Bill Clinton's allies finally speak out on Lewinksy affair

London, Feb 12 (ANI): Bill Clinton's friends and colleagues will speak publicly for the first time of their shock and sense of betrayal over his affair with Monica Lewinsky in a new TV documentary.

The programme about the former president, which explores Clinton's alleged womanising throughout his political career, will be broadcast in the UK and America on February 20.

Barak Goodman, the award-winning producer made the film for America's Public Broadcasting Service, the Telegraph reported.

During the two-part documentary, Dick Morris, a loyal adviser to Clinton, describes the moment the former president telephoned him shortly before evidence of his affair with Lewinsky was to be made public.

"Bill said to me: 'Ever since I got to the White House I have had to shut down my body,'" Morris said.

He also revealed that Clinton told him he had been weak in the case of the 23-year-old intern and had done enough with her to be in serious trouble.

Clinton then asked Morris to conduct polls on how he should handle the crisis.

During the programme, Ken Gormley, a legal expert working in the White House, also recalled the sexual tension between the president and Lewinsky.

"There were almost these sparks flying between them from the first moment when they saw each other," he said.

Political aides who worked with Clinton on his initial bid for governorship in his home state of Arkansas, campaigning alongside his wife Hillary, referred to his involvement with many women.

One campaign chief recalled dealing with "25 women a day" who came into the office looking for Clinton.

Betsey Wright, his trusted political aide, recounted how she eventually presented him with a list of girlfriends he had to deal with before he could stand as governor.

Clinton pulled out of the race at the last minute.

"It became clear it was not the time to do it," she said.

Marla Crider, who worked with him in Arkansas and had an affair with him, described women as being "literally mesmerised".

She said: "It was like flies to honey. I don't think there is any question Hillary was hurt. Monica Lewinsky gave him something that he needed at that time: to be adored."

When the affair became public, it fuelled the inquiry into Clinton's presidency being run by Kenneth Starr and led to the impeachment of a president for only the second time in American history.

Clinton is described as deploying charisma of rock-star proportions, but with this came a sexual appetite that threatened his presidency when he faced impeachment for perjury over the affair with Lewinsky in 1998.

Wright told the programme-makers she felt betrayed because the president had lied to her and "to a lot of people" about the affair.

Producer Goodman stressed that until now Wright had been extremely loathe to speak about the incident.

"She has been underground for many years because she was so close and so important to Clinton and felt very bad," he said. (ANI)

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