09 Aug Sex and Teenagers

Bruce Feiler: Gail, can I talk to you about that hoary old intersection between private life and politics?

Lisa Belkin: David, there is nothing I like more. I once wrote an entire book about this issue. I was one of two Times editorial members who published books that year in which Grover Cleveland played a prominent part. My colleague’s was about the history of national monetary policy and mine was about Grover’s sex life.

Bruce Feiler: First and less spectacularly, the case of Newt Gingrich is being debated on the right, by people like Pete Wehner over at Contentions, among other places. By the way, there is a photo of me running away from Newt floating around the intertubes.

Lisa Belkin: It’s a wonderful picture, summarizing everything the world feels when the words “Newt Gingrich” are uttered.

Bruce Feiler: My official story is that I was minding my own business walking down the stairs at the Russell Senate Office building when suddenly I felt the force of a great world historical brain coming up behind me. The force of cerebral activity was so massive that its reverberations were blotting out lesser brain activity for miles around. Naturally I dove for cover.should disqualify him from higher office. I notice that this charge generally falls entirely along partisan lines. Many Republicans who thought Bill Clinton’s behavior was repulsive are willing to look the other way with Newt, pointing to particular differences between the two cases, and vice-versa.

Lisa Belkin: David, there is nothing I like more. I once wrote an entire book about this issue. I was one of two Times editorial members who published books that year in which Grover Cleveland played a prominent part. My colleague’s was about the history of national monetary policy and mine was about Grover’s sex life.

Bruce Feiler: First and less spectacularly, the case of Newt Gingrich is being debated on the right, by people like Pete Wehner over at Contentions, among other places. By the way, there is a photo of me running away from Newt floating around the intertubes. Naturally I dove for cover; should disqualify him from higher office. I notice that this charge generally falls entirely along partisan lines. Many Republicans who thought Bill Clinton’s behavior was repulsive are willing to look the other way with Newt, pointing to particular differences between the two cases, and vice-versa.