By Joe Reynolds- Political Analyst
The Clinton party has vacated the White House, but America remains fixated on its major players. The pressing question is, “What will everyone do next?”
Many eyes were focused on former Vice President Al Gore on Inauguration Day. The nation witnessed his obvious heartbreak; Gore having to sit quietly while George W. Bush was sworn in after winning a disputed election in which Gore received 500,000 more popular votes.
So what will he do next? – Throw pragmatism to the wind and live a free spirited, non-conformist lifestyle, or carefully position himself for a potential Presidential run in 2004?
Gore has already provided some answers. He recently accepted a job, as a guest lecturer of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism He will teach a class entitled “Covering World Politics in the Information Age.” (Insert your own Gore classroom boredom joke here.)
Not unlike many former public servants, Gore will aggressively hit the lecture circuit, and make an abundance of money in the process.
Gore, who is a published author, has also restated his love for writing. If he were planning another run at the presidency, writing would be a wise choice.
Gore is desperate for a venue that will provide him with a personal voice and re-establish his still considerable influence within the Democratic Party. In the meantime, he plans to live in Virginia and spend more time at his family’s ranch in Carthage, Tennessee.
The media has created a Catch 22 for itself when it comes to the Clinton administration. It constantly complains about Clinton’s refusal to leave the spotlight, but the media is only extending Clinton’s shadow by discussing it.
In all probability, whether one likes or hates them, the entire Clinton family will leave an indelible and permanent mark on the American landscape.
By Jason Siedzik- Political Analyst
With the Clinton regime shuffling out of the White House, many people who were celebrities get to go back to a normal life. That is, unless you were actually associated with the Clintons themselves. And whose name was more associated with the Clintons in the past three years than Monica Lewinsky?
Recently, a former college student, Inbal Hayut, brought a lawsuit against State University of New York at New Paltz and one of its professors. The lawsuit claimed that the professor sexually harassed Hayut by making comments related to Lewinsky towards her. This was all based upon the fact that Hayut wore the same shade of lipstick as Lewinsky.
Now, the fact that this lawsuit has not been thrown out yet speaks volumes about where Lewinsky has been. Considering a past that includes a high school experience straight out of Boston Public, and comments about her wanting to earn her “presidential kneepads”, Lewinsky has not exactly proven to be a woman of integrity.
But, with that said, what exactly has she been doing? One would think that she could get a halfway decent job based on her resume:
* Beverly Hills High School: Assistant to the Costume Director (her first documented affair)
* Knot Shop “sales associate”
* Southeast Mental Health Network (Practicum) Portland, Oregon: Socialization Staff Assistant
* White House summer intern
* B.A. in psychology from Lewis and Clark College
Come to think of it, maybe she could pad that resume a little more. Since her internship, Lewinsky has gone on to shill Jenny Craig and make her own handbags, sold online. She has also written her own book, and produced six segments for a British TV news show about American culture.
As far as her handbags go, she sold them based on name alone. The bags are also sold at Henri Bedel, which sold their stock of 100 bags quickly, without any advertising. The bags are made by hand, and say so on their label. In order to make some of her handbags, she had Tom Green (where is he now, anyway?) vandalize the wardrobes of Donny and Marie Osmond, as well as Green’s parents’ quilt.
She plans on expanding her business into other areas, such as accessories and products for expectant mothers.
But, of course, after a year like her 1998, she was inevitably going to get dragged back into the spotlight. The independent counsel for Clinton’s perjury trial, Robert Ray, called her in to testify in the trial.
A taxpayer sued her for wasting his money by extorting Clinton for fame and money back in 1999. Lewinsky is well on her way towards being eternal cannon fodder for talk shows… unless she’s already there.
