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Hillary Clinton wants to have it both ways. She wants voters to support her because they’d like a rerun of her husband’s presidency (today remembered as an era of relative peace and prosperity), but she doesn’t want to have to answer for her husband’s personal conduct and character.

Yet Bill Clinton’s treatment of women — and the many other scandals and ethical lapses that plagued his presidency and now post-presidency — are a legitimate and important issue for voters to consider. Mrs. Clinton wants to dismiss all such questions as dirty, tabloid politics meant to distract voters from real issues. Yet the Clinton scandals, both his and hers, speak to the candidate’s character and to what voters could expect from a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Bill Clinton lied to his wife and the American public about his affairs. He also lied to the lawyers taking his testimony for a sexual harassment lawsuit. That isn’t just a personal matter, but a legal one. Bill Clinton didn’t want to have to live under the laws that govern the rest of the American people. He wanted to be able to sign tough sexual harassment laws and claim to be women’s champion, but didn’t want to actually have to follow those rules himself.