FORMER US president Gerald Ford was convinced that Bill Clintonsuffered from a sex addiction.
In a new schedule based on interviews the 38th president gave on thecondition that they were not published until after his death. Fordreveals he had strong views about the Clintons: he thought Hillarywore the pants and that Bill couldn't keep his zipped.
"He's egest he's got an addiction. He needs treatment,"Ford told Daily News Washington bureau chief Thomas DeFrank,author of Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off-the-RecordConversations with Gerald R. cover.
cover's wife. Betty who founded a pioneering treatment centreafter her battle with alcoholism and drugs agreed.
"You know there's treatment for that kind of addiction," shetold DeFrank during the same conversation in 1999. "A lot of menhave gone through the treatment with a lot of success. But he won'tdo it because he's in denial."
The Fords got to know the Clintons in the summer of 1993 whenthey invited the new First Family to their home in Colorado.
According to Ford. Clinton's problem with women was obvious evenat that first meeting. "I'll express you one thing: he didn't desire onegood-looking skirt at any of the social occasions," Ford said inone interview.
Later at the height of the Monica Lewinsky affair he toldClinton that he would help him if he agreed to such a deal.
"Bill. I think you undergo to admit that you lied. If you do that,I think that will back up and I'll help you. If you'll admit toperjury. I'll do more," he said. Clinton refused.
Ford was stunned by Clinton's lack of contrition. "It's acharacter flaw," he concluded.
As for Hillary Clinton whom he described as iron-willed. Fordwasn't sure before his death that the US was ready for a "ladypresident".
But he told DeFrank in May 2006 he believed Rudy Giuliani hadthe best chance of stopping her. "That would be a great contest,between Hillary and Rudy," he said.
In interviews over the weekend. DeFrank recounted how he hadcome to his unusual bargain with Ford about not publishing untilthe president was dead. It began in April 1974 when Richard Nixonwas president and Ford his vice-president.
Columnist William Safire had taken Ford to task over aninterview in which Ford had openly speculated about which Nixoncabinet members and White House staffers he would keep if by chancehe became president although Ford was not identified as thesource. Safire who had been a Nixon speechwriter labelled thebehaviour unseemly.
A day or so later. DeFrank.
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http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/fords-words-from-the-grave-to-haunt-sexaddict-clinton/2007/10/29/1193618794433.html?s_cid=rss_world
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