Rating: 
Summary: The left is still blinded by the left
Review: Saying that the impeachment was just about a sexuel liason tells the whole story of the book and as a phrase a friend of mine once coined, The author "located himself." Bill Clinton was sued for sexual harrassment, a case in which he lost costing him a fine of $750,000.00 During the course of the prosecution Bill Clinton lied under oath some 3 different times. As a result of his perjury and the facts uncovered by investigators into the hidden life of Bill Clinton, he was impeached. Perhaps some of you remember many in Congress, Democrats along with Republicans, who stated that if the Senators would read some of the depositions held as evidence over in the Ford Building it would change their minds on whether to continue with the impeachment. Neither of the parties that were Senators bothered to look at that evidence as did both parties in congress...
Rating: 
Summary: No wonder conservatives won't review it factually!
Review: This book is a must-read for Americans of all political persuasions. Brock has written a first-hand account of the conspiracy of money, lies, media and corrupt conservatives that led to Thomas' confirmation, Clinton's impeachment, and the ridiculous rhetoric that casts all Democrats as liberals and all liberals as "evil," "anti-family," and "Communist."Reviews by conservatives, both here and in the press, are often reviews not of "Blinded By the Right," but of David Brock himself. It's been claimed, in efforts to discredit the book, that Brock is neurotic, catty, bitter, and that he made a sudden, suspicious turnaround in ideology simply to advance his career. Such accounts ignore the significance of Brock's words, none of which have been refuted. Moreover, the book traces Brock's personal struggle to come to terms with his conscience, a gradual process of facing the truth about himself and the conservative movement that made him a star. The book makes clear that this was no sudden turnabout, and that it was, in fact, a choice to walk away from a lucrative, successful career. In a larger sense, Brock's transformation from an honest Republican to a conservative hack reflects a transformation of the GOP itself. The tone of this book is not bitter, but rather a straightforward confessional, from a man who's found peace with himself while deeply regretting his past. What Brock writes about is still true today. The same kinds of lies and gossip are issued and repeated in the press without responsible fact-checking. The same conservative pundits are making outlandish statements in books and on TV talk shows. The same people who'd like to turn the social clock back fifty years are devoting millions of dollars to villifying Democrats. And many of the same players Brock exposes are in high levels of government. "Blinded by the Right" is not only a lesson for us all, it's a wake-up call to the power of well-funded lies, irresponsible journalism, and ill-begotten power -- a warning to be wary now and always.
Rating: 
Summary: Unexpected Revelations Outweigh Expected Apologies
Review: I enjoyed this book much more than I thought that I would. I expected Brock's apology for lying about Anita Hill and for helping Clarence Thomas and his supporters to vilify the accuser (who passed the polygraph, recall) to save the appointee (who did not take a polygraph for some reason). I also expected him to repeat his apology to President Clinton. I did not expect Brock to name names and supply facts. The names and facts have yet to be contested, although I expect that Brock must have distorted this detail or misstated that factlet. If Brock's old buddies on the Right begin to quibble with the specifics the way Brock did with the particulars of the authors of STRANGE JUSTICE (who exposed Brock's and Thomas's tricks), they will tacitly admit that they cannot effectively dismiss Brock's larger point. That larger point is that the "vast right-wing conspiracy" of which Senator Clinton complained is neither widely based enough to be vast nor organized enough to be a conspiracy but is nonetheless a malevolent machine for destruction of liberals real (Sen. Clinton) and imagined (President Clinton). The most revealing tidbits in the book concern officeholders, who have some explaining to do. Brock has "outed" their then-latent but now-patent efforts to slur and to smear. I shall not name the culrpits in this review, but I urge readers to see what certain Bush- and Reagan-appointees were doing in their spare time. Particularly significant are the activities of members of the Federalist Society (touted as a better organization for rating judicial appointees than the American Bar Association) and other organizations and agents who flatter themselves as being above the skullduggery of radio hosts and reactionary media. No American need believe every bit of this book to profit from it. Even if Brock got some things wrong, the sheer bulk of the case he assembles is overwhelming....
Rating:
Summary: reviewing the reviews
Review: Having finished this book, I came here to see what others thought. Personally I found the negative reviews pretty lame. It's hard to just write this book off unless you have already made up your mind, or so the negatives say to me. Yes, Brock has lied in the past but that's the WHOLE POINT of this confession. Yes, he's whiny at times but not too often. His description of the subtle stages of how and why he confessed are the type of detailed introspection that give credit to what he says. Yes, he is outted, but that happened ages ago already. [whininess, BTW is not a universal trait of "queens"] Yes, there is gossip, but it mostly [I'll bet all of it] is presented as gossip that was told directly to him. He always points out the second hand nature of such gossip and uses foot notes to add recent information about such second hand news, sometime supporting it, sometimes refuting it. No, any thinking person has to consider what he says...even with a grain of salt. And what he says fits so very well into the actions we see coming from the now in charge right, but not their words, that one cannot dismiss his story, even if he has lied in the past. I ask you, was "The Real Anita Hill" whiny? His style has changed. You may be able to cut Brock down to size with ad hominem attacks, but his words have a ring of truth.
