President Clinton has gently taken issue with the claim by his wife Hillary that child abuse contributed to his marital infidelities. The White House is also denying an implication in the interview with Mrs Clinton that the President needs therapy or psychological treatment for his extra-marital tendencies.
The White House spokesman, Mr Joe Lockhart, told reporters yesterday that President Clinton was insisting that he alone was responsible for his affair with Ms Monica Lewinsky, which led to his impeachment and acquittal earlier this year.
In her interview with the new Talk magazine, edited by Tina Brown, to be published today, Mrs Clinton appeared to excuse to some degree her husband's infidelities when she said it was "remarkable given his background that he turned out to be the kind of person he is, capable of such leadership.
"He was so young, barely four, when he was scarred by abuse. There was terrible conflict between his mother and grandmother.
"A psychologist once told me that for a boy being in the middle of a conflict between two women is the worst possible situation. There is always a desire to please each one."
The First Lady's outspoken interview is seen by some observers as her way of getting this embarrassing aspect of her marriage out of the way before her campaign for a New York Senate seat moves into high gear, but it has also sparked widespread media interest in whether President Clinton is still suffering the effects of emotional abuse as a child, and whether he needs psychological treatment.
The President has clearly not wanted to disown his wife's views, while making it known that he is not blaming his at times difficult childhood for his affair with Ms Lewinsky.
He has also moved quickly to quell speculation that as President he needs to have any psychological treatment for his sexual proclivities. The only counselling he is receiving at this time is pastoral and spiritual from clergymen, Mr Lockhart said.
In the interview, the President is quoted as telling friends that he would seek therapy after he leaves office.
Mr Lockhart said the President was "comfortable" with what the First Lady said in her interview, and he had "no fundamental disagreements" with her comments.
Mr Lockhart said that of course Mr Clinton did have "difficult issues" when growing up in Arkansas without a father and with a stepfather who abused his mother, but he also had "a life blessed with love, a wonderful life".
While Mr Lockhart, under a grilling from the White House press corps, insisted that the President and the First Lady "completely agree he is responsible for his actions", this was not borne out by the reporter, Lucinda Franks, who conducted the interview.
She told CNN yesterday that Mrs Clinton "believes that much of his sexual compulsions, which have nothing to do with his love and commitment to her, have to do with early childhood trauma and in being treated not as a child but as an adult".
This time last year the White House was grappling with the admission by Ms Lewinsky to a grand jury that she had sexual encounters with President Clinton off the Oval Office, and that there was a stained dress to prove it. Now the White House is having to deal with his wife's version of why he did this.
No wonder some people say that "Clinton fatigue" is fast setting in.