Last week, I caught Bill Clinton on The Charlie Rose show (which if you click on the link you can listen to as well - not through the Charlie Rose website though and not for those of tiny bandwidth).

Bill’s out there these days plugging his new book which seems to be doing quite well.

Anyway, I watched and there is no denying Clinton is a compelling speaker. He’s charming and there is just no escaping the fact. I think it’s a large part of his allure as well, he evokes extreme passion in people they either love him or hate him.

I have a tendency to be more pragmatic though, as the years passed during Clinton’s term in office, I liked him less and less.

There were things that happened during his watch I liked - mainly the reduction of the national debt (which I think could be attributed more to Congress at that time) but, simultaneously there was a gap between what he said and what he did.

The disconnect between Clinton the statesman and his actions in regard to issues such as personal privacy of citizens, use of the military and fixing health care was so very wide.

So, getting back to watching Bill. Charlie Rose and he were talking about the book and Clinton’s term in office and invariably Monica Lewinsky’s name comes up.

Clinton apologizes to his wife and daughter and talks about going to therapy to save his marriage but, there was one really gaping (and noticeable) omission. Of course, it was Lewinsky herself. I’m not a big fan of hers and she doesn’t catch my fancy but, he was with her!

It isn’t like she forced her way into the oval office and attacked the presidential member (and there’s got to be a joke about alert secret service agents and wrestling in there somewhere) but, he just kind of glossed over the fact and commented on how he “did it” mainly just because he could - which probably said a lot more about him than any public statement he’s made to date.

Anyway, I noticed the omission and consequently I can’t say I was surprised when a day or two later the following appeared:

“He says he was proud of the way that he defended the presidency - at my expense. In the process, he destroyed me,” she said. “I was a young girl and to hear him saying some of the things he was saying today - it's a shame.”

And also:

“I had wanted him to say that I was a nice, decent person and that he was sorry this had happened because I - I tried to do as much as I could to protect him,” Lewinsky said. “I didn't allow him to be put on tape that night.”

So, when it gets right down to it, as compelling a speaker as he is, as charming as he can be, I leave you to make your own determinations about his conduct - I’ve drawn my own conclusions and the best I can say is that I believe history will look back at him with a jaundiced eye.