Hillary Clinton already proved a little humility can go a long way

Donald Trump’s administration is certainly not the first to find itself surrounded by a hostile news media early on.

“Is there a fundamental distrust of the Clintons in America?” Hillary Clinton was asked.

“Well, I hope not,” she answered.

When it happened to Hillary Clinton, she called reporters into the state dining room for an ask-me-anything news conference. It was April 1994, back in the days when Helen Thomas always got the first question.

RELATED: If only we had a paper (ballot) trail

“Do you know of any money that could have gone to the Whitewater project or any…,” Thomas asked.

Clinton sat for an hour and 12 minutes on live TV, and some of it sounds eerily familiar.

“Is there any evidence to lead anyone to suspect there’s any obstruction of justice involved or that the White House said anything that would lead the people to call off their investigation…,” Thomas asked.

Clinton was grilled about her failed real estate investments, her investments in cattle futures, and her law practice. A very young CBS reporter named Peter Maer finally asked:

“Do you ever look in the he mirror and wish that you’d never got into this?”

“No, never,” Clinton answered.

She was poised, she was cool, she was unflappable, and she was apologetic.

“You were reported to have opposed the special prosecutor at least in the beginning and the release of tax documents,” Clinton was asked.

“That is probably one of the things I regret most…,” she answered.

The mainstream media, which then was just called “the media,” gave her excellent reviews.

The glow didn’t last, but the Clintons did manage to stay in the White House through some pretty big scandals. Which tells me that a little humility …

“You know, it’s a learning experience.”

… can sometimes work.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/thedaveross