Rand Paul blasts Bill Clinton on Lewinsky

Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that Democrats and those in the media criticizing Republicans for a so-called "War on Women" give a free pass to former-President Bill Clinton's "predatory behavior" against Monica Lewinsky.

"The Democrats -- one of their big issues is they've concocted this, 'Republicans are committing a war on women,'" Kentucky Republican said on NBC's "Meet The Press." "One of the work place laws and rules that I think are good is that bosses shouldn't prey on young interns in their office. 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 that is predatory behavior."

"It should be something we shouldn't want to associate with people who would take advantage of a young girl. This isn't having an affair -- this isn't me saying, 'Oh, he's had an affair. We shouldn't talk to him.' Someone who takes advantage of a young girl in their office -- I mean really, and then they have the gall to stand up and say that Republicans are having a war on women? So yes, I think it's a factor. Now it's not Hillary's fault. But it is a factor in judging Bill Clinton in history."

Host David Gregory followed up: "Do you think it's something that Hillary Clinton should be judged on if she were a candidate in 2016?"

"No, I'm not saying that," said Paul, a 2016 presidential contender. "This was with regard to the Clinton's. It's hard enough to separate one from the other. I would say that with regards to his place in history that it certainly is a discussion."

Gregory raised the issue by asking Paul about comments his wife Kelley made to Vogue in a September profile of the couple. Kelley told Vogue that she thought Bill Clinton's behavior was "predatory."

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) responded immediately in an interview following Paul's.

"Listen, David, Hillary Clinton has established her own reputation and her own name and her own basis for running for president should she choose to do it," Durbin said. "The issues that were raised by my colleague Sen. Paul have been litigated in the public square for over a decade. For goodness sakes, let’s judge Hillary Clinton based on her talents and her vision of America should she choose to run for president."

Again, Gregory followed up: "It's hard to separate one from the other, [Paul] just said."

"You've got to be honest about it, though. I mean, there are people who believe that though [Clinton] may have done the wrong thing, he paid a heavy price for it in terms of the impeachment trial and beyond," Durbin fired back. "And if the Republicans like my friend -- and he is my friend -- Senator Paul want to dwell on these chapters in the past, I don't think it's going to have much resonance."