It's always hard to know what Mrs. Clinton knew and when she knew it, but long before she became first lady, she had to know that her husband was a serial adulterer. She had to know that this was probably going to blow up during his presidency at some point. Remember, she had been a staffer for the house judiciary committee during Watergate, so she had to know that under the new rules, presidents can't get away with anything. Indeed she helped write those rules. So Martha Stewart's point is correct: Hillary Clinton knew what she was getting into, her husband knew that she would tolerate his infidelities, and she didn't change her way of responding at the worst possible moment.

For people who aren't married to presidents, the situation is more murky. If you've tolerated infidelity before, what makes it different the next time? That's what couples need to do. The Clintons made their bargain, set the rules, and when they were under fire, they each kept their end of the deal.

Different couples have different expectations and tolerances. When you have a child, staying together is generally the best option, unless the situation is dangerous or abusive.

She certainly saved Chelsea from having to deal with the most public divorce in the world.

It smacks of hypergamy to me -- tolerate anything in order to be close to the wealthy, high-status male.

I'm pretty sure if Barack did that to Michelle his shit would be on the sidewalk outside the White House.

Huh. Unlike the weakness and self-centeredness that ol' Bill showed.

She gained his respect forever? Maybe. After he let her make a fool of herself with that "right-wing conspiracy" crap.

Okay, say this wasn't Hillary. No, I don't agree with Stewart. If a woman does choose to stay with a philanderer, it should at least be one who knows better than to shit where he eats.

I'm not sure why we're even concerned with Martha Stewart's opinions on politics. Do we now ask Hillary about making Christmas ornaments?

But essentially, I don't agree with her. Walking on a cad does not show weakness, and I find her attitude of "Stand By Your Man" to be absolutely archaic.

In this day and AIDS, it's self-preservation to walk out on a cheating bum.

In this day and AIDS, it's self-preservation to walk out on a cheating bum.

That's assuming they were still having sex.

I'm torn. Yes, it's probably (like many marriages) a marriage of convenience and not passion. Yes, staying together is best when you have kids. But he was so unrepentant (lewinski was not the first time he cheated) and so stupid about them becoming public knowledge, that I think leaving would have been a better example for her daughter. You can't stay with someone who disrespects you constantly. He was showing her no respect whatsoever, not trying to be discreet.

You can decide to forgive once, Hubbard, and make it clear there won't be a second forgiveness. I'm not sure I would forgive once-too many people DO think "she/he didn't leave me last time...".

"Yes, staying together is best when you have kids. "

Or a living hell for the child(ren) left in the home.

"I'm pretty sure if Barack did that to Michelle his shit would be on the sidewalk outside the White House."

I'm pretty sure this would happen....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=484969284907338&set=a.207256949345241.51931.204152432989026&type=1&theater

More than likely, she wanted to stay in politics.

Nasty divorces with current/former presidents tend to cause "friends" to choose sides, and burn bridges.

That said, I would have stapled his tongue to his ass and his ball sack to his feet, cleaned out his bank account and driven his car and to Florida.

Most women, I think, would definitely not put up with that shit.

I'm with Dennis Miller on this:

Forty percent of voters would probably support her. I’d like to think there’s 60 percent who wouldn’t. Most people know that the Clintons are just career politicians, but it’s amazing to me that some people really believe in them. Bill and Hillary’s marriage couldn’t have been any more about convenience than if they’d installed a Slim Jim rack and Slurpee machine at the base of their bed.

I fully expect The Obamas to either be divorced or living totally separate lives after they leave the White House.

Their "marriage" is a carefully constructed PR stunt, just like his church attendance in Chicago.

Barrack may or may not be nominally heterosexual, but he is a lot more interested in playing golf than spending any one on one time with Michelle.

See what Bill did doesn't bother me because he cheated, a lot of couples have a silent/never discussed agreement it's ok to cheat.

It bothers me that he did it with a young woman whom he had professional power over, and that was his general m.o. with other women too...

Ya wanna fuck? Find an actress, escort, biography writer whatever.....

Bush Sr. at least has a stable mistress.

You can decide to forgive once, Hubbard, and make it clear there won't be a second forgiveness.

I did that. Forgave the first time, left the second. No regrets.

I've heard the saying, "Other people's marriages are a foreign country where you don't speak the language." I look at some of my friends and wonder how they can tolerate being married to each other, but they seem happy enough. They've worked shit out for themselves.

Or a living hell for the child(ren) left in the home.

Possibly, yes. But only the people in the home really know what's going down. I tend to think a private hell is better than a public hell.

Damn, how stupid can you be?

Sex is the way to distract the mass of idiots while you do what the hell you want.

Ask yourself how China got the upper hand. While American idiots were salivating, TOTALLY UNABLE to think about anything but sex in the Clinton White House, they were being sold to the Chinese. Do you even know who John Huang is, America?
No. But you know about Monica Lewinsky, and that makes me sick.

Hillary is the woman who said she would take the lawfully obtained profits of a corporation, presumably by government force. She has no respect for the law or the Constitution, and backers should be ashamed if they think her relationship with Bill is any indication of merit.

I don't think it shows class on her part. She must have known the deal that she was getting when she married him, and she chose to keep up her side even when things got embarrassing. I guess that's kind of admirable, but she didn't just choose to accept the suffering, she chose to continue the benefits. Who knows exactly what those were for her? Political connections, wealth, prestige, love in good times and bad, her daughter having a dad at home... probably a mixture of all of those things, and more.

If she'd left him at any time in their relationship, she wouldn't BE Hillary Clinton, she'd be another woman with different values. Women who commit to men like Bill Clinton know on some level what they're getting into, and the pros outweigh the cons for them. That doesn't automatically make them better than the women who leave, nor does it make them worse. It just shows they have different priorities. It's really hard to recognize exactly what someone's pros and cons are from outside their marriage, let alone to judge them.