On Wednesday evening, CNN’s Anderson Cooper actually asked Hillary Clinton a tough question. “Why was it okay for the Clinton Foundation to accept foreign donations when you were secretary of state,” said Cooper, “but it wouldn't be okay if you were president?”

Hillary fumbled around for a minute or two before declaring, “You know, look, Anderson, I know there's a lot of smoke and there's no fire.” As Clinton watchers know, this was not the first time Hillary has used that metaphor.

On January 27, 1998, The "Today Show’s" Matt Lauer questioned Hillary about the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which had just erupted. As to the charge that her husband had an inappropriate relationship with Monica, Hillary snapped, “The president has denied these allegations on all counts, unequivocally.” So too would Hillary.

''The great story here,” she told Lauer, “is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president.”

Eager to believe her, Lauer pitched Hillary a softball, “So when people say there’s a lot of smoke here, your message is where there’s smoke...” Hillary didn’t miss a beat: “There isn’t any fire, because think of what we’ve been through for the last six years and think of everything we’ve been accused of.”

Hillary praised herself for staying calm and offered an explanation as to how she managed to appear that way. “I guess,” she told Lauer, “I’ve just been through it so many times.”

Here, everything depends on what the definition of “it” is. If “it” means lying on national TV to protect your husband’s future, then, yes, Hillary had been through “it.”

Hillary’s first major dabbling in “it” took place in January 1992 on "60 Minutes". When Steve Kroft asked Bill if he had an affair with Gennifer Flowers, he answered, “That allegation is false.” Hillary, her hands lovingly intertwined with Bill’s, nodded in affirmation. Of course, they were both lying. “I have absolutely leveled with the American people,” lied Bill late in the interview, and Hillary nodded again.

The Lauer transcript is a hoot. It deserves to be read in full and shared with anyone credulous enough to think there is “no fire” this time either.