Rating:
Summary: Best political book this year
Review: Although others such as "The Hunting of a President" covered the subject, this book added the personal observations of David Brock from deep inside the inner most circles of the infamous "Clinton Haters". By time you get through the troopergate chapter, you can "feel" the uncontrolable hatred these sick people have and it becomes very difficult to put down the book. Most political books in the past have put me to sleep - they were too boring but this one kept my attention.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask
Review: I don,t usually write a review of a book until it has been in print for a while. I am making an exception for Blinded by the Right by David Brock. Brock comes across initially as a whinnie gay guy who has been betrayed by his gay-bashing right wing "friends." Then he goes on to tell the factual story of the "Clinton Scandals" which all of us who know most of the principals back home in Arkansas knew was there all along. From Robert Bartley to Ken Starr; from C. Boyden Gray to Clarence Thomas; from Michal Isikof to the late "chaplain" of the White Citizen's Councils of Arkansas' little boy Wesley Pruden Jr of the Washington Star (a chip off the old block if ever there was one); from the late Barbara Olsen to her husband, the current Solicitor General of the United States Ted Olsen; from the "pius" (as described by Brock) Hick Ewing to a whole bevy of Bobs; from Newtie G., Bob Barr, and Bob Livingston to Trent Lott and John Ashcroft; from Arkansas' own "caveman" (again Brock's characterization) Tim Hutchenson to a whole pod of killer whale right wing money bags like Rochard Mellon Scaife and the Coors clan, Brock hoists those he calls hypocrits and liars on their own petard...Given the fact that most Americans were not privy to a lot of accurate information concerning the amazing list of Republican dirty tricks which were used in an attempt to subvert the constitution in an attempted far right wing coup, it is gratifying to see that a large number of Americans who never before heard of David Brock or Bob Bartley are going to get a look at the filthy laundrey of the far right. It is interesting to note that ever faithful Dan Burton and the Republican dominated U.S. House of Representitives, even at this late date, are still actively involved in efforts to further besmirch the name of President Bill Clinton. It is also interesting to note that many of the Brock described "hypocrites and liars" are serving in the administration of the current Geo. Bush. I can hardly wait for the next round of Bush appointments, like Ted Olsen and John Ashcroft, to positions of executive power and the US Courts to raise their heads and train their eyes on new positions of trust in our government. Congressional Democrats have not had much courage for the past decade; perhaps Brock's new book will inject a little backbone into all but the most timid and vulnerable. Who will be the next of the right wing denizens to fall to conscience and truth telling? Certainly there are many others who know the story from the inside. Given the profitable nature of Brock's book, can it be long before someone like Gary Aldrich or Matt Drudge or one of the ubiquitious blond Barabrella "former federal prosecutors turned talking head" discovers the pot of gold at the end of a new tell-all expose? You go, David! And if you, the reader of this review, want to know what the Daddys Warbucks and all their camp followers did during the revolution, read Brock's book Blinded by the Right, and then check out Joe Conason's and Gene Lyons' fine tome, The Hunting of the President, written from an entirely different perspective. And the Truth shall make you free! wfh
Rating:
Summary: Myth-breaker, blindingly accurate, must buy for truth seeker
Review: Who knew how well orchestrated the siege? Brock breaks
the binds that blinded those programed to see lies as
truth. All those years of hounding Clintons arranged
by the unprincipled for gain at the expense of our
precious republic finally seen through a proper prism.
A page-turner for the disbelieving unable to conceive
such plots, then connecting the dots in a state of horror.
The traitors among us posing as the religious reich for
money, of course. Brock's book ought be a best seller, but
the media may never allow that to happen given who owns
and controls it..;> Buy this book anyway for we vote with
money and truth matters. 3 April Addendum:
Returned to buy two additional copies because I gave the first
copy to my niece, age 36, who asked whether one could believe
a writer who wrote as Brock did in the past. This is the first
of his writing I've seen and it impressed me mightily. Jibes with facts I had and adds stories I had not seen before. His
take on the Federalists and many inside this administration
has lingered in my craw for days. Sickening that these folks
prosper while a resident poses daily fronting flags and uniforms. Since I noticed Enron explains why 9-11 was allowed
I purchased Palast, Moore, Conason and Begala/Carvill among
others to cure some blind spots created by IWF, religious reich
and Karl-Karen's script. Appalling, the condition our beloved
country is in after a decade of Scaife and 200 million to manipulate media and public perceptions of where truth lies.
