https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies
David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Methinks it is no small wonder that CBC did not offer a comment section for this article N'esy Pas?
#TrudeauMustGo #nbpoli #cdnpoli #TrumpKnew
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chretien-trump-notwithstanding-book-1.4856509
Chrétien says Americans made 'a monumental error' when they elected Donald Trump
'People don't take them seriously anymore,' the former prime minister tells CBC News
CBC News· Posted: Oct 10, 2018 3:46 PM ETDavid Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Methinks the dude Yankees call "The Donald" should start reading and watching CBC particularly before the mid term elections N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2018/10/methinks-dude-yankees-call-donald.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/clinton-tour-1.4857995
Bill Clinton is massively overdue for a #MeToo reckoning: Robyn Urback
Clinton cites his feminist policy achievements as if they are some sort of anti-venom to his past behaviour
Comments
Jonny Stedanko
Sandy Gillis
@Peter Samson
Don Lemon is one person, not the mass media. Opinion based media is always going to have a slant. CNN has run news stories about all the various Clintons, Frankens, Weinsteins, Weiners, etc. of the world, just as they have the Kavanaughs, Trumps, Moores, etc. So has MSNBC. So has Fox. So has CBC. That's news media. However, each outlet has their own target market, and their opinion pieces slant in the direction of their target market. Respectable outlets will ensure opinion space for a variety of views, shameless ones will build echo chambers.
You're reading an opinion piece demanding Clinton get his comeuppance on CBC, just as you've read others attacking Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh is much more recent, so you're going to see more pieces on him.
Peter Samson
@Sandy Gillis While I agree that citing Don Lemon is anecdotal are you arguing with the assertion that CNN is biased? Because that's a point I'll defend. I'm not denying Fox is biased, that's obvious, but it's just as obvious that CNN and MSN are biased as well. How much coverage have you noticed of Keith Ellison? Are you even aware of his story?
David Amos
@Peter Samson "You're reading an opinion piece demanding Clinton get his comeuppance on CBC"
Methinks the dude Yankees call "The Donald" should start reading and watching CBC particularly before the mid term elections N'esy Pas?
Methinks the dude Yankees call "The Donald" should start reading and watching CBC particularly before the mid term elections N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@Peter Samson BTW Say Hey to Sandy for me will ya?
Joan MacDonald
It's different you know.....Bill Clinton was a democrat.
David Amos
@Joan MacDonald "Bill Clinton was a democrat."
BINGO
Methinks that therein lies the rub N'esy Pas?
BINGO
Methinks that therein lies the rub N'esy Pas?
Ed Norton
Which is worse, Clinton's indiscretions or Trump's?
Clinton behaved completely inappropriately with Lewinsky, but to apply the term "sexual predator" is completely unfounded.
As for Clinton's lie to cover up the affair, how does that stand up with the serial mistruths that Trump utters constantly and without impunity.
Trump is a far greater danger to female dignity and rights than Clinton ever was. Not to say Clinton behaved well in matters of the flesh, but his governance had standard of truthfulness that far exceeds that of the serial mistruther (Trump).
David Amos
@Ed Norton "Which is worse, Clinton's indiscretions or Trump's? "
Clinton's
Clinton's
Ben Smith
This is why Trump won and will keep winning.
David Amos
@Ben Smith "This is why Trump won and will keep winning."
I agree Methinks its not so much that Trump won it is that fact that Hillary and the "The System" lost that has the corporate media so upset. Anyone with two clues between their ears understand that "The Donald" is the President merely because ordinary folks had had enough of the BS and sought change anywhere they could find it.
Nobody can deny that Trump was the ultimate outsider during his election campaign. Now two years later he is still popular much to the chagrin of the Democrats and Liberals etc. Even though Trump has turned out to be just another player he does make a great Ringmaster in the Circus called the US Congress N'esy Pas?
Tom Barry
The "virtuous" Hollywood crowd loved and defended Bill as they vilified his accusers.
