KEY POINTS:
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says it has been worth it to stand by her man, Bill Clinton, despite the marital challenges they have faced.
Their marriage was rocked in 1998 when it was revealed President Bill Clinton had had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky,
which set off an extended drama that led to his impeachment and a failed attempt to remove him from office.
New York senator Hillary Clinton, 60 last Friday, talked about life with Bill in an interview with Essence magazine.
Many have wondered why she stood by Clinton, who has also been accused of sexual improprieties by other women.
"I know the truth of my life and of my marriage, my relationship and partnership, my deep abiding friendship with my husband," Clinton said. "It's been enormously supportive to me through most of my life.
She did not, however, mention the word "love".
"Obviously we've had challenges as everybody in the world knows," she says. "But I never doubted it was a marriage worth investing in, and I'm really happy I made that decision."
Clinton said it was "not a decision for everybody. And I think it's so important for women to stand up for the right of women to make a decision that's best for them."
The presidential hopeful also described her first meeting with the nefarious Clinton.
"It was the spring of 1971," she said. "We were at Yale Law School in the student lounge, and I was walking through with a friend of mine, and Bill was holding forth. As I walked by I heard him say, 'And not only that, we grow the biggest watermelons in the world'.
"And I turned to this friend and said, 'Who is that?' And she said, 'That's Bill Clinton, and he's from Arkansas and that's all he ever talks about'.
"I thought he was very attractive. He was tall, his long hair was much more red-gold, and it was curly, and he had this Vikingesque beard."
Even through the bad patches - like the affair with Lewinsky - Clinton said their marriage was worth the "investment".
Asked what the most romantic thing her husband had ever done for her was, Clinton reportedly hesitated before saying: "Oh, he's so romantic. He's always bringing me back things from his trips. He brought me a giant wooden giraffe from Africa."
"Oh, he bought me this watch," she said, holding out her left wrist to show off a Chanel watch, its bracelet made of white cubes shaped like elegant dentures, if you can picture it.
"I had dental surgery and he said it reminded him of teeth."
Romantic indeed.
Clinton also spoke of their political differences.
"We have influenced each other so much over 36 years," she said, "there's a bit of a challenge to say, here's where he stops and I start, and vice versa.
"But I believe my experience in the Senate, particularly post 9/11, has given me a much better first-hand understanding of what we're going to have to do to repair the damage Bush has done over the last six-and-a-half years."
Clinton also had a message for African-American voters: "Don't lose faith. We haven't done everything we have to do."
So who will be the boss?
Bill Clinton reveals in his own Essence interview that he is prepared to take orders from his wife and that he would be happy to return to the White House under her command.
"Hillary spent the better part of three decades supporting me and now it's her time," he said.
"All that service - the fine work she did when I was President, and her outstanding record in the Senate - have prepared her well for the presidency.
"She has the best combination of mind and heart that I have ever seen. And if she is elected, I will serve in whatever capacity the President determines is best for America.
"She would make the decisions. I would give advice when asked and serve when asked."
But many Republicans believe Americans will not want to return the Clintons to the White House and will take the Lewinsky scandal into account when voting for a president in November next year.
