INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ― The college student who got a stinging brushback from Chelsea Clinton when he asked about her mother's handling of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, said Wednesday he is a Clinton supporter who was simply trying to give her daughter an opportunity to show people "what makes Hillary so strong."
Evan Strange, a Butler University student who also works on the school's newspaper, The Butler Collegian, said he had asked Chelsea Clinton at her appearance Tuesday at the school for her opinion "on the criticism of her mother that how she handled the Lewinsky scandal might be a sign of weakness and she might not be a strong enough candidate to be president."
It wasn't clear what aspect of the former first lady's actions he was referring to. Before she was fully aware of President Bill Clinton's relationship with Lewinsky, a White House intern, Hillary Rodham Clinton said the allegations about that relationship were manufactured by a "vast right-wing conspiracy."
Strange's question brought a stinging rebuke from Clinton's daughter. "Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business," Chelsea Clinton said during the campaign visit for her mother.
"I'm a supporter of Hillary. I love Hillary," Strange said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show." He said he asked the question because his friends "always bring up that scandal. It's not something I asked to cause trouble but to show those people what makes Hillary so strong."
He said that by brushing him off, Chelsea Clinton missed an opportunity to show her mother's strength.
"I was very surprised" at the rebuke, Strange said. "I can see where she'd get a little defensive because of the question and hearing Lewinsky over and over again, but I would like to hear her say something about Hillary rather than dismissing the question."
http://wcbstv.com/politics/chelsea.clinton.monica.2.685012.htmlVIDEO OF THE EXCHANGE -
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/03/25/video-chelsea-gets-the-monica-question/I'm kind of on the fence here. On one hand, I felt sorry for Chelsea. She was a kid when the scandal happened and she's not responsible for what her parents do. But on the other hand, she is out campaigning for her mother and it was a serious question. Bill's actions made it a public issue and a legal one. At that point, all bets were off. And if Hillary wants to tout her "experience" as the reason she deserves to be president, then she should expect these types of questions.
And given that Chelsea said he was the first person to ever ask, it's not like she's sick of repeating the answer. She could have been a little more tactful while still defending her mother. Of course I have the advantage of seeing it as an outsider. But people are fickle and judgemental and nosey. That's part of running for office. A wittier, nicer reply may win over people. And Hillary needs all the help she can get at this point.