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From The Clinton Interviews: A Drunken Boris Yeltsin On Pennsylvania Ave.
Rachel Slajda | September 21, 2009, 9:01AM
Fmr. Russian Pres. Boris Yeltsin
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In a new book recounting 79 taped interviews with President Clinton while he was in office, author Taylor Branch has bestowed us with some gems, such as this one about Boris Yeltsin's drinking:
Yeltsin was visiting Washington in 1995 when, late at night, Secret Service agents found the Russian president stripped to his underwear and trying to hail a cab on Pennsylvania Avenue. He wanted a pizza, he slurred.
USA Today reporter Susan Page unearthed the Yeltsin bit. The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President is based on the secret interviews between old friends Branch and Clinton -- the tapes of which Clinton kept hidden in his sock drawer.
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tonigo
September 21, 2009 9:37 AM
So THAT'S who that guy was.
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rynato
September 21, 2009 9:56 AM
I can't wait to read about this. I'm assuming he was staying over at the White House, rather than at the Russian Embassy? How the hell does a VIP like that even get outside the WH gates? I'm pretty sure they have 24/7 security...
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_agave_
September 21, 2009 10:31 AM in reply to rynato
Yeah. Sounds like BS to me. A cute story but not likely.
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tonigo
September 21, 2009 10:46 AM in reply to rynato
According to the USA today article, he was staying at the Blair House (across the streeet from the WH). Much easier to get in and out of.
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ivy22
September 21, 2009 10:05 AM
Putin, schmootin! Bring back Boris. Putin only strips to the waist. Boris almost committed a Full Monte on Pennsylvania Avenue. Gotta love those vodka lovin' Ruskies!
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GTFOOH
September 21, 2009 10:33 AM
Now there's a guy who understood commie was just short for comical! BVD to the LOL Boris!
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okiescott
September 21, 2009 12:41 PM
Sounds vaguely similar to an episode of the West Wing involving a visiting drunken Ukrainian politician. I wonder which technical advisor had a hand in that story line.
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dCreed
September 21, 2009 1:25 PM
i believe it. i still remember a line in Stephanopoulos' 'all too human' in which he describes the sauced russian president as looking like a "boiled potato." And by the end of the day, he was referring to Clinton as "my frient beeeeeeeel"
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dCreed
September 21, 2009 1:26 PM
in fact i think Stephanopoulos even wrote about Boris walking around Blair/White house in his undies
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rynato
September 21, 2009 1:27 PM
Boris Yeltsin did a better job of running Russia while drunk, than Bush did running America while sober (allegedly).
Think about it.
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JerseyCurmudgeon
September 22, 2009 11:40 AM
Bad visuals abound.
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