First on CNN–Confidant’s diary: Clinton wanted to keep records for ‘revenge'
Fayetteville, Arkansas (CNN) - Shortly before Hillary Clinton’s effort to pass health care reform died in the summer of 1994, the first lady asked a close friend and confidant for advice on “how best to preserve her general memories of the administration and of health care in particular.”
When asked why, according to the friend’s June 20, 1994, diary entry, Clinton said, “Revenge.”
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That exchange is among thousands of pages of notes, letters, and diary entries penned by Diane Blair, a political science professor and longtime Clinton friend whose papers were donated to the University of Arkansas after her death in 2000.
Blair worked on Bill Clinton’s two presidential campaigns and advised the president and first lady throughout their eight years in the White House. In particular, she was very close with Hillary Clinton, who called Blair her “closest friend” in her 2003 memoir “Living History.”
Blair’s notes from 1994 and 1995 shed light on Clinton as first lady, especially her persistent interest in recording her and her closest advisers’ accounts of their time at the White House in order to both tell her own story as well as document what she saw as the truth.
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In the same June 20 entry, Blair wrote that Clinton also wanted to record her staff’s insights “just to get it down while still fresh, so when everyone else is writing their books, she will have materials - dates, meetings, events, to write hers, and for at least that story to be told.”
Bill Clinton in 1979 with Hillary Clinton (L) and Diane Blair (R). Courtesy: University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections
According to the documents, this desire was especially strong because Clinton seemed to harbor a deep distrust of the media.
Blair wrote in June 1994 that Clinton regretted speaking to the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward, whose book “The Agenda,” chronicling the early days of the Clinton White House, had just hit bookstores days earlier.
“She said twice or more that she now regrets having spoken to Woodward, said she felt she had to [because] he was writing it anyway; I guess that’s his schtick,” Blair wrote.
That sentiment continued later into Clinton’s time as first lady.
In January 1995, Blair writes that Clinton expressed “her total exasperation with all this obsession and attention, and how hard she’s finding to conceal her contempt for it all.”
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On Thanksgiving Day 1996, Blair wrote that Clinton thought the press were “complete hypocrites.”
“Say they want the truth, want power to be transparent, but in fact they prefer the backstage manipulation of B. Bush, N. Reagan, B. Truman, R. Carter,” Blair wrote, listing several former first ladies. “On her death bed, wants to be able to say she was true to herself and is not going to do phoney makeovers to please others.”
The distrust of the media caused Clinton to have legacy concerns for both herself and her husband’s White House, according to the Blair documents.
Blair wrote in January 1995 that she had a “lengthy” conversation with Clinton about “how history can ever be written when those who do the contemporary stuff are so wrong.”
“She said there was hardly a news story that she couldn’t totally refute,” Blair wrote. “How does one arrive at the truth… So where (sic) will be her story.”
Documents reveal Clinton’s private reaction to her husband's scandal with Lewinsky
Despite these legacy fears, Blair wrote that Clinton was hardly eager to record her thoughts and memories of her time in the White House.
“She told me she does not keep a diary and thinks it best not to keep one,” Blair wrote about Clinton in June 1994.
Blair later wrote in January of 1995 that Clinton said “she dare not… keep records of inti9mate (sic) thoughts and conversations” for fear of “subpoenas.”
CNN has confirmed the documents are authentic and has reached out to a spokesman for Hillary Clinton, who has not responded. There is no way to independently confirm the accuracy of Blair's specific recollections and direct quotations of the Clintons.
The Blair documents made news earlier this week when the Washington Free Beacon reported that Clinton told Blair that Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who had an affair with Bill Clinton, was a “narcissistic loony toon.”
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The perfect description, of a vicious, and vindictive woman.
This is what the Dems want in the WH. It is no wonder America is a disaster.
Of course, why else would she want to keep these diaries. Of course, people better watch out as this vindictive megalomaniac might just be our next president.
I don't think this Diary writing is valid. For one strong reason–she could put all wrong information in it to take revenge on then First Lady foreseeing it can be used any time in future. The next is it is not a valid DD, I.e, dying declaration. So I do not trust a single bit here.
We'll it looks like the Koch brothers are spending big money again. Ever ask why they hate her so much. They are focusing on twenty years ago folks, now that's desperation . Why can't they simply brag about their accomplishments? Because hatred and racism only gets you so far, and that's literally all the have offered for five years, and hoping your dumb enough to reward them for it.
