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• Mar 26, 2008 10:27 am US/Eastern
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  Chelsea On Monica: 'None Of Your Business'

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Chelsea On Monica: 'None Of Your Business'

Butler Univ. Student Queries Clinton About Mom's Handling Of Scandal

Student Tells CBS: 'I Love Hillary'

INDIANAPOLIS (CBS/AP) ― The college student who got a stinging brushback from Chelsea Clinton when he asked about her mother's handling of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, said Wednesday he is a Clinton supporter who was simply trying to give her daughter an opportunity to show people "what makes Hillary so strong."

Evan Strange, a Butler University student who also works on the school's newspaper, The Butler Collegian, said he had asked Chelsea Clinton at her appearance Tuesday at the school for her opinion "on the criticism of her mother that how she handled the Lewinsky scandal might be a sign of weakness and she might not be a strong enough candidate to be president."

It wasn't clear what aspect of the former first lady's actions he was referring to. Before she was fully aware of President Bill Clinton's relationship with Lewinsky, a White House intern, Hillary Rodham Clinton said the allegations about that relationship were manufactured by a "vast right-wing conspiracy."

Strange's question brought a stinging rebuke from Clinton's daughter. "Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business," Chelsea Clinton said during the campaign visit for her mother.

"I'm a supporter of Hillary. I love Hillary," Strange said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show." He said he asked the question because his friends "always bring up that scandal. It's not something I asked to cause trouble but to show those people what makes Hillary so strong. It was basically a chance for Chelsea to show all the doubters how strong Hillary is."

Brock Benefiel, one of the editors of "The Butler Collegian" said the mood of the room after strange asked the question was that of "shock," and that whether it was an appropriate question was really up to Clinton.

"The question definitely strayed from the issues that were being discussed earlier in the forum," he said. "I think it is a distraction and it's unfortunate."

Strange admitted he wasn't expecting Clinton to lash out at him.

"I was very surprised" at the rebuke, Strange said. "I can see where she'd get a little defensive because of the question and hearing Lewinsky over and over again, I can see where she would have reacted that way. But I would like to hear her say something about her record or something else like that rather than dismissing the question."

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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