David Amos
@Tom Barry YUP
Tom Barry
Clinton is the poster boy for the democrats hypocrisy.
Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones,
Monica Lewinsky.
Now we have Keith Ellison and his two accusers who the Democrats have treated with distain.
Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Paula Jones,
Monica Lewinsky.
Now we have Keith Ellison and his two accusers who the Democrats have treated with distain.
David Amos
@Tom Barry Well Put Sir
Issac Boyle
I know that this topic has been a favorite “what-Aboutism” of late for right wing commentators - that is it is a device used distract from the issues currently at hand - they have a point on this, and this article captures that same point well.
Collectively there is a great deal of hypocrisy regarding Bill Clinton. There is actually real evidence of his transgressions which today would be considered a metoo issue. And a sad reality is that Hilary was (reportedly) complicit in silencing his victims over the years.
Bill’s stature as a politician and past president shouldn’t mean he should be shielded from responsible for his past.
Collectively there is a great deal of hypocrisy regarding Bill Clinton. There is actually real evidence of his transgressions which today would be considered a metoo issue. And a sad reality is that Hilary was (reportedly) complicit in silencing his victims over the years.
Bill’s stature as a politician and past president shouldn’t mean he should be shielded from responsible for his past.
David Amos
@Issac Boyle "Bill’s stature as a politician and past president shouldn’t mean he should be shielded from responsible for his past'
I Wholeheartedly Agree Sir
Leslie Rowe
Creepy couple.
David Amos
@Leslie Rowe "Creepy couple."
Methinks that may be the understatement of the year but just enough said N'esy Pas?
Methinks that may be the understatement of the year but just enough said N'esy Pas?
Douglas Blake
So, how did this obvious hatchet job get published?
Seriously CBC ... you used to be better than this.
Seriously CBC ... you used to be better than this.
David Amos
@Douglas Blake Methinks if you do not like the Lady's opinion just click your mouse and surf away to find someone singing Clinton's praises. Nobody has tied you down to view only the CBC domain N'esy Pas?
Dave Williams
He gets away with it because he is a liberal and liberals are not held to the same standard as conservatives .Our current PM is another excellent example of that .
David Amos
@Dave Williams Methinks there is a lot more to it than that N'esy Pas?
Chrétien says Americans made 'a monumental error' when they elected Donald Trump
'People don't take them seriously anymore,' the former prime minister tells CBC News
"When you're in public life,' Jean Chrétien said, "you fill a hole. And you realize that to fill the hole, you have to dig two more."
For many people, that would be reason enough not to get into public life. But listening to the former prime minister — now 15 years removed from his last day in office — one gets the feeling he might like nothing more than to pick up that shovel again.
Chrétien may protest that he doesn't want to be a Monday morning coach, doesn't want to comment on the issues of the day in which he no longer plays a central part, but nudge him just a bit, and it turns out the 84-year-old has plenty to say.
He's written some of it down, in a book coming out next Thursday called My Stories, My Times.
And in a conversation with The National's Rosemary Barton, he goes further — on everything from marijuana (never touched the stuff) to U.S. President Donald Trump ("fanatical").
One day before Chrétien's book comes out, recreational marijuana use will become legal in Canada. "I never tasted that, I don't have a clue what it is," he says as soon as the topic is raised.
But 20 years ago, Chrétien knew enough about it to conclude that smoking marijuana should not be a crime.
"I was for decriminalization. I was not, at that time, for legalization. I thought for a kid having smoked a joint and to have a criminal record forever, it was unreasonable."
Chrétien's government introduced a bill in 2003 to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana, but the bill died before a final vote.
Listen to whether Chrétien thinks marijuana legalization will change Canada.
For many people, that would be reason enough not to get into public life. But listening to the former prime minister — now 15 years removed from his last day in office — one gets the feeling he might like nothing more than to pick up that shovel again.
Chrétien may protest that he doesn't want to be a Monday morning coach, doesn't want to comment on the issues of the day in which he no longer plays a central part, but nudge him just a bit, and it turns out the 84-year-old has plenty to say.
