The Clinton Wars

Rating:
Summary: From Boswell to Kafka
Review: Sidney Blumenthal as an author wrote a devastating work on the 1988 presidential campaign, detailing the use of Willie Horton and the Pledge of Allegiance by George Bush against Michael Dukakis, and how the smear artistry and low intellectual level of the Republican campaign designed by Lee Atwater turned off many citizens to the point where they lost interest in the process and did not vote. Blumenthal shrewdly realized the Republican strategy of turning off all but the strongtly committed Republican vote and sailing to victory in the midst of a generally disenchanted electorate.

As a senior adviser in the Clinton White House, Blumenthal had a participant's view of the action as the Republicans tried the same strategy on the former governor from Arkansas. When the Republicans were not able to derail "Bubba" in the voting booth they attempted Plan B, seeking to remove him from office through the impeachment process. As the Ken Starr prosecutorial scheme used the largesse of billionaire right winger Richard Melon Scaife to unleash a viciousness unseen in American politics since 1988 and, prior to that, Richard Nixon, the attackers denied what they were obviously doing. Instead they sought to attack Blumenthal and Clinton for using the media against them. The sad travesty involved a leak to scandalmonger Matt Drudge that Blumenthal beat his wife Jackie, which was picked up dutifully through the Republican network, despite the attackers not possessing a single thread of evidence.

As a senior adviser dealing with communications, the Starr brigade and Republican right in general sought to use Blumenthal as a target, making him appear as a master Machiavellian who was launching smear tactics against them. He ended up spending [money amount] defending himself against their baseless charges as he was compelled to testify before a grand jury and during the trial against Clinton. He ultimately dropped his suit against Drudge due to the sheer expense involved.

In addition to providing an insider's view on how the network seeking to remove Clinton from office operated, Blumenthal also recounts Clinton's triumphs in foreign and domestic policy. He cites the tragedy of Clinton having to face an impeachment trial for an extra-marital sex act when the specter of Bin Laden and terrorism loomed large before America and the world.

Blumenthal's informative work has plenty of the Boswell and Kafka in it, the Boswell stemming from his chronicling of Clinton's world as chief executive, supplying interesting factual details as Boswell did in detailing the colorful life of London's legendary Doctor Samuel Johnson. The Kafka emerges in his recounting of the scurrilous relentlessness with which the Clinton haters pursued the author en route to seeking to destroy the president he served.

This is great reading for any concerned Americans seeking to learn more about the political process from the sublime to the truly lamentable.

Rating:
Summary: Journalistic Predator To Political Prey Now Dogmatic Pundit!
Review: I once said, the Clinton's would do more for book publishing than any before them; I have been proven right by yet another hardback.

Nonetheless, a tough read in length and content but very interesting, in the end. The book provides the other side as well as the inside views of how the Kehilla around Clinton closed ranks and stood their ground against all critics, pundits and prosecutors.

Sidney was one of the first Journalists to discredit Candidate Clinton's "Bimbo Eruptions," by using the "Nuts & Sluts" defense. He started with Jennifer Flowers Press Conference, moved on to Clinton's swearing in as President and now ending in this book.

The author points out why he was proud to be of help to bring into disrepute anyone harming Governor Clinton's election at all costs, even the truth sometimes, because that is how the political game is played, parried and replayed. Loyal subjects are known to defend the King at all costs, even though America has no Kings?

Yet, I never agreed with the critics who claim President Clinton was not determined, but just lucky to have good friends to cover his sins of the heart, head and flesh. I found it to be totally unfair, in my opinion. Sidney does point out why he fought so hard to support President Clinton. And quite frankly, I came away not blaming him but admiring his passion for this President.

The simple fact remains President Clinton did accomplish substantive and important policies for the future of America. He did reform welfare with Republicans, ended the ethnic cleansing killings in Kosovo, was able to pass WTO and NAFTA and appointed some very good judges, agency heads and generals.

Moreover, Sidney is the first to admit President Clinton's own actions were to blame for him not being able to do more. The author states he was very disappointed that the swords of slander and substance that stopped President Clinton cold in 1994, 1996 and 1998 were of the President's own making. The cutting blades of bias to President's Clinton's political foes were forged in their own camps. I found that refreshing from Sidney making such admissions.

The way the writer describes it makes you wonder why such ambitions of meticulously single-minded purpose to be elected President was overcome by careless attitudes towards personal slapdash behavior. These dealings block President Clinton's reactionary schema to the ruination of his legacy. Certainly, turning a Democratic majority into a Republican's Congress and Senate with impeachment, follow by disbarment and public ridicule was not wise, to say the least.

