In Newsweek, the only mention of Broaddrick came in the snippy “Conventional Wisdom Watch” feature. While Hillary drew an up arrow (“Run Hil, run. NY Sen race would make Gore-Bush look like Student Council bid”), The “CW” writer (usually wise-cracking Jonathan Alter, “the son the Clintons never wanted” quips Shirley) called Broaddrick simply by her Starr Report name, “Jane Doe 5,” and declared: “Should have leveled (unproven) assault charge in ’78, or ’92. But sounds like our guy.”

Sounds like our guy?

But no reporter sought the First Lady’s comment on the Broaddrick assault, and the networks stayed quiet, even when the White House was shameless enough to speak out against violence against women. On February 26, 1999, just two days after the NBC interview, Vice President Gore held a White House event on domestic violence. He proclaimed: “Physical brutality at the hands of a partner or spouse is not simply love gone wrong, or someone needing to blow off steam at the end of the day. It is criminal assault, pure and simple. We don’t do anybody any favors, least of all the abusers, when we ignore it.”

Coming on the heels of the Broaddrick accusation, the irony should have been inescapable. Yet Associated Press reporter Sonya Ross reported it without any Broaddrick mention. On ABC’s Good Morning America, anchor Antonio Mora blandly previewed: “And Vice President Gore announces $223 million in grants to communities to fight domestic violence.” Evening news coverage? Zero.