-Caveat Lector-
Friday January 12 10:52 AM EST
20/20: Linda Tripp Interview
By ABCNEWS.com
Tonight, Linda Tripp, whose secret tape recordings of Monica
Lewinsky helped spark President Clinton's impeachment, appears on
20/20 to discuss life after the scandal.
I was essentially where every scandal was born," Linda Tripp
tells 20/20, responding to the many accusations that she tried to
stir up scandal in the Clinton White House.
In Tripp's first TV interview in nearly two years, which airs
tonight on ABCNEWS, she speaks bluntly about her recent plastic
surgery and sheds new light on her relationship with former
intern Monica Lewinsky.
Reluctant Alliance
Contrary to the conventional wisdom that Tripp and Lewinsky were
close friends, Tripp says she did not have a friendship with the
former intern. She says Lewinsky "accosted" her in the Pentagon
where they worked and "blurted out" her involvement with
President Clinton.
Tripp said admits she was "completely fascinated and horrified at
the same time."
While not interested in befriending a 22-year-old, Tripp became
the intern's confidante because, she says, "something kicked in
with Monica, she was so completely needy." Tripp also knew that
Lewinsky was very well-connected and believed rebuffing her could
be dangerous to her career.
Tripp said she views Monica as an emotionally unstable young
woman who was overcome by an obsession with the president.
Tripp justified her secret tape-recordings of conversations with
Lewinsky explaining that it was the only way to avoid a perjury
charge. "I found myself in the crosshairs of the president of the
United States," she says, "Remember, I was going under oath, so
was he, so was Monica. They were both going to lie. They said,
essentially, I'm gonna be the one convicted for perjury."
'I Was Horrified'
Tripp says she understands why many Americans view her as a
modern-day Judas.
But she argues that the White House portrayed her as a villain to
discredit her testimony. She also broaches the subject of her
appearance, saying her looks made it easy for the public to put
her down. "I did not realize how ugly I was 'till I saw the
pictures," she says, "I was horrified, as was the rest of the
country." Although she's now comfortable with her looks, she says
her face lifts did not heal her confidence.
Tripp arrived in the White House in 1990 as a staffer in the Bush
administration. She stayed on when the Clintons arrived and
worked for more than a year as a floating secretary. She says
that it had been her dream to work in the West Wing, admitting "I
would have cleaned the toilets with my tongue to work in the
White House."
Under the new administration she says she witnessed an array of
scandals almost immediately: Travelgate, Vince Foster's suicide,
and Kathleen Willey's encounter with the president which she
later called sexual harassment.
Tripp's private tape recordings of Lewinsky launched the
investigation that lead to Clinton's impeachment scandal. Now, no
longer in the media spotlight, Tripp lives in rural Virginia and
still works at the Pentagon. She recently shed 30 pounds, has had
two rounds of cosmetic surgery, and claims to rarely think about
Lewinsky.
=================================================================
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
=================================================================
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
