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THE ELUSIVE EDUCATIONAL LESSONS OF MONICA AND CHANDRA
by Michael L. Goldstein
For over two years, Washington was engulfed by two scandals
involving a prominent politician and an intern. In each
instance, the details of an intimate relationship were the story.
How and where did they meet? How did they hide the relationship
from spouses? How did they avoid the purview of colleagues and
the prying eye of the press? What were the thoughts of the
female partner as the highly dubious and improbable relationship
with an accomplished, older and married male unfolded? 1/
As stories of personal intimacy dominated the news in each case,
those providing context were equally rare. To viewers and
readers, there were few hints as to who and what made these
relationships possible. Was anyone responsible? After all,
neither Monica Lewinsky nor Chandra Levy appeared magically on
the doorsteps of Washington’s power brokers. Indeed, they
arrived via internship programs which promised them practical
training in pursuit of career and educational advancement. These
programs are an important part of the story because they set and