Rating: 
Summary: Not the Fluff Cycle
Review: Being a fan of President Clinton I always read a book on his administration with a bit of a bias view. At times this book upset me and other times I was shouting "right on", given these duel responses I have come to the conclusion that, no matter that I did not agree with a number of items, the book is an overall fair look at the Clinton scandal fest. I thought the author did a great job in weaving together the pertinent facts about each of the scandals / issues with the response from the White House. I was very interested in the inside info on how the White House tried to either spin or deflect each of the stories. The author had a great deal of direct quotes of conversations, which really made the book come alive. The information about the White House briefing is worth the price of the book alone. You can actually see this type of activity at work today with the current briefings that are televised. I also was interested in the additional comments on the way that the Clinton's themselves viewed the media and their knee jerk reaction to clam up at every question. You almost got the feeling that if the Clinton's would have always listened to the media people on their staffs that some of the overall negative and nasty press they received may have been decreased to some degree. The last bit of the book that surprised me was the, at times, rude, disrespectful and almost violent way the media and the White House staff dealt with each other. You just got to wonder what the White House staff was thinking to beat up on the people with the loudest voice in the country. My only complaint was that the book ended too soon, missing the Super Bowl of the spin, the Starr Report and the impeachment. It would have been nice for the author to have held out a year or so for the full story in the paperback. Overall I found this book well written, very interesting and quite enjoyable. It is required reading for anyone that is interested in the Clinton years or the media.
Rating: 
Summary: Good ... But Non-Critical
Review: Conservatives hoping that "Spin Cycle" will serve as an indictment of the Clinton Administration will be disappointed. Kurtz tells the story of media coverage of the Clinton Administration in a non-critical manner, indicting neither the press nor McCurry, Lanny Davis or the other White House spinmeisters. And Kurtz seems to place both Bill and Hillary above the fray and basically non-connected with the daily push and pull of media coverage, making the first couple look like victims. Unfortunately, the paperback edition ends in late July 1998 before the issuance of the Starr Report which proved many of the media leaks of the subsequent seven months to be accurate. Overall, while not a classic, Kurtz wrote an interesting book which ultimately will provide a good timeline of many of the critical events of scandal of the Clinton second term.
Rating: 
Summary: Kurtz misses the machine for the parts.
Review: First off, "Spin Cycle" is glaringly the product of superficial journalism, of a botched crossover from the easy stuff. Where, finally, is structural analysis in this book? Kurtz all but ignores the role of U.S. media as our fourth branch of government, the branch whose function(at least from an executive viewpoint) is to engineer consent(selectively disinform constituents of the popular sovereignty). Campaigns in El Salvador, Panama, and the Persian Gulf were all accompanied by exemplary, considering the campaigns themselves ran contrary to American idealism, successes in popular consent engineering. Kurtz begins his effort with no model, which is fine, but he ends with no model either. All propaganda(public relations, selective disinformation, advertising...or whichever item of doublespeak you choose to insert) is not the same, hence all "propaganda machines" are not the same, yet Kurtz argumentatively implicates this notion by failing any analysis to the contrary. Goebbles-style propaganda is nothing like the western-democratic propaganda employed by successful and popular presidents. Now, to his credit, Kurtz's book will no doubt serve some day as a footnote or two to a definitive and worthwhile analysis of the "propaganda machine" specific to the Clinton administration. This work, when it comes, will have of course superseded the bounds of Kurtz's poorly written monograph.
Rating:
Summary: As the White House Turns
Review: From Whitewater to Monica Lewinsky, the Clinton administration has seen an unprecedented flow of scandals. How can a president manage to survive all of the negative press with his reputation intact. Who can a president call on in those critical times of crisis? Introducing: The Clinton Propaganda Machine All American presidents in the modern era have had a special group of political advisors to assist the president in his dealings with the media. This is nothing new. But the Clinton spin team has had more than just an ordinary amount of work on their hands. This has been a full scale workout from the very first days of Clinton's initial term as president, to the present day, with little time for rest. Just when it appears that the spinmeisters can have some time to catch their breath, another juicy tidbit of political misbehavior reaches the public, setting the spin cycle into motion once again.
Clinton has never had a good relationship with the media as a whole. In the past, the press was a little more sympathetic to presidential blunders. Today, they are relentless in their pursuit of any newsworthy information; pushing, pulling, twisting, and choking their victims of any last morsel of dignity. Who is the real villian here? Is it the president for committing unethical acts, or is it the media for submitting to ruthless, tabloid- like tactics? This book leaves you wondering. Maybe the real blame should be placed on the public. After all, if the people did not purchase the newspapers and watch the new stories, they would eventually cease. We like to blame the press for circulating dirty laundry. But aren't we, the people, equally to blame if we buy these magazines and newspapers and watch these television programs?
Whether you like politics or not, you will enjoy "Spin Cycle". Just sit back and let Howard Kurtz take you on a journey through the political media circus, where the ringmaster's on the president's team manage to keep their leader's approval rating surprisingly high!, in spite of the never ending parade of scandals.
