Death of American Virtue - Ken Gormley [199]
Linda Tripp later admitted that she had conflicting feelings about the young former intern who was pouring out her life story over coffee and cigarettes: “She’s extremely likable. I knew her at a time when she was also completely nuts, so …” On one hand, Monica portrayed herself as a “poor little rich girl,” which didn’t resonate with Tripp, since Monica led a queen’s life compared to her own youth. On the other hand, Tripp’s children were close to Monica’s age, so she felt a motherly sympathy for her. Here was a young woman with profound psychological issues that were only exacerbated by her dysfunctional relationship with the president. “So she was not happy on her personal groupie side, and she was not happy on her other side, where there were all sorts of dynamics going on.”
Tripp hastily added, sneaking in puffs of a cigarette, “So there was a maternal side that sort of felt sorry for her as a young girl. And there was a side that got a huge kick out of her because she was funny and witty and completely uninhibited. By that I mean—I was raised a very strict Catholic … and she was raised so completely differently that she was completely—her body language even was relaxed and carefree almost in a way that was interesting to watch and something that was completely foreign to me. I tend to be far more uptight. So yeah, I did like her. I felt sorry for her probably more than I liked her. And I was horrified as things were relayed over time.”
By now, e-mail was beginning to catch on as a new way to communicate within the workplace, so Tripp and Lewinsky supplemented their in-person meetings with electronic banter. The e-mail records from their computer hard drives, later turned over to the FBI, revealed Monica’s growing emotional de penden cy on Tripp, especially when it came to discussing Bill Clinton. In one exchange during the workday at the Pentagon, in late winter of 1997, Monica referred to herself as “your loyal freak” and added, “The highlight of my appearance today [is] the volcano zit I have on my cheek. Hmmm … attractive! I’m bored. Would you like to go for coffee later? I know you’re busy these days so I won’t be offended if you can’t. Buh-bye. msl.”
The e-mails also show that Tripp was indeed intrigued by gaining new information about Monica’s relationship with Clinton. This exchange occurred in early 1997:
I think I saw the tie briefly on a clip last night—is it predominantly blue from a distance? What’s going on? How’s the mood? LRT
[Expletive deleted, referring to Clinton] is wearing the secret tie I gave him—the bright, blue and white one. I hope he chokes wearing it. Love. msl
Wonder if this was an associative choice—i.e. Betty [checking in], phone call, tie today … whaddya think? I think a strong possibility … which may mean some action. LRT
On Valentine’s Day 1997, before Monica left on a Pentagon trip to London, she sent Tripp her contact information abroad and wrote hopefully:
I will [be] checking my messages in the hopes that the creep will call and say “Thank you for my love note. I love you. Will you run away with me?” What do ya think the likelihood of that happening is? … xoxoxo … msl
Tripp replied:
Ah, but that has already transpired, says my omnipotent crystal ball.
Despite the fact that Tripp frequently egged Lewinsky on, the older woman felt her anger growing toward Bill Clinton. She was disgusted by what she viewed as the corruption of the White House and its chief occupant. “I’d had it up to my eyeballs,” she said later.
In the late summer of 1997, Tripp consulted anew with Lucianne Goldberg. The feisty agent recalled that Linda’s voice indicated that she felt jittery, but she had no idea that she was walking into a buzz saw. “I don’t think she had a clue as to the vehemence that was going to be visited on her,” Goldberg said. “I think she [expected] it would kind of be a Beltway thing, kind of wouldn’t matter that much, or she just didn’t have a concept of how horrendous it was going to be.… I don’t think she was prepared in any way.”
Although the call was