Id rather be read green eggs and ham when things get tough
America, you are welcome to have this person to be nice. She is pure, unadulterated evil.
Hil-dogg is not looking good after the release of these documents. One of the papers state that Hiliary was saying,"How can we destroy Jennifer Flowers". I find this deeply disturbing behavior. Hiliary seems to not only condone her husbands disgusting sexual behavior but is wanting to attack his victims as well.
Hillary is evil.
Hillary is an evil person at best.
Hmm so I wonder how many people that died connected to "Whitewater" were taken out due to "Revenge"
More than anything, this story makes me really dislike Diane Blair. Close friend? No. You don't keep records of what your close friend tells you in private. What a jerk.
After the White Water investigation came to light (Clintons spent millions of taxpayer money on swamp land and then went bankrupt, monies vanished) there top adviser was found with bullet hole in head and all files missing from office, suicide or REVENGE
"Alededly" Hillary was named in a divorce trail as bieng the person the wife was cheating on the husband with, "aledgedly" proof was given, the husband granted the divorce and the case was sealed by a Arkansas judge forever!!
The story says, "Clinton harbored a deep distrust of the media".
Can't blame her for that. So does everyone else who is intelligent enough to breathe.
They all do the same thing, but most are not brave enough and do not have such high ambitions as the Clintons. I will never understand why anyone would vote for either of them. She is incompetent and he is the "narcissistic loony toon" not Ms Lewensky
ZZzzzz.....ZZzzzz....huh what oh I lost interest in something that is nearly 20 years old. Hell I have kept revenge lists.
While Bill Clinton should have rebuffed the girls attention and stalking he did not and is at fault for that, monica, is a trashy tramp, I'm a woman, wife, mother, and daughter – if she had done that to my husband I think we would have had some pretty nasty arguments, if she had done that with my father I'd have punched her lights out. Monica was not raped, no one forced her, she chose to do this (and I still think Karl Rove hired her to do it – otherwise why did she slip off to London?), just because she was silly enough to keep a stained dress (how nasty!) and talk about confidential matters to her new friend does not make her any less of a tramp. Far too often the men get all the blame for this kind of activity – I'm one that thinks the women are more guilty because when you know a man is married he is off limits, period, and any other activity is whorish at best. No sympathy for Ho Mo from me – and Bill, you'd be in big, big trouble, cause I would not have divorced you either but I doubt your life would be a bed of roses.
She's a repulsive woman in more ways than one and this just extends that even more. "Revenge", that should make for a good politician. Revenge is something she should never mention. I guess Lewinsky and Liz Hurley are still targets (and whoever else may have been in Bill's sights). And her response to the Bengazi tragedy "what does it matter anyway" is enough to make one vomit. I wonder how the families of those who died felt about that remark. Too bad when she passed out and hit her head she didn't die and do all of America a favor. What a repulsive human being she is.
Hillary Clotham,the face of the Socialist party. Will the old battle axe up her body count if elected? Vince Foster is giving 9/5 odds on that one....
Hillary is one of the WORST choices for President – Whitewater, Rose Law Firm, WH Travel Staff firings, Benghazi, and the list goes on & on. If you think she's "awesome", what has she actually done to make you think that? Or has the media just coerced you into thinking "she's the bomb"? Or are you Democrat and just voting party lines, or because she's a woman?
I think President of the United States should be the person most fit for the job, and Hillary definitely does NOT fit this bill.
I guess we should all be comforted by the fact that the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States has keep an enemies/grudge list with over 20 years worth of, mostly democrat, names on it. Nixon would be proud.
If she wins the presidency, Hillary would inherit ObamaCare – considering how well she did in 1993 with her own plan (that was killed by Democrats in the Senate) – that sounds kind of scary.
Why didn't this come up in the past decade? Further proof that Mrs. Clinton should not run for the president. The media is waiting to drag up this old crap!
She has no business being in public office. She is in the top .00001 percent. She has made millions off of her public service. Has not even driven a car in over 25 years. She represents herself and her rich friends only.
As to dead Americans: What difference does it make?
All of the reported comments attributed to HRC strike me as reasonable words by a reasonable person in less than reasonable circumstances.