Bill Clinton

Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower

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Brilliance of Hindsight Does Not Hide Bias
Needs a Greater Focus on the Last Chapter
Unbiased, Brilliant, Insightful and Timely
Second Chance by Secretary of State Brzezinski
Excellent

Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0465002528

Book Description

From the most highly respected analyst of foreign policy writing today, a story of wasted opportunity and squandered prestige: a critique of the last three U.S. presidents' foreign policy.

America's most distinguished commentator on foreign policy, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, offers a reasoned but unsparing assessment of the last three presidential administrations' foreign policy. Though spanning less than two decades, these administrations cover a vitally important turning point in world history: the period in which the United States, having emerged from the Cold War with unprecedented power and prestige, managed to squander both in a remarkably short time. This is a tale of decline: from the competent but conventional thinking of the first Bush administration, to the well-intentioned self-indulgence of the Clinton administration, to the mortgaging of America's future by the "suicidal statecraft" of the second Bush administration. Brzezinski concludes with a chapter on how America can regain its lost prestige. This scholarly yet highly opinionated book is sure to be both controversial and influential.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliance of Hindsight Does Not Hide Bias.......2007-06-22

Brzezinski examines the current state of affairs by retro examining and judging the last three presidents. He gives Bush 1 a solid "B" primarily for handling the breakup of the Soviet Empire very well, and for effectively removing Saddam from Kuwait with the building of a coalition that included Arab states. Bush 1 is criticized for not leveraging that victory by neutralizing Saddam and taking a bigger leadership role in the Israel Palestinian conflict.

He gives Clinton a "C" for succumbing to an Israel lobby and thus failing to lead in the Middle East. Clinton focused more on his domestic agenda which he saw during his campaign as Bush 1's weakness. Clinton failed in Somalia (Black Hawk Down), but had some success in Albania.

Not surprisingly Zbigniew gives Bush 2 an "F", primarily for the Iraq quagmire, but also for his unilateral "you are with us or against us" simplistic attitude. While his first two subjects were criticized for not taking advantage of America's default leadership in the world after the Soviet demise; he blasts Bush 2 for squandering all of our advantages and sacrificing all of our foreign respect and ability to influence global outcomes.

Brzezinski is obviously intelligent and knowledgeable and writes like a brilliant and tenured college political science professor. Covering the complicated Mideast convulsions, the rise of China and India, the dissolution of the Soviet Empire, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, the nuclear empowerment of India, Pakistan, North Korea and soon Iran, with some consideration of developments in Latin America, not to mention the response to attacks on our soil; is not only a lot of subject material to cover in 200 pages but it is a stifling challenge for any leader. I picture the college students in this metaphorical lecture nodding off and looking confused.

The author has the brilliance of hindsight, but the difficulty of making these decisions under the real time pressures of the job and the complicated uncertainty makes such retro analysis cheap and easy. While he criticizes Bush 2 for fear mongering, the national paranoia after 911 was very real. Combined with the hubris of success in Kuwait in the first Gulf War and in Afghanistan it is not difficult to understand our willingness to take unilateral action at that time.

Brzezinski asks for a different approach and repeats "the strength of a great power is diminished if ceases to serve an idea". Clearly Bush 2 took a different approach and treated terrorism as an act of war rather than a crime. He clearly had an idea to stop the rise of terrorism by changing regimes and instilling a democratic form of government hoping it would change the culture that spawns terrorism. For a while it even seemed as if it was working.

Bush 2, unlike his predecessors had to address a major attack on our soil. While the loss of life may have been small compared to other conflicts, the emotional impact was far greater. Bush's deliberate response that this war would not be fought here took the battle to the source. Brzezinski does not really differentiate the difference in climate the third president faced. In fact the failings of Carter, the retreats of Reagan, and the missed opportunities of Bush 1 and Clinton fell at Bush 2's doorstep in a way that precluded him from not acting strongly.

Zbibniew was Carter's National Security Advisor and shares his former boss' proclivity to blame Israel disproportionately for the conflict. He finds it too easy to excuse Arafat's intransigence even for his refusal of the Clinton/ Barak offer which many considered generous to a point of suicide. Like Carter he seems to blame all of the violent escalation in the Middle East on American failures to exploit opportunities and on Israel's and America's lack of willingness or ability to negotiate smarter.

Brzezinski makes some valid points, especially about the Americans' general ignorance on the world outside our borders, but given the horrible legacy of Carter's foreign policy (he praised the Ayatollah as a man of God and a man of peace), criticism from his National Security Advisor rings hollow.

Needs a Greater Focus on the Last Chapter.......2007-06-16

When I picked up a copy of Brzezinski's new book, I was hoping for a thoughtful analysis of the country's future from one of America's greatest statesmen.

