit that he had had an affair with Flowers, an Arkansas reporter and beauty queen. Flowers' allegations that the affair had occurred nearly derailed Clinton's presidential bid in 1992.

The other Clinton campaign

Mrs. Clinton has all but announced her candidacy in the New York Senate race. Journalist Franks asked whether the president could be trusted while Mrs. Clinton campaigned away from the Washington.

"He's responsible for his own behavior whether I'm there or 100 miles away." Mrs. Clinton said. "You have the confrontation with the person and then it is their responsibility...Nobody can do it for you."

Hillary Clinton acknowledged the criticism many have leveled against her, saying that she had stayed married for political expediency or personal gain. She denied that, explaining that most people have "some dysfunction in their families."

She cited her mother, Dorothy Rodham, a child of divorce, who at eight years of age was shuttled off to be raised by grandparents, along with her three-year-old sister.

"She had terrible obstacles but she vowed that she would break the pattern of abandonment in her family, and she did."

'We have love'

Mrs. Clinton credited her faith and a fundamental belief in the goodness of her husband for helping her endure the scandal and critical admonitions resulting from the president's behavior. "We have love," she said.

"Is he ashamed? Yes. Is he sorry? Yes. But does this negate everything he has done as a husband, a father, a president?" Mrs. Clinton asked.

"There has been enormous pain, enormous anger, but I have been with him half my life and he is a very, very good man."

Mrs. Clinton spoke of simple pleasures they share -- talking and watching old movies in bed. "We just have a deep connection that transcends whatever happens."

Correspondent Wolf Blitzer andThe Associated Press contributed to this report.

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