Rating: 
Summary: It all depends on ones point of view
Review: Howard Kurtz has written an entertaining and informative book as far as it goes which isn't far enough. He try's to convince the reader of the veracity and concern of the media for the American People's right to know. The truth is that this same media voted overwhelmingly for the Clinton administration in numbers exceeding 90% of their members. This book outlines their consternation with Bill Clinton, the carrier of their progressive banner, and their increasing irritation with his self absorbed methods for attaining its imperatives. The book is centered on the various tawdry scandals engaged in by the Clinton administration led by that most self engaged of presidential couples. Kurtz does a good job of reflecting the media's dyspepsia in that regard. To truly critique this book, rent the film "All the Presidents Men". Better yet, read the book. Then you can see how the media reacts to a Republican president who has overstepped his constitutional bounds. Through a perusal of "All the Presidents Men" you can contrast the media's rapt attention to the Watergate hearings versus its disdain for the same involving Clinton. Witness their gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands on display over "Bill" with their unreal and venomous hatred of "Milhaus". Only then will you really appreciate the unintended humor in this shallow tome and its attempts to dissuade and misdirect from the real constitutional crisis with which Bill Clinton presented America. History will reflect that Bill Clinton was Richard Nixon times ten. For a primer on the Clinton administration and the rule of law in its wake, read anything by Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute or Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice.
Rating:
Summary: It all depends on ones point of view
Review: Howard Kurtz has written an entertaining and informative book as far as it goes which isn't far enough. He try's to convince the reader of the veracity and concern of the media for the American People's right to know. The truth is that this same media voted overwhelmingly for the Clinton administration in numbers exceeding 90% of their members. This book outlines their consternation with Bill Clinton, the carrier of their progressive banner, and their increasing irritation with his self absorbed methods for attaining its imperatives. The book is centered on the various tawdry scandals engaged in by the Clinton administration led by that most self engaged of presidential couples. Kurtz does a good job of reflecting the media's dyspepsia in that regard. To truly critique this book, rent the film "All the Presidents Men". Better yet, read the book. Then you can see how the media reacts to a Republican president who has overstepped his constitutional bounds. Through a perusal of "All the Presidents Men" you can contrast the media's rapt attention to the Watergate hearings versus its disdain for the same involving Clinton. Witness their gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands on display over "Bill" with their unreal and venomous hatred of "Milhaus". Only then will you really appreciate the unintended humor in this shallow tome and its attempts to dissuade and misdirect from the real constitutional crisis with which Bill Clinton presented America. History will reflect that Bill Clinton was Richard Nixon times ten. For a primer on the Clinton administration and the rule of law in its wake, read anything by Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute or Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for news-junkies!
Review: Howard Kurtz slammed me pretty good in his book about talk radio. I'm here to return the favor! "Spin Cycle" is an absolute must-read for everyone who wants a clear understanding of the machinations of White House press politics. You'll have trouble putting this one down, unless, that is, Mike McCurry is on the tube briefing the media. Neal Boortz WSB Radio, Atlanta.
Rating:
Summary: The Man has Sources
Review: Howard Kurtz writes a soild interesting book not only on the Clinton Administration but on how this administration has set a course future politicians will follow. I am not a Clinton fan by any stretch but he sure knows how to market the Presidentcy and Kurtz does a great job of exposing some of the detailed activities going on in our White House. Kurtz has some solid inside sources and gives the reader a wonderful view of the spinning of news. Both sides do it but Clinton seems to be a master. Those that complain this is old rehashed data must be following the news with precision. I for one appreciated hearing more details about stories I had heard only the overview of on the nightly news. I won't see the news in the same light again.
Rating:
Summary: THE book on modern Presidental PR
Review: Howard Kurtz, a sage media critic for the Washington Post, has crafted the modern masterpiece on how the spin game is played in Washington. As we all know, political success comes from developing a carefully constructed image, fed to the American public via the mass media. The staff in the President's press office work dilligently to dominate the news cycle and to present the calculated images and soundbytes that will help increase the President's public opinion numbers. Kurtz could not have found a better case study, as Clinton's press staff (led by the brilliant Mike McCurry) help the boss survive one scandal and damaging revelation after another, from Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones to Monica Lewinsky and Impeachment. Ever wonder how Clinton survived those eight years intact? Read this book and it will all make sense. This book will soon be a must-read in both history and political science, where it will help future generations understand the Presidency, c. 2000.
Rating:
Summary: An Inside Look at Clinton and the Media
Review: Howard Kurtz, aside from being a perceptive media critic, is a very luck man. <i>Spin Cycle<i> went to press just as the Lewinsky scandal broke. Now updated and in paperback, it is a must-read for anyone watching current coverage of the Clinton presidency and wondering how the heck we got here. Kurtz shows that the tensions between the Clintons and the White House press corps go back to the beginning of his presidency. For all his political savvy, Bill Clinton has never mastered media relations, and now, in crisis, he has no good will to call upon. Also central to Kurtz's story is outgoing press secretary Mike McCurry, a man who should receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his work in the trenches.
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