Clinton On Dowd On Tiger

Taylor Branch has just written a new book titled The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President based on his private recorded interviews with Bill Clinton while the Big Dog was still in office. This oral (nudge, nudge) history is full of dishy dirt. According to Mother Jones magazine, Slick Willie had a few things to say about Maureen Dowd's Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary about the Clinton presidency:

In 1997, after New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote an acerbic column about Clinton and golfer Tiger Woods—maintaining that the the two green-eyed hucksters deserved each other—Clinton told Branch, "She must live in mortal fear that there's somebody in the world living a healthy and productive life."

The article in question was about Tiger declining an invite from Clinton to a ceremony honoring Jackie Robinson:

The leader of the free world offered to send an Air Force plane to pick up Tiger Woods so he could come to Shea Stadium to honor Jackie Robinson, the most important African-American athlete in history.

It would have been an amazing moment: the new legend who effortlessly broke a color line in golf taking a moment to genuflect to the old legend who courageously broke the color line in baseball -- 50 years earlier.

But the 21-year-old who is often described as the Jackie Robinson of golf blew off Jackie Robinson -- and the Fan in Chief. He had more pressing matters, following his dazzling Masters triumph.

She digresses on about the significance of the snub and concludes:

These two guys should get together on the green. They have a lot in common. And it's green.

Now that Bill has more time on his hands maybe they can play a round. Just don't invite Maureen to fill out the foursome.