Hillary Clinton -- Once a Congenital Liar, Always a Congenital Liar

What an awful person Hillary Clinton is should come as no surprise to anybody over the age of 30, except of course her designated, pathetic, soul-corroded hacks like David Brock, the head hack and nonentity at the home of hacks and nonentities, Media Matters, and the ineffable Lanny Davis, who’s become a sad caricature of his old Clinton-defending self from the Bubba administration. But the late New York Times op-ed columnist, William Safire, had her number early on, as this gem from 1996 about the prevaricating first lady illustrates:

Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady — a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation — is a congenital liar. Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.

1. Remember the story she told about studying The Wall Street Journal to explain her 10,000 percent profit in 1979 commodity trading? We now know that was a lie told to turn aside accusations that as the Governor’s wife she profited corruptly, her account being run by a lawyer for state poultry interests through a disreputable broker.

She lied for good reason: To admit otherwise would be to confess taking, and paying taxes on, what some think amounted to a $100,000 bribe.

Also: Vince Foster! Travelgate! HRC’s habitual m.o. is to lie, obstruct justice, hide documents, cut corners, indulge in petty legalisms, suborn perjury — whatever it takes to save her sorry hide. Safire concludes this instant classic with this:

Another reason for recent revelations is the imminent turning of former aides and partners of Hillary against her; they were willing to cover her lying when it advanced their careers, but are inclined to listen to their own lawyers when faced with perjury indictments. Therefore, ask not “Why didn’t she just come clean at the beginning?” She had good reasons to lie; she is in the longtime habit of lying; and she has never been called to account for lying herself or in suborning lying in her aides and friends.

No reason to think she’s changed her spots since. And this is the woman most Democrats hoped to foist on the American public as the president of the United States.