What I found instead, in the first part of the book at least, was a very brief history of the foreign policies of the past three administrations. Brzezinski presents a compelling analysis of their successes and failures, but I was not all that impressed with this section of the book. A reader with the topic will find little new information here.

The last chapter, which focuses on America's future in the world, was just what I had hoped for. Here, Brezezinski's brilliance shines through, and he puts forward a series of ideas that are both insightful and thought-provoking.

Unfortunately, "Beyond 2008" is only 37 pages and most of these ideas are not fully explained. Nor does he elaborate on them with examples and evidence. There is enough to write an entire book on here, and I wish he had done so. The brevity is the reason that I am not giving this book all five stars.

Still, with its solid (albeit basic) summaries, and (much more importantly) its examination of the future of our foreign policy, Second Chance is worth taking a look at.

Unbiased, Brilliant, Insightful and Timely.......2007-06-15

This is a must read book for anyone who is in the voting age!

The book may not be well written in some parts, but it's unique and superb in essence and in the way it illuminates and offers insight to our most pressing issues.

This book is not written by yet another pundit or Sunday-News armchair general or politician.

Brzezinski, who in my opinion is as brilliant as Kissinger (if not more) sheds light to major challenges and opportunities facing America.

The cogent and frank style of writing makes this book accessible and a easy read and its non-partisan objective criticism gives it the kind of credibility that is rarely seen these days.

In all a must read!

Second Chance by Secretary of State Brzezinski.......2007-05-27

Essentially, the work begins by presenting the United States as the first
global leader after the end of the Cold War. This is followed by at least
3 or more strategic missions of the United States in the role of superpower:
o management of central power relations
o to contain conflicts where there is a critical strategic interest
o to address intolerable inequities and ecological threats

Some important global historical turning points are presented. i.e.:
o the collapse of the Soviet Union
o the Gulf War victory and subsequent Iraqi involvement
o the increase of the Atlantic sphere of influence
o the World Trade Organization
o the Asian Monetary Systems/ Stabilization
o the Chechen Wars

The book cites an historic search for certitude with regard to the
strategic interests of humankind. In this regard, it is critical
that foreign policy needs and implementation strategies be outlined
thoroughly with a minimum of costly errors. The author critiques
recent presidencies and finds strengths and deficiences in each
administration. The Middle East, Proliferation and the Environment are
the areas of greatest difficulty. The Middle East has see-sawed from
the Camp David Accords to the Oslo Accords to a generous land for peace
proposal to the current regression since the rise of the Hamas as a
governmental majority. Nuclear Proliferation has been managed with
some success between and amongst the superpowers; however, the current
challenges involve smaller nations and their refusal to cooperate with
historic nuclear verification requirements. The environment is interdependent on cooperation between nations, the vagaries of nature,
the development of new energy technologies, global population increases,
the seasonal CO 2 balance on the planet, the cooperation of the global
public and many other factors too numerous to list here.

This book provides an excellent reference point to begin discussing these
issues dispassionately.

Excellent.......2007-05-15

If you're interested in an apolitical analysis of post cold war policy, read this book..If you are a partisan looking for someone to praise one President's policy and bash another, don't bother("Dubya" does get it pretty bad though). Small book, jam packed with info, and, unlike a number of similar works, an incredibly interesting and absorbing read...Could easily be completed on a weekend. Brezezinski has both real world policy and academic experience...highly recommend!

The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House

Average customer rating:

What politicians will do to cling onto power
A book about two topics: pardon and donation.
FAILING TO CROSSOVER
Excellent and bloody right!
A Catalogue of Iniquities.

The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House
Barbara Olson
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895261677

Book Description

Olson turns her razor sharp vision on the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office: the outrageous pardons to political cronies and friends, the looting of the White House, the executive orders that were sheer abuses of presidential power, the presidential library that is becoming a massive boondoogle of vanity more appropriate for a Third World dictator, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

What politicians will do to cling onto power.......2006-12-10

Conservative commentator Barbara Olson, who perished when the hijacked Flight 77 dove into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, reminds us with "The Final Days" precisely what sort of leeching parasites politicians can be. This is not a strict "Republican" or "Democrat" kind of thing, nor is it an issue pertaining to just "conservatives" or just "liberals." The book is not biased just because it reports only the Clinton wrongdoings, even though the author is a self-proclaimed conservative. In fact, the flip side to Olson's coin is the recently released "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward, who similarly documents the slime coursing through the current Bush administration and the ongoing war in Iraq. No, "The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House" merely reiterates a well-worn fact of life dominant in today's world: Power corrupts.

Olson's final account about the closing of doors in the Clinton administration should send alarm bells screeching through the minds of the American electorate, especially in a time where a Hillary Clinton run for the presidency seems almost inevitable. Olson reveals with painstaking accuracy the core tenets of Clintonism: Deny the accusations, play