The Media now say Sidney Blumenthal is no longer a credible journalist. They scorn the author for falling on his sword and lost his reputation when he went from predator to prey to now pundit!

I only know one thing after reading this book; I would love to have a man like Sidney on my side in a political fight for my life. And his actions for the Clinton's are because he believed in them and still does, even with the messy after thoughts of historical opinionated checkmate.

Say what you will about this book and author, but his passion for President Clinton and Hillary deserves praise and recognition. I came away thinking to myself, Sidney wrote this view of history because of his genuine values in their political agenda. Now whatever that was is the subject of entirely new book!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: Take Washington Republicans seeking payback for Nixon's resignation, add southern Republicans still seething over the successes of the civil rights movement, toss in a reclusive billionaire willing to spend any amount of money in support of the conservative agenda and a press corps desperate to relive the glory days of Watergate, and you have the makings of the Perfect Storm of American politics.

This book starts out slowly, but hang in there. Think of the first 200 pages as the long slow climb of a roller-coaster car to the top of the first big hill. Don't be put off by the history lesson of the first few chapters; the style of this book is intelligent but unpretentious, and it's an easy read.

This should be required reading for anyone who votes.

Rating:
Summary: The Clinton Wars
Review: This book is very hard to swallow. Was this book ghost written by the Clintons? Mr. Blumenthal is long winded, self serving, and biased. Did the Clintons do anything wrong? They should take some responsibity for their actions.

I realize that Clinton was a target but he also was not the saint that Mr. Blumenthal paints him as. The right wing conspiracy was not urging him on with Monica Lewinsky.

I believe that Dick Morris' advice would have been good. Blumenthal thought that coming clean was a stupid idea. I think that if he said yes, I had a sexual relation with that girl, he would not have been impeached. It would have taken the wind out of the sails. Instead, Clinton went on television and lied to the country.

Clinton was an able politician. He realized, I think on his own and without the author's much believed help from him, that he could not be a typical tax and spend democrat. He did things that were in the middle of the road.

The book gives Clinton credit for everything that was good during his tenure. However, the right wing conspiracy caused evey problem. Clinton chose his cabinet wisely. The book fails to mention that Rubin and Greenspan helped to guide the economy.

This book reminds me of the movie "Thirteen Days." The Kevin Costner role was enlarged from what it really was. Mr. Blumenthal seems to believe that the second term would not have happened without his help.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely boring and one sided portrayal
Review: Even though I am a conservative Republican, I enjoy reading inside accounts of the Clinton administration. I found George Stephanopoulos' book "All Too Human" to be very interesting reading. Even though it was pro-Clinton for the most part, the author did provide criticism when he felt it was deserved. Blumenthal's account on the other hand, finds absolutely no fault with the former president. He parrots the infamous "right wing conspiracy" theory originated by the former first lady.

In addition, the book is way too long at over 800 pages...I gave up after forcing my way through over 500. I recommend the Stephanopoulos book or Michael Waldman's "POTUS Speaks" as much more interesting and balanced reading.

Rating:
Summary: Well written, but questionably facts
Review: The author is a good writer, but it is evident from the start that this book is biased. The author doesn't provide much balance and if his book is true it is hard to believe that the Clinton's would wait this long to expose their opposition.

The opening chapters are repetitive and tiring with the author's constant comparisons of Clinton to FDR, Hillary to RFK, and his reference to Clinton as the progressive president sent to carry on the New Deal and Great Society.

The author makes some outlandish arguments such as tracing back the opposition to Clinton in his home state of Arkansas to Brown v. Board of Education. Although a strech, it is interesting to see how he connects the dots.

It is also funny how the author footnotes himself in pages in the book. You would think he would footnote his original source instead of some article he wrote himself.

The author also spins some of Clinton's accomplishments regarding the economy. He constantly praises Clinton for his budget deficit reductions, but ignores that the national debt actually rose $1.6 trillion during the Clinton administration.

Certainly history the way the Clinton's would like to see it.

