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American Morning

Interview With Former Hillary Clinton Press Secretary Lisa Caputo

Aired June 04, 2003 - 07:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting a first look now at Hillary Clinton's long-awaited memoirs called "Living History." It's the story of her eight years inside the White House, due out on Monday, but the Associated Press has released certain excerpts.
She says that President Clinton, her husband, kept her in the dark about the relationship with Monica Lewinsky until just before he was forced to admit the affair to a grand jury.

From 1993 to 1996, the first lady's press secretary was Lisa Caputo. Earlier today, Lisa stopped by, and I talked to her about what the memoirs tell us about this relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Lisa Caputo, good morning. Welcome to "AMERICAN MORNING".

LISA CAPUTO, FORMER HILLARY CLINTON PRESS SECRETARY: Nice to be here.

HEMMER: There was a lot in this book, well over 500 pages. There are just a few things we want to take a look at. The first thing Hillary Clinton writes in this book, "For me, the Lewinsky imbroglio seemed just like another vicious scandal manufactured by political opponents."

When do we know as to when Hillary knew about the affair with Monica?

CAPUTO: She's quite candid in the book, as you'll see when it's released next week, that the president told her the weekend before he testified before the grand jury. I remember that time very well, and that's exactly what happened. She had no idea.

If you'll recall, she went out quite publicly on a variety of television shows talking about the vast right-wing conspiracy and thought he was being railroaded by the far right.

HEMMER: And this went on for about six months, according to the book...

CAPUTO: It went on...

HEMMER: ... and the memoir. CAPUTO: It did. It went on for quite some time. You know, in January, you know, she notes, as being reported by the AP, that, you know, they talked about Monica Lewinsky, and he said that this was a young woman who had come to him for job advice, etcetera.

HEMMER: Here's another quote here from the book. I want to read it to you: "I could hardly breathe." This is when apparently the president came to her at a morning bedside meeting, saying, "Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him, 'What do you mean?' 'What are you saying?' 'Why did you lie to me?' I was furious and getting more so by the second. He just stood there saying over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I was trying to protect you and Chelsea"."

Is that how it was explained to her?

CAPUTO: As far as I know, yes. As far as I know, yes. I mean, it's exactly the way I understand it to have happened. And I remember quite vividly they left for Martha's Vineyard shortly thereafter, and it was -- it was a very difficult time. I actually was on Martha's Vineyard when they came up to the vineyard that weekend, and it was a little bit surreal.

HEMMER: She says she slept on one floor and he slept on the other.

CAPUTO: That, I don't know, you know, personally.

HEMMER: Apparently in the book, that's the way it came out.

Let me -- why go back -- she's getting paid a lot of money for this book. Why go back and rehash the old memories in a way like this?

CAPUTO: Well, you know, this is a memoir, and we have to remember that. And first lady memoirs often sell much better than former presidential memoirs. And this is a story of her life that begins at childhood, goes through her schooling, goes through the time she met Bill Clinton and into her years at the White House. And she very much wanted to write a very direct and very candid account of her life and her times, particularly in the White House. And to not be candid I think would present a credibility problem. And I think she -- it's not a question of rehashing but rather talking about it from her own personal and historical perspective.

HEMMER: And there are others, who will say that silence is more precious than that, and the silence is more -- a bit more of the high road, much like a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would not talk about her relationship with JFK. Why not take that route?

CAPUTO: Well, I think she clearly was silent and had been taking the high road for quite some time. And I think, you know, often Hillary Clinton gains what I think is an unfair reputation for being super human, Superwoman. She shows no emotion, and she's quite an emotional person. She has a great sense of humor, and I think, you know, she's just showing her true colors and her true personality in this book.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Lisa Caputo from a short time earlier.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





Caputo>


Aired June 4, 2003 - 07:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting a first look now at Hillary Clinton's long-awaited memoirs called "Living History." It's the story of her eight years inside the White House, due out on Monday, but the Associated Press has released certain excerpts.
She says that President Clinton, her husband, kept her in the dark about the relationship with Monica Lewinsky until just before he was forced to admit the affair to a grand jury.

From 1993 to 1996, the first lady's press secretary was Lisa Caputo. Earlier today, Lisa stopped by, and I talked to her about what the memoirs tell us about this relationship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Lisa Caputo, good morning. Welcome to "AMERICAN MORNING".

LISA CAPUTO, FORMER HILLARY CLINTON PRESS SECRETARY: Nice to be here.

HEMMER: There was a lot in this book, well over 500 pages. There are just a few things we want to take a look at. The first thing Hillary Clinton writes in this book, "For me, the Lewinsky imbroglio seemed just like another vicious scandal manufactured by political opponents."

When do we know as to when Hillary knew about the affair with Monica?

CAPUTO: She's quite candid in the book, as you'll see when it's released next week, that the president told her the weekend before he testified before the grand jury. I remember that time very well, and that's exactly what happened. She had no idea.

If you'll recall, she went out quite publicly on a variety of television shows talking about the vast right-wing conspiracy and thought he was being railroaded by the far right.

HEMMER: And this went on for about six months, according to the book...

CAPUTO: It went on...

HEMMER: ... and the memoir. CAPUTO: It did. It went on for quite some time. You know, in January, you know, she notes, as being reported by the AP, that, you know, they talked about Monica Lewinsky, and he said that this was a young woman who had come to him for job advice, etcetera.

HEMMER: Here's another quote here from the book. I want to read it to you: "I could hardly breathe." This is when apparently the president came to her at a morning bedside meeting, saying, "Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him, 'What do you mean?' 'What are you saying?' 'Why did you lie to me?' I was furious and getting more so by the second. He just stood there saying over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I was trying to protect you and Chelsea"."

Is that how it was explained to her?

CAPUTO: As far as I know, yes. As far as I know, yes. I mean, it's exactly the way I understand it to have happened. And I remember quite vividly they left for Martha's Vineyard shortly thereafter, and it was -- it was a very difficult time. I actually was on Martha's Vineyard when they came up to the vineyard that weekend, and it was a little bit surreal.

HEMMER: She says she slept on one floor and he slept on the other.

CAPUTO: That, I don't know, you know, personally.

HEMMER: Apparently in the book, that's the way it came out.

Let me -- why go back -- she's getting paid a lot of money for this book. Why go back and rehash the old memories in a way like this?

CAPUTO: Well, you know, this is a memoir, and we have to remember that. And first lady memoirs often sell much better than former presidential memoirs. And this is a story of her life that begins at childhood, goes through her schooling, goes through the time she met Bill Clinton and into her years at the White House. And she very much wanted to write a very direct and very candid account of her life and her times, particularly in the White House. And to not be candid I think would present a credibility problem. And I think she -- it's not a question of rehashing but rather talking about it from her own personal and historical perspective.

HEMMER: And there are others, who will say that silence is more precious than that, and the silence is more -- a bit more of the high road, much like a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis would not talk about her relationship with JFK. Why not take that route?

CAPUTO: Well, I think she clearly was silent and had been taking the high road for quite some time. And I think, you know, often Hillary Clinton gains what I think is an unfair reputation for being super human, Superwoman. She shows no emotion, and she's quite an emotional person. She has a great sense of humor, and I think, you know, she's just showing her true colors and her true personality in this book.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Lisa Caputo from a short time earlier.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





Caputo>