I’m going to try to lay this out in three pieces. First, an article appears in Vanity Fair over the weekend implying among other things that Bill might be sleeping around while he’s on the road for Hillary:

Old friends and longtime aides are wringing their hands over Bill Clinton’s post–White House escapades, from the dubious (and secretive) business associations to the media blowups that have bruised his wife’s campaign, to the private-jetting around with a skirt-chasing, scandal-tinged posse. Some point to Clinton’s medical traumas; others blame sheer selfishness, and the absence of anyone who can say “no.” Exploring Clintonworld, the author asks if the former president will be consumed by his own worst self.

Second, Bill blows up on the ropeline, handshaking supporters, he gets asked for a reaction to the article:

Former President Bill Clinton today unleashed a salty stream of epithets to describe former New York Times reporter and current Vanity Fair writer Todd Purdum, calling him “sleazy,” “dishonest,” “slimy” and a “scumbag.”

The former president made the comment at a local campaign event after I asked him if Purdum’s much-commented upon Vanity Fair story was weighing on his mind…

“[He’s] sleazy,” he said referring to Purdum. “He’s a really dishonest reporter. And one of our guys talked to him . . . And I haven’t read [the article]. But he told me there’s five or six just blatant lies in there. But he’s a real slimy guy,” the former president said.

When I reminded him that Purdum was married to his former press spokesperson Myers, Clinton was undeterred.

“That’s all right– he’s still a scumbag,” Clinton said. ” Let me tell ya– he’s one of the guys — he’s one of the guys that propagated all those lies about Whitewater to Kenneth Starr. He’s just a dishonest guy– can’t help it.”

Third, Bill Clinton has apologized for his language; but, another question is raised in the NY Times coverage of the incident:

Speaking to a reporter for the (Huffington Post) Web site — who campaign aides said did not identify herself as a journalist and said she hated the article before asking for his reaction — Mr. Clinton said the article was part of a pattern of media bias against Mrs. Clinton and in favor of her rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama.

A blogger should observe journalistic conventions if they want the rights and responsibilities of a reporter. I didn’t hear anything about blogging or reporting in the recording.