He's written some of it down, in a book coming out next Thursday called My Stories, My Times.
And in a conversation with The National's Rosemary Barton, he goes further — on everything from marijuana (never touched the stuff) to U.S. President Donald Trump ("fanatical").
Legalizing marijuana
One day before Chrétien's book comes out, recreational marijuana use will become legal in Canada. "I never tasted that, I don't have a clue what it is," he says as soon as the topic is raised.
But 20 years ago, Chrétien knew enough about it to conclude that smoking marijuana should not be a crime.
"I was for decriminalization. I was not, at that time, for legalization. I thought for a kid having smoked a joint and to have a criminal record forever, it was unreasonable."
Chrétien's government introduced a bill in 2003 to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana, but the bill died before a final vote.
Listen to whether Chrétien thinks marijuana legalization will change Canada.
CBC News
Chrétien on legalizing pot
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien tells CBC's Rosemary Barton where he stands — and whether legalizing recreational pot will change Canada. 0:51
Is he a feminist?
Chrétien jokes that he once told a fellow leader visiting Rideau Hall that Canada "is run by women," explaining that, "The governor general is [Adrienne] Clarkson, the [Supreme Court] Chief Justice is [Beverley] McLachlin, and my wife!"
But jokes aside, he admits it was important to him that women were elevated to higher positions.
"Yes. Yes, yes. But first they had to have the competence," he said.
As justice minister in 1982, he announced the appointment of Bertha Wilson as the first female justice to the Supreme Court. He followed that up in 2000 as prime minister, by nominating the first female chief justice, Beverley McLachlin.
"I'm happy that Wilson turned out to be a great judge and the chief justice was extremely respected. So I cannot complain."
But is he a feminist? Listen to his full answer.
CBC News
Chrétien on appointing women to top positions
Barton asks Chrétien if he considers himself a feminist. 0:51
Political divides
"Good news is not news," Chrétien said. "Bad news is news." The implication being, conflict and tension get the most attention in the media. But he suggests that if you think it's bad out there now, consider the political divides of his day.
"At the time, we thought it was pretty bad. We had people in Montreal who were blown up because of the fanatic separatists of the day," he said, speaking of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), which set off several bombs between 1963 and 1970, including one at the Montreal Stock Exchange, and another at the home of then-Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau.
And he offers some further perspective in his full answer.
CBC News
Are Canadians more divided today than ever?
Chrétien puts today’s political tensions into context. 1:03
Notwithstanding all that …
Chrétien was one of the main architects of the deal that would see the notwithstanding clause included in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. He says it was an important section then — and remains so today.
The clause allows provincial or federal authorities to override or essentially ignore sections of the charter.
"You have to declare that you are discriminating. How many normal person would say, 'I want to discriminate'?"
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was ready to invoke the clause in order to cut the number of Toronto city councillors in half even though the election was already underway.
And Quebec's next premier, François Legault, says he'll do it to ban the wearing of religious symbols by provincial public servants.
Chrétien offers his view on that.
CBC News
Chrétien on the importance of the notwithstanding clause
Does Chrétien think today’s leaders will really use the notwithstanding clause? 0:34
The world leader he calls 'fanatical'
The day before Chrétien spoke to CBC News, Donald Trump stood in front of a crowd in Southaven, Miss., and mocked the Senate committee testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, who says she was sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh decades before he was nominated to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Come on," Chrétien said, shaking his head. "I would not be proud if my prime minister would have done something like that."
His words are sharper in his book. He calls Trump "fanatical," and says Americans made "a monumental error" when they elected him.
"But," he said, "they have to live with it."
Chrétien describes what international leaders say to him about the U.S. and Trump. It's not good.
