The Long Goodbye: Geraldo Jive

ON the day Monica Lewinsky’s lawyers announced their client’s immunity deal with Kenneth Starr, Geraldo Rivera demonstrated once again why he’s the White House’s favorite media personality. At the start of his nightly CNBC legal-affairs show Rivera Live, he played a clip of President Clinton’s black limousine driving up Pennsylvania Avenue after a tribute to the two slain Capitol Police officers. “As [Clinton] left the solemn ceremony at the Capitol, which dealt with bravery and heroism and sacrifice, his motorcade passed the very courthouse where Ken Starr has been obsessed with sex, sex lies, and audiotapes,” said Rivera in a voice-over.

This short scene from the Clinton—Lewinsky immorality play was unadulterated White House agitprop: a good President trying to do his job while an independent counsel hounds him relentlessly. Rivera has said that “history will recognize [Clinton] as a great man.” Starr, on the other hand, is “crude,” “absolutely shameless,” and “increasingly irrational.” On June 30, Rivera labeled the independent counsel “unpatriotic” for taking Linda Tripp’s testimony while Clinton traveled in China. “They say Ken Starr has no sense of public relations, and that he’s constantly shooting himself in the foot,” he said. “I think today he shot us all in the heart.” Sniff, sniff.

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.

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ON the day Monica Lewinsky’s lawyers announced their client’s immunity deal with Kenneth Starr, Geraldo Rivera demonstrated once again why he’s the White House’s favorite media personality. At the start of his nightly CNBC legal-affairs show Rivera Live, he played a clip of President Clinton’s black limousine driving up Pennsylvania Avenue after a tribute to the two slain Capitol Police officers. “As [Clinton] left the solemn ceremony at the Capitol, which dealt with bravery and heroism and sacrifice, his motorcade passed the very courthouse where Ken Starr has been obsessed with sex, sex lies, and audiotapes,” said Rivera in a voice-over.

This short scene from the Clinton—Lewinsky immorality play was unadulterated White House agitprop: a good President trying to do his job while an independent counsel hounds him relentlessly. Rivera has said that “history will recognize [Clinton] as a great man.” Starr, on the other hand, is “crude,” “absolutely shameless,” and “increasingly irrational.” On June 30, Rivera labeled the independent counsel “unpatriotic” for taking Linda Tripp’s testimony while Clinton traveled in China. “They say Ken Starr has no sense of public relations, and that he’s constantly shooting himself in the foot,” he said. “I think today he shot us all in the heart.” Sniff, sniff.

About the Author

John J. Miller

John J. Miller, a former national correspondent for National Review, is the director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College. He is the author of A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America.