President Clinton Lecture Summary

Clinton's Scandals: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

  • Bill Clinton, the 41st president, faced numerous scandals that led to his impeachment.
  • Unlike Johnson's impeachment, Clinton's was a concerted effort to find incriminating evidence.
  • The scandals span from his campaign to post-impeachment events, involving both Clinton and his administration.

Draft Status

  • Clinton, the first baby boomer president, came of age during the Vietnam War era, making him draft eligible.
  • From 1964 to 1972, college students could obtain deferments, which Clinton initially utilized.
  • However, deferments for college ended in 1966 due to protests about unfairness to those who couldn't attend college.
  • To avoid the draft and attend Oxford, a two-pronged approach was used.
  • Clinton's uncle, Raymond Clinton, allegedly persuaded a naval officer to create a naval reserve position for him in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
  • Simultaneously, Senator William Fulbright granted Clinton a one-year postponement.
  • After his first year at Oxford, Clinton became draft-eligible again and failed two physicals.
  • To avoid the draft, he joined the ROTC, committing to the University of Arkansas law school, which provided him a d-1 deferment.
  • After the draft lottery, Clinton received a high number (311 out of 365), making him unlikely to be drafted.
  • He then declined the ROTC program but did not notify the draft board of his change in status.
  • During the campaign, Clinton faced criticism for receiving special treatment and potentially committing fraud by not informing the draft board of canceling his d-1 deferment.
  • Other baby boomer presidents like Donald Trump and George W. Bush also avoided the draft.
  • Donald Trump claimed heel spurs, while George W. Bush had his father secure him a position in the Texas Air National Guard.
  • More than half of the 27 million draft-age men during Vietnam received deferments.
  • The draft issue served as a relitigation of the Vietnam War and the stances taken by protesters and college students.

Marijuana Use

  • Al Gore faced less problematic pushback for admitting to experimenting with marijuana compared to Clinton.
  • Clinton's shifting statements on marijuana use raised questions about his truthfulness.
  • In 1986, he said he never used drugs, but later admitted to experimenting with marijuana in England but claimed he