Source:Clinton Foundation with a look at President William J. Clinton’s lost year.

“Year in Review: 1998”

From the Clinton Foundation

Going into 1998, President Bill Clinton even he had his last midterm elections that he and his Democratic Party had to prepare for, he had all the momentum. Even in the first few days, perhaps even week of January, 1998, President Bill Clinton, was a popular, successful, President, that had a popular agenda when it came to Social Security and Medicare reform, expanding affordable health care to more Americans, perhaps even going further with Welfare To Work.

President Clinton was so popular, mid to upper sixties in approval, and even though he had a Republican Congress (House & Senate) House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, wanted to work with him on his agenda.

But as much as you may love the positive side of Bill Clinton, as far as being able to communicate, how to work with others, especially with people who generally don’t agree with him, his command of all the issues, his ability to govern, (to put it simply) you can never look at Bill Clinton truthfully and perhaps even honestly, if you know him pretty well, without looking at the flaws in his personal character.

President Clinton lost 1998 and perhaps even a big chunk of 1999, because of an affair that he had with a White House intern, who was 21 or 22 at the time of the affair, who was still in college. And he gave Congressional Republicans, especially in the House, almost all the political ammunition that they needed, to almost destroy his presidency.