AGENDA

Rating:
Summary: historical, but reads like throwaway journalism
Review: For a book that will certainly serve as a primary source for presidential historians because of its insider reporting, this book is extremely disappointing and indeed superficial. You get a kind of blow by blow report of Clinton's tumultuous first year in the White House with virtually no analysis and context, but instead just raw description. I was appalled at how much trash was in it.

The one nugget I took away was that in that first year, Clinton spent too much time chatting with aides due to his "lack of discipline" and enjoyment of exercising his mind with the extraordinary grasp he had of policy. But there is no exploration of his character, and indeed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the details of the policies he was attempting to advance. As such, this book is like so much election journalism of today: covering the horse race but not the issues.

Not recommended, except for academics doing deep research.

Rating:
Summary: historical, but reads like throwaway journalism
Review: For a book that will certainly serve as a primary source for presidential historians because of its insider reporting, this book is extremely disappointing and indeed superficial. You get a kind of blow by blow report of Clinton's tumultuous first year in the White House with virtually no analysis and context, but instead just raw description. I was appalled at how much trash was in it.

The one nugget I took away was that in that first year, Clinton spent too much time chatting with aides due to his "lack of discipline" and enjoyment of exercising his mind with the extraordinary grasp he had of policy. But there is no exploration of his character, and indeed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the details of the policies he was attempting to advance. As such, this book is like so much election journalism of today: covering the horse race but not the issues.

Not recommended, except for academics doing deep research.

Rating:
Summary: not what i expected
Review: From Deep Throat to Bill Casey's deathbed confessions, it is difficult sometimes to discern where the truth ends and the fiction begins with Mr. Woodward and his former coconspirator, Mr. Carl Bernstein. With nary a whisper of impropriety, Woodward latched onto President Nixon like an amorist bulldog with lockjaw, but hasn't uttered a peep since President Clinton debased the White House. Based on this love letter he calls an expose, I would suggest that he gather his reporter's objectivity from off the curb and get back in the game. If this critique smacks of bias, I must confess it's because of a previous association some of my colleagues had with the author. When they brought a story to Mr. Woodward and Bernstein several years ago (years before the San Jose Mercury News story about the CIA and the crack cocaine epidemic), Mr Woodward balked because of its disagreement with the conclusions he had already drawn in "Veil," and Mr. Bernstein, although having invested considerably more time and energy in the story, also shied away due to the risks involved. The CIA operation was called "Pseudo Miranda," a troubling story of our government's complicity in the drug trade. It is my sincere hope that one of these guys summons up enough journalistic courage (the euphemism for balls) and integrity to tackle this story again one day.

Rating:
Summary: A quick, journalistic expose rather than history
Review: If you're looking for a critical analysis of the first 100 days of the Clinton White House, this is not the book for you. Woodward's unimpeachable ability to get the most minute human details about his subject merely presents the scene; he leaves it to others to blow rhetoric hot and cold about our controversial President. Woodward places the reader inside the White House, where you feel the frenzied pressure of trying to pass an economic reform package. And for a political junkie, Woodward's fly-on-the-wall style of reporting is great fun. Congress emerges as a hodge-podge of competing special interests and constituencies, and you feel the White House's frustration with it's own ignorance of Byzantium On The Potomac. The Outsiders from Arkansas receive their crash course in Washington politics, and it's not pretty. With every compromise struck, two hard-won bargains are lost. Yet the players never seem petty, but merely hostage to the varied yet insatiable demands of the American electorate. These are men and women of conscience and duty, yet must work in the most competitive of environments. After reading this account, one cannot help but reconsider his last diatribe about the bums in Washington: Woodward eloquently and entertainingly presents the burdens The System imposes on our elected officials and their staffs. All in all, an entertaining, surprisingly fast read

Rating:
Summary: The book that made Clinton furious at the media and himself
Review: Mr. Woodward writes a fine book that lifts the veil off the battle to pass the Clinton economic agenda in 1993. The reader, however, is left with a negative impression of a new president portrayed as disorganized, indecisive, and out-of-his-league. Woodward focuses on Clinton's failures but doesn't put the proper emphasis on the episode's conclusion: Clinton got his plan passed! In spite of the odds against him and a number of gaffes, a budget equally significant as the 1981 Reagan plan, passed. You could argue over the plan's merits but Woodward should do a better job explaining how difficult it is to get things accomplished in Washington, especially legislation that is seen as harming entrenched interests and launched by a freshman administration. A solid book nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Big Fan
Review: Ok, I admit it; I am a big fan of Woodward. I will read everything he puts out and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. For my money he is the best political writer in the business today. He has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear he has the White House bugged. This book follows the Clinton team through the first two years that they are in office. You get all the standard Woodward items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book.