CBC News
He still travels the world — and gets an earful about Trump
What international leaders tell Chrétien about Trump and the U.S. 1:05
Watch Rosemary Barton's full interview with Jean Chrétien:
The National
Jean Chrétien talks to The National's Rosemary Barton
The former prime minister weighs in on several news issues - many of which he tackled during his own career - ahead of the release of his book, My Stories, My Times. 10:10
Bill Clinton is massively overdue for a #MeToo reckoning: Robyn Urback
Clinton cites his feminist policy achievements as if they are some sort of anti-venom to his past behaviour
So many things would be different if the world were just and good: your high school bully would end up in jail, dogs would evolve to outlive humans, and one of America's most famous sexual predators would be destitute and alone, eating chilli out of a can in sweat-stained pyjamas.
Instead, he is set to travel North America with his wife on an upcoming speaking tour, which could cost attendees up to $750 US a pop. With two scheduled stops in Canada, the tour will see Bill and Hillary Clinton share "stories and inspiring anecdotes that shaped their historic careers in public service, while also discussing issues of the day and looking toward the future."
It is to be expected, then, that the former president who lied about having a sexual relationship with a 21-year-old intern in the White House will be asked to weigh in on the current #MeToo movement. Which also means that somewhere now in Camp Clinton, expert communicators are curling the ribbons on the package of manure that Bill Clinton will offer as a prepared response.
It is both utterly baffling and genuinely impressive how, over the course of just a few decades, Clinton has freed himself from the crippling embarrassment of impeachment, the infernal shame of his lies and the moral repugnance of such a demonstrable abuse of power to become this curious figure of both levity and adulation.
But if there is one person in North America who is massively overdue for a #MeToo reckoning, it is him. He is the practical embodiment of everything the movement was designed to reject: abuse of power, privilege, double standards, harassment, sexual abuse and trauma.
Clinton's story involves all of that and more, wrapped up in an allegation of a violent rape, of sexual assault, of harassment, and of course, a sexual relationship with an intern in his office while he held the most powerful job in the country.
“Through the lens of #MeToo now, do you think differently or feel more responsibility?... Did you ever apologize to her [Lewinsky]?” @craigmelvin to Bill Clinton
To this day, Clinton maintains a rather unrepentant air. When he was pushed about his affair with Monica Lewinsky during a television interview back in June, Clinton lashed out at the interviewer and accused him of ignoring supposed "gaping facts" about the saga. Clinton also noted that he was a victim, too, in that he left the White House $16 million in debt. Let's pause here a moment to appreciate the trauma of the Clintons'fleeting financial insecurity.
Lewinsky, during that time, was made the nation's punchline, villain and slut. Decades before the term "gaslighting" would enter the mainstream lexicon, the president of the United States went on national television and told the world that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman." Clinton's allies painted Lewinsky as a stalker and a manipulator, and even feminist icon Gloria Steinem suggested in a column for the New York Times that Lewinsky was equally at fault for the illicit affair.
Monica Lewinsky will always be "that woman" first, no matter what else she does in her life. But for Bill Clinton, the label of "sexual predator" somehow never stuck much beyond a footnote.
Nor is this about forever saddling a man to his past bad behaviour as some sort of petty exercise in retribution. I have written before about the need to find a way forward for men who have taken ownership of certain past abhorrent acts, and in theory, that could apply here, too.
But that ownership still eludes Bill Clinton, who will cite his feminist policy achievements as if they are some sort of anti-venom to his decidedly anti-feminist personal behaviour. Decades on, Clinton still has never privately apologized to Lewinsky for abusing his authority, or for making her out to be a liar, or for his lack of judgment in an affair that ruined her life, but not his.
So this is — or ought to be — about a long, long overdue reckoning for a man who was lucky enough to time his bad behaviour a few decades before we collectively knew what it meant to gaslight and to victim-blame. Before our understanding of consent evolved. A reckoning for someone who should have, by now, genuinely admitted the profound depravity of his actions.
If the world were just and good, one of America's most well-known and unrepentant sexual predators would be forced to cancel his speaking tour before it even begins. If the world were just and good, his time would really be up.
This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.
About the Author
Double standard dems.
They fail to acknowledge in pursuit of their desperate attempt t regain power.
Ford was their last casualty.
Embarrassing, really.