Rating:
Summary: the other side of the story
Review: I saw the author giving a speach about his book on C-Span a few days after I had bought his book and found it illuminating. I hadn't quite finished his book at that time. I believe a majority of the people were already dismayed and tired of the constant harassment of Clinton by the media and right-wing conservatives by the the time of his impeachment. The reason for the impeachment was so ludicrous and inhumane that those Republicans who forced this event and Starr hurt our country's image and the people's belief that our country is fair and just in its judicial system. This book is good because it tells the other side of the story-the true side (A lot of people still believe the lies, even though with all the millions spent on the investigations nothing was found). It tells about their personal, domestic, and foreign wars. You hear about the Starr/Lewinsky/Clinton case and the bullying antics of Starr. You get the story on the Bush/Gore election and dirty actions that a lot of the people don't know about. It is an important book to read. We need to be more knowledgeable about the people we vote for. We can't count on just the news because that is often distorted as you will see in this book. We need to dig deeper. Ultimately, we the people, choose the people who work for us, so we need to know their qualifications. They can either make you, break you or steal from you.

Rating:
Summary: Both the means and ends were wrong.
Review: I am biased in that I believe Bill Clinton was a superior president. But I am also angry at him for his reckless disregard of his personal obligations and responsibilities which resulted not only in giving his enemies the sword to slay him, but also to undercut his policy, program and visions, which ultimately led to the restoration of a right wing agenda and administration. Sidney Blumenthal's book has reenforced both conclusions, and in doing so has made a convincing argument that the sins of Clinton's enemies (including Ken Starr and his staff) were far greater that Clinton's own sins. Blumenthal does not purport to be an objective historian or observer, but has marshaled together, in a long but very readable book, a advocate's brief on behalf of the Clinton Administration and Bill Clinton's leadership.

Blumenthal has actually woven two books into one. The first is an insider's view of the second term. The second is essentially a legal brief on behalf of the Clintons and a defense of the allegations leveled against Blumenthal himself. Although Blumenthal is a journalist not a lawyer, the legal brief is far more powerful and interesting than the journalist account.

I would have preferred that Blumenthal had documented every source in his footnotes, but he is after all a journalist not an historian. Still he gives enough sources, including an on the record interview with Sam Dash, to support his argument that the concerted effort to undermine Clinton by whatever means available was done to justify the hypothesis that Clinton was an illegitimate president. The irony is that those who question the legitimacy of President Bush's selection, do not question the legitimacy of his administration, while those who attacked (and still attack) the legitimacy of the Clinton Administration never questioned the legitimacy of Clinton's election.

Blumenthal's book can - and has been - easily dismissed by Clinton opponents as being the ranting of a member of the "not so vast left wing conspiracy." I would like to read the retort of a critic who credits Blumenthal with a serious defense of the Clinton Administration and the shallowness of the scandals which consumed it and than contradicts Blumenthal's thesis with references to his chronology and arguments rather harangues about the messenger.

Rating:
Summary: Fighting For Democracy---The Clinton Wars
Review: A very large tome on the Clinton Wars otherwise known as the Lewinsky affair. Sydney Blumenthal's account of the Clinton Wars devotes extensive ink to the issue of impeachment and the real issues behind what can aptly be described as a witch hunt.

Blumenthal, a former journalist, recounts how the reclusive, perhaps insance, Richard Mellon Scaife funded various conservative causes, including the infamous Arkansas Project. All the major players are recounted in this work, including ex-Conservative David Brock, Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, David Hale and of course Ken Starr. These are the big boys and girls, the ALL-STARS but there are plenty of role players.

Blumenthal aptly describes how the conservative, right wing moralists embarked on an amoral, unconstitutional campaign to bring down a president. What was really going on behind the scenes was an epic political and social battle over abortion, women's rights, civil rights, the environment, corporate responsibility and foreign policy. The rabid right wing, helped by the backwards forces of the old South in Arkansas are exposed for the bigots they are. Ken Starr and his "moral" crusade were nothing more than an undeclared Culture War.

There are not enough words to describe this book and to outline all the great details. While Clinton was not perfect, he was attempting to build a better country, to move the nation forward and to bring everyone along for the ride. The bigots and government haters of the right were merely attempting to roll-back years of progress and prevent any movement forward.

Read the Clinton Wars and even as a conservative you may be repulsed at the actions of the militant right.

Rating:
Summary: A book about the real state of the union
Review: This author really feels for his subject, that is obvious from his passionate writing. Reading this book is painful - the republican slander machine does not stop at anything to keep the power in the US to themsleves. I was amazed to read that Clinton was accused of no less than twentyfive murders in connection with Whitewater - and that was only at the beginning of his presidency! The US must clear up its own act at the same time it demands democracy in other countries.
The only issue I have with the book is the comparable lack of sources and references. The slander has to be met with proveable facts, not something that can be dismissed as propaganda.