

Sen. Rand Paul (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Sunday that the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal should give Americans pause when it comes to evaluating the Clinton legacy -- and, by extension, Hillary Rodham Clinton's potential presidential campaign.

Paul's wife, Kelley, made similar remarks in a Vogue profile last year, and her husband agreed with her Sunday in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." Rand Paul said the scandal is about more than just infidelity and lying to the American people, but also as "predatory behavior" from the former president.

"One of the workplace laws and rules that I think are good is that bosses shouldn't prey on young interns in their office," Paul said. "And I think really the media seems to have given President Clinton a pass on this. He took advantage of a girl that was 20 years old and an intern in his office. There is no excuse for that, and it is predatory behavior."

Paul said the episode undercuts Democrats' allegations of a GOP "war on women" and should color people's perceptions of the Clintons. He added that "sometimes it's hard to separate" Bill and Hillary Clinton.

"And then they have the gall to stand up and say Republicans are having a war on women?" Paul said rhetorically. "So yes, I think it's a factor. It's not Hillary's fault, but it is a factor in judging Bill Clinton and history."