Brock is brave to write this book. May he not become a Hatfield/
Baxter et al suicide arranged by the shadowy figures his light found. I was unaware of Troopergate, accident of surfacing Paula
Jones and his take on Anita Hill in those days. Used to peruse
the Spectator, Commentary and a dozen others to stay apprised
for balance. Now I know why those articles therein smelled odd..;> Now I understand why Rich Lowry, honorable editor, helped
me see Ann Coulter as plagiarist. Now I see why David Brooks from
the Weekly Standard cringes at some odd Gas-Oil-Party behaviors
such as when Cheney and the boys in the back dodge legitimate
inquiries. An unsavory lot worthy of Faux nitwirk non-stop flogging of their books and positions. Brock ought be on the
best-seller list, but my LA Times Book Review keeps disappointing me as the right-wingers pre-purchase books they
publish to jack up the count. No such help for Brock, truth teller this time out, alas. May return to buy more copies for
our local library...;>
Rating:
Summary: An eye-opener in today's society
Review: The right and George W's administration continues echoing their absolutist "it's us or chaos" and "you're with us or with the terrorists" discourse. Anyone with an open mind should read this book, if only to get a refreshing different view from today's right-wing extreme views so prevalent in all u.s. media.
Rating: 
Summary: Brock has the Facts Wrong
Review: Throughout his book David Brock claims that Vincent Foster committed suicide. On page 205 he trashed a very nice man and a grand jury witness named Patrick Knowlton. Mr. Knowlton was the first of many witnesses that noticed Foster's car was not present at the crime scene where Mr. Foster's body was found. The U.S. government and American press have claimed Foster drove to the scene in his car. Brock dismissed the key witness Patrick Knowlton in his book by saying he was a "discredited witness" because he was harassed by a organized team of FBI thugs on the streets of Washington after he was subpoenaed to testify. By pretending the harassment of Mr. Knowlton never happened David Brock smears a witness that came forward to tell the truth and at the same time joined in the cover up of a murder. David Brock attempted to make Mr. Knowlton look like a nut. Brock has ignored the fact that the Special Division of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Knowlton ...and ordered evidence of the witness intimidation to be included in Kenneth Starr's cover-up Report of Foster's murder. Brock is apparently ignorant of an internal Independent Counsel memorandum obtained by Accuracy in Media through a Freedom of Information lawsuit last year. That memorandum discussed the harassment of Patrick Knowlton on the streets of Washington. Blinded by the Right is among a long list of bestselling books by well known authors including, Ann Coulter, Gary Aldrich, Helen Thomas, David Broder, Bob Woodward and others that repeat the official lie that Vincent Foster committed suicide. The treatment of Patrick Knowlton by Mr. Brock demonstrates that David Brock is a person that lacks integrity.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the Faint of heart
Review: Brock's searing tell all/maifesto is a searing look at the Right wing and their movement to mold political discourse, media content and political process to reflect their twisted mental ideologies. Anyone who would like to undestand the epicenters of right wing power and the rise of alternately foppish and frightening figures like Paul Weyreich, Newt Gingrich and even Trent Lott should consider this a manual. In some ways, this book gave me hope and faith in the Progressive and Democratic movement, who refuse to adopt the vile character assasination tactics and outright distortions that have become the Republican Party's tools of the trade. The section on Anita Hill and the time of Iran Contra is especially hard to read-- again, Brock's stories are just to bizarre to be discounted. His amazing ability to explain and recall names and connections provides plenty of credibility to this tome. I can only hope that, prodded by this book and others that will undoubtedly follow, the American public will finally open their eyes to the excesses, hypocrisy and subversions of justice committed by Gingrich, Ralph Reed, Olson and even poster boy Ronald Reagan. Brock unveils the dichotomy between their quest to break down privacy protections, environmental regulations, social safety nets, separation of church and state and judicial restraint in order to create an oligarchy where the moral codes are set-- but not practiced-- by a few self-appointed interests. I can only hope that after this book is read by progressives and conservatives alike, we are inspired to take back our country from those who seek to destroy its very traditions of life , liberty and equality. Brock's book dos not make up for his efforts to destroy Anita Hill and the Clintons, but it does expose the players in a particularly ugly chapter in American History. As those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it, I hope our society, and others like David Brock, can learn from his shameful legacy. I wish this book was easy t dismiss or uncompelling to read. Unfortunately,it is all to asy to read, and to believe.
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