Ruth Marcus, a liberal columnist for
The Washington Post, writes that Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is correct in saying that former President Bill Clinton's past with women is "fair game" in his fight for the presidency against his wife, the current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Marcus is no Trump fan, calling him "every '-ist' in the book: racist, sexist, narcissist, for starters."
But when Hillary Clinton responded to his insult to her loss in 2008 to eventual winner Barack Obama, she opened herself – and her husband – up to attack when she accused Trump of having a "penchant for sexism."
Trump attacked right back, tweeting that she should be careful with such charges because it was her own husband who has "a penchant for sexism."
"Well, Bill Clinton has a penchant for something," Marcus agreed. "He had a successful presidency — with an ugly blot. 'Sexism' isn’t the precise word for his predatory behavior toward women or his inexcusable relationship with a 22-year-old intern. Yet in the larger scheme of things, Bill Clinton’s conduct toward women is far worse than any of the offensive things that Trump has said."
Trump has attacked women over their looks, including his GOP presidential rival Carly Fiorina, but, Marcus says, "Clinton has preyed on them, and in a workplace setting where he was by far the superior. That is uncomfortable for Clinton supporters but it is unavoidably true."
Hillary Clinton is smart to take her husband on the campaign trail, and right to call Trump sexist, Marcus writes, but by doing both she made Bill Clinton's past "fair game."
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