I have read the book All Too Human that George Stephanopoulos wrote and in the book he describes the interviewing technique of Woodward, he stated that Woodward has a great style of getting you comfortable with him and then before you know it you are spilling all the secrets. What was also interesting is that Stephanopoulos wrote that Woodward audio tapes all of his interviews so that leads me to believe that the information in his books has not gone through a reporter taking notes loss of detail. One last bit of info is the Stephanopoulos said that once this book came out the Clinton's got so mad at George for all of the info he told Woodward that they basically shut him out for a year. That must mean Woodward got it right.

A great follow up to this book is the Elizabeth Drew book "Showdown: The Struggle between the Gingrich Congress and the Clinton White House", it picks up where The Agenda leaves off. This is an interesting book that I really enjoyed. IF you like Woodward you will like this book, if you are interested in the first two years of the Clinton presidency then this is also a good source of information.

Rating:
Summary: Great Insider
Review: The account of Mr. Woodward (this time authorized!) regarding the quest for, and conquest of the White House by William Jefferson Clinton, made me realize very much about the man, and the politics that surround US Government. Though not usually my cup of tea (the book was a gift, I felt obligated!) it did reveal the machinations of the Federal Machine, and how you've got to do a little back rubbing for everyone to get anything done. That fact that Clinton and his team did so almost masterfully made the book worth reading right there. As with any President, or politician for that matter, Clinton did fall on his face a sufficient number of times, whether they were personal or political. His intelligence and charisma was artfully brought through by the author in a most skillful way. A must read for anyone trying to understand Clinton or his White House.

Rating:
Summary: The Agenda captures the essence
Review: The Agenda written by Bob Woodward, pertains to Bill Clinton's first year in office. It's mostly about the battle and struggle for the new (at the time) president to get his budget and economic recovery package passed through Congress. It's amazing, but I never realized how much of a tough job it is to be president.

Shortly after winning the presidency in November of 1992 over incumbent President George Bush Clinton soon had to both come to grips and realize that his work was cut out a lot more for him, than he, or his campaign staff could've ever realized. Ultimately, he had to accept the fact that he would have to do some drastic compromising from his campaign promises. Clinton of course campaigned to be a "New Democrat" who would restore the economy to the forgotten middle-class and overturn the Reagan-Era greed of the 1980s, by investing in jobs, education, and health insurance reform. After meeting with Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, he soon realized that it wouldn't be so easy. As it would turn out, taking bold action to reduce the overwhelming national deficit would become the top-notch priority of his economic recovery plan, and would hog up most of his budget. Therefore his beloved domestic investment agenda would have to be sacrificed. Including his promised tax-cut for the middle-class.

So even before, let alone after Clinton took the oath of office, Clinton had his work cut out for him. He had to realize
early that his approval ratings would sink miserably and there would be disenchantment among his strongest supporters, let alone the American people. In many ways, two camps developed in his White House. There were the fiscal conservatives such as Robert Rubin, Leon Panetta, David Gergan. Then there were those from his campaign staff who wanted him to continue with his campaign pledges of investment such as Paul Begala, George Stephanapolis, and James Carville.

Greenspan's influence over the new president was amazing. Although it was from a neutral point of view, Greenspan
made Clinton understand how it was crucial that Clinton tackle the deficit. Or else long-term interest rates would never come down and the economy would never take off. Without the economy taking off, no way would Clinton ever be able to get back to doing the things that he was elected to do, let alone re-elected in 1996. Clinton had to come to accept that he would have to sacrifice many things, among them, his political popularity, but know that the long term effects would pay off dividends for both him politically, and for the US economy.

Fortunately for him, it did apparently work out for the best, and he did (with the extreme help of a Republican Congress
balance the federal budget in 1997) reduce the deficit and gave us a budget surplus. What should also be strongly considered is that he did this, at the behest of cutting the DOD and the intelligence community, which contributes to events such as September 11th, 2001.

What is also amazing about this book, is that Woodward gives you a fly-on-the-wall view of the battle to pass this
budget through both the House and the Senate. It also gives you the word for word account of a bitter phone conversation between Clinton and Nebraska Democratic Senator Bob Kerry, in which Clinton tells Kerry to go f--- himself, when Kerry refuses to vote for his budget, which turned out to be the crucial vote.

As it would turn out, Kerry would vote for it, making it a tie. Gore then gave the over the top vote and the budget was
passed.

This book was very, very good, and that is why I was able to go through it so quickly.

-Nicholas J. Vertucci

Rating:
Summary: Inside Look At Clinton's Early Days!
Review: This book showed the struggles that Clinton had to endear to get his administration off the ground floor. It shows some of the defeats of his key legislation and also shows some of his triumphs. Also shown in upclose detail are some of the key players who would play pivotal parts in his days in the WhiteHouse. A very interesting read.

Rating:
Summary: Good review of Clinton's early years as President
Review: This is a very good synopsis of Clinton's first few years. Much insight is given and issues are discussed. Also, many interesting pictures. Good source of history.