Clinton Says Lewinski was 'Loony Toon'; Feds Expand Same-Sex Marriage Rights; Kenneth Bae: 'I Have Not Lost Hope'
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: Right now, a narcissistic loony toon. That's how newly released documents say Hillary Clinton described Monica Lewinski to a close friend. The question: why is all of this coming out now, and do voters still care? Also right now, rethinking Chris Christie. A New Jersey newspaper says it blew it by endorsing him last year and now calls Christie the most overrated politician in the country. We'll speak with the editor behind those comments. And right now, coming to America solo. The French president's decision to come alone has people talking, and White House staffers scrambling. Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. A revealing glimpse today inside the mind of Hillary Rodham Clinton during one of the lowest points of the Clinton presidency and her marriage. Clinton has written before about the shocking affair between president Clinton and the then-White House intern Monica Lewinski, but newly discovered papers from a deceased family friend now explain how Clinton was able to forgive her husband and salvage their relationship. CNN's Erin McPike has been looking into all of this for us, and it's pretty fascinating. But tell our viewers what you found.</s>ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, according to these papers that were written by Clinton's family friend, Diane Blair, Hillary Clinton had said that Bill Clinton's affair was a lapse, essentially, and as you know, he had said that he had caused problems in their marriage before. But she said he tried to break it off, and then he tried to manage Monica Lewinski. But all of this is very interesting, given what Republican Senator Rand Paul has been saying in the past few weeks.</s>MCPIKE (voice-over): Hillary Clinton forgave Bill Clinton years ago for his affair with Monica Lewinski, someone she called a "narcissistic loony toon," according to old writings first unearthed by conservative site The Washington Free Beacon. Though she called his behavior gross and inappropriate, Mrs. Clinton confided to friend and colleague, Diane Blair, that she blamed her husband's transgressions on the personal toll, the deaths of his mother, her father and friend Vince Foster took on the president. She said the affair was meaningless and consensual, not a power play by Bill Clinton. An interesting twist, now that Republican Senator Rand Paul has called the 42nd president a sexual predator and is challenging Democrats to avoid raising campaign money with him.</s>SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KY: If they want to take a position on women's rights, by all means do. But you can't do it and take it from a guy who is using his position of authority to take advantage of young women in the workplace.</s>MCPIKE: He tells CNN "It isn't her fault the way her husband behaved," but he also called them "a fundraising team." Team Clinton hasn't responded, but supporters say Bill Clinton's past is ancient history. Of course, Paul has a history of needling the Clintons, especially the former secretary of state, for her handling of the death of four Americans in Benghazi.</s>PAUL: Had I been president at the time, and I found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi, you did not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens, I would have relieved you of your post. I think it's inexcusable.</s>MCPIKE: A tragedy Clinton addressed during a speech last month in New Orleans.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: My biggest, you know, regret is what happened in Benghazi. It was a terrible tragedy, losing four Americans, two diplomats, and now it's public so I can say two CIA operatives. MCPIKEsaMCPIKEmc: Saturday night in Houston, Paul hit harder.</s>PAUL: We're talking about six months of ignoring repeated, one after another, requests for security. But then the coup de grace, and the thing that I think should limit Hillary Clinton from ever holding office. When she was asked for reinforcements, she turned down reinforcements, and we should never, ever have a commander in chief who won't send reinforcements.</s>MCPIKE: But according to a new book about Hillary Clinton that releases Tuesday called "HRC," a book that was discussed on ABC's "This Week" yesterday, former General David Petraeus does not agree with Rand Paul. He reportedly told the book's authors, quote, "like a lot of great leaders, her most impressive qualities were most visible during tough times. In the wake of the Benghazi attacks, for example, she was extraordinarily resolute, determined and controlled." And what I think is very interesting about that, Wolf, is you now have two very high-profile Republicans in defense, both Petraeus and former defense secretary Robert Gates, basically coming to Hillary Clinton's defense on security issues and Benghazi, especially when Republicans say they're going to make that such a big issue if she does run.</s>BLITZER: All right. We're going to learn a lot more about the book's authors and the book later tonight on "PIERS MORGAN." The two authors of this new book on Hillary, they're going to be our special guests. So we're anxious to see that, 9 p.m. Eastern. We're going to have a lot more on this story coming up later this hour, as well. Erin, thanks very much. Gay rights are calling it a landmark announcement. The Justice Department is expanding its recognition of same-sex marriages. That recognition will now include federal legal matters such as bankruptcies, prison visitation and survivor benefits. In a speech at the human rights campaign gala over the weekend, the attorney general, Eric Holder, announced the action he's taking today.</s>ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I will issue a new policy memorandum that will for the first time in history formally instruct all Justice Department employees to give lawful, same-sex marriages full and equal recognition to the greatest extent possible under the law.</s>BLITZER: Bringing in our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. So Jim, how will this affect the 34 states where same-sex marriages are not legal?</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, first we should point out that Attorney General Eric Holder is going to issue a memo sometime this afternoon to make official essentially what he revealed over the weekend, that the federal government is going to recognize same-sex marriages in all 50 states, even in those states where same-sex marriage is currently not legal. And as you mentioned a few moments ago, Wolf, this is going to really pertain, as Eric Holder said, to areas where the federal government has jurisdiction: bankruptcy court cases, other federal court proceedings, survivor benefits issues and so on. And so this is really leading social conservative groups to attack the White House. The Family Research Council came out with a statement over the weekend saying that this was another example of the administration's, quote, "lawlessness." But Eric Holder in that speech to the Human Rights Campaign, Wolf, said this is really about equal protection under the law. And he also framed this as a civil rights issue, saying that this really belongs in the same category as the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: So are some civil rights leaders, recalling the civil rights movement back in the '60s, are they happy with this comparison? Because there are some African-Americans, for example, who disagree with that comparison.</s>ACOSTA: That's right. And this White House has heard about this, as you know. The president has been evolving on this issue for many years. But slowly but surely, Obama administration has really been striking out on its own, on this issue of same-sex marriage. And as a matter of fact, I mean, just look at the Sochi Olympics, the U.S. delegation that was sent out to the Sochi Olympics. That delegation really was to reflect the administration's stance on same- sex marriage, on gay and lesbian rights issues. And then just this morning, Wolf, you'll know that over the weekend, a football player by the name of Michael Sam from Missouri announced that he is gay before the upcoming NFL draft, considered a very big move in the sports world. But get this. The first lady and the vice president have tweeted their support to Michael Sam. Let's put the tweet from FLOTUS -- @FLOTUS, the first lady, on screen. It says, "You're an inspiration to all of us, @MikeSamFootball. We couldn't be prouder of your courage both on and off the field," signed M.O. That's, of course, an indication that the first lady tweeted this herself. And Michael Sam has responded back, thanking the first lady for her support. Vice President Joe Biden has also tweeted his support. So really this issue, Wolf, and we've seen this develop over the last several years, has become a very big civil rights priority for this administration, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: FLOTUS, of course, standing for "first lady of the United States"...</s>ACOSTA: That's right.</s>BLITZER: ... like POTUS stands for "president of the United States."</s>ACOSTA: Exactly.</s>BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much. Other news we're following, new disturbing video emerging of Kenneth Bae. He's the American missionary being held in North Korea. The video was taken Friday at a meeting he had with the Swedish diplomat. And just this morning, Korea's state-run news agency said a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea had arrived in Pyongyang. Jim Sciutto is our chief national security correspondent. What's going on over here, Jim?</s>JIM SCIUTTO, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's extremely rare to get this video from inside the labor camp where he's being held to a very rare view of him, and he's the longest-held American in North Korea. And what we see is some sobering video of a tired and noticeably thinner Bae in this conversation with a Swedish diplomat recorded on Friday in this labor camp. Remember we reported on Friday that he had been sent back there from the hospital where he'd been treated. And we get a rare view of him there, certainly not himself. We also got a view earlier of the kind of work Bae is doing in this prison camp, working in a field. You can see on the left-hand side, one of the guards overlooking him. Now, in this video, Bae says he's doing his best to stay strong, but he's very worried about his health, and he says he's lost as many as ten pounds while he's in camp. Here's what he had to say.</s>KENNETH BAE, AMERICAN MISSIONARY HELD PRISONER IN NORTH KOREA: I'm trying to stay strong mentally and spiritually, and trying to stay strong emotionally, as well. But -- but my main concern right now is that my physical condition, during hard labor for eight hours a day, for the next couple months can be difficult. So if they can do something right away, it would be the best way to do it.</s>SCIUTTO: Very soft-spoken Bae there. He added a message to his family, saying he has not lost hope, has not given up. He also says that he hopes North Korea will allow a U.S. envoy into the country, Wolf, to negotiate his release.</s>BLITZER: Where do efforts to get his release stand as far as U.S. officials are concerned?</s>SCIUTTO: Well, stalled, because over the weekend, the North Koreans rescinded an invitation for the former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Robert King. He's an expert on -- actually, that's wrong. He's a North Korean human rights expert at the State Department. But they rescinded his invitation to come into the country. It's believed that's in connection with U.S.-South Korean military exercises going on. State Department said they're deeply disappointed. They also reiterated that those exercises have nothing to do with the case of Robert Bae. As you noted, another former U.S. diplomat arrived in North Korea today. That is Donald Greg. He was a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea. But I'm told by the State Department, this is not connected to the Bae case. They're in there for another trip with diplomats, American diplomats, to build connections there. But certainly valuable, at least, to keep that conversation going while you have...</s>BLITZER: He was a well-known diplomat. He was U.S. ambassador to South Korea during the Bush administration. The fact that he himself is there, that's significant. We don't know exactly what he's doing, though.</s>SCIUTTO: No question. They say just in general to build bridges between the two countries. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if he would bring up the Bae case. But the State Department says that's not the express reason for his visit.</s>BLITZER: Yes. I'm sure that he's there, at least with a tacit blessing from the State Department.</s>SCIUTTO: No question. The State Department also has mentioned the possibility of the Reverend Jesse Jackson going to North Korea, which he has offered to do to help discuss specifically the case of Kenneth Bae.</s>BLITZER: All right. We'll see what happens on that front, as well. Thanks very much. The former president, Bill Clinton, he's under fire. Is he a liability to Hillary Clinton if she decides to run in 2016? Our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, standing by. She'll weigh in live. Plus, a little bit later, taking back an endorsement. A New Jersey paper says it blew it by backing Chris Christie for re-election as governor of New Jersey. I'll talk to the head of the paper's editorial board. We'll find out what led to the do-over.