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"I do think that the quality which makes a man want to write and be read is essentially a desire for self-exposure and is masochistic. Like one of those guys who has a compulsion to take his thing out and show it on the street." - James Jones

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Sunday, Sep 24

Wallace: "I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me. "

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Following today's buzz generating conversation with Bill Clinton, Chris Wallace shared some of his post-interview thoughts with FishbowlDC:

    I was delighted to get the chance to interview former President Clinton. This was the first one-on-one sitdown he's ever given "Fox News Sunday" during our 10 years on the air.

    The groundrules were simple--15 minutes--to be divided evenly between questions about the Clinton Global Initiative and anything else I wanted to ask.

    I intended to keep to the groundrules. In fact--I prepared 10 questions--5 on the CGI and 5 on other issues.

    I began the interview with 2 questions about Mr. Clinton's commitment to humanitarian causes. His answers were cogent and good-humored.

    Then--I asked him about his Administration's record in fighting terror--fully intending to come back to CGI later (as indeed I did).

    I asked what I thought was a non-confrontational question about whether he could have done more to "connect the dots and really go after al Qaeda."

    I was utterly surprised by the tidal wave of details--emotion--and political attacks that followed.

    The President was clearly stung by any suggestion that he had not done everything he could to get bin Laden. He attacked right-wingers--accused me of a "conservative hit job"--and even spun a theory I still don't understand that somehow Fox was trying to cover up the fact that NewsCorp. chief Rupert Murdoch was supporting his Global Initiative. I still have no idea what set him off.
    Former President Clinton is a very big man. As he leaned forward--wagging his finger in my face--and then poking the notes I was holding--I felt as if a mountain was coming down in front of me.

    The President said I had a smirk. Actually--it was sheer wonder at what I was witnessing.

    I tried repeatedly to adhere to the ground rules--to move the President along--and back to the CGI. But he wanted to keep talking about his record fighting terror.

    When it became clear he wanted to throw out the ground rules--then I just went with the flow of the interview.


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