Time for a Reckoning for Bill Clinton?

Michelle Goldberg in 'New York Times' believes Juanita Broaddrick's claim of rape
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 14, 2017 12:46 PM CST
We Need to Look Anew at Bill Clinton Allegations
Former President Bill Clinton speaks at a symposium at Georgetown University in Washington on Nov. 6, 2017.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The daily revelations about sexual harassment means it's time for Democrats to reassess their view on Bill Clinton, writes Michelle Goldberg in a New York Times op-ed. Goldberg reviews the claims against him made by various women and arrives at the conclusion stated in the op-ed's headline: "I Believe Juanita." It refers to Juanita Broaddrick, who accused Clinton of raping her in 1978, when she was 35 and he was the attorney general of Arkansas. Her accusation is especially troubling to Goldberg because it's similar to accusations against Harvey Weinstein. "She claimed they had plans to meet in a hotel coffee shop, but at the last minute he asked to come up to her hotel room instead, where he raped her." Five witnesses say she told them about what happened.

Yes, Broaddrick denied the rape in an affidavit to attorneys for Paula Jones, then changed her story when speaking with the feds. "But her explanation, that she didn't want to go public but couldn't lie to the FBI, makes sense," writes Goldberg. "Put simply, I believe her." So what now? "It's fair to conclude that because of Broaddrick's allegations, Bill Clinton no longer has a place in decent society." Click for Goldberg's full op-ed, in which she writes of the dangers of an automatic "believe the women" reaction, which could someday be exploited against genuinely innocent men. Her conclusion: "We should err on the side of believing women, but sometimes, that belief will be used against us." (More Bill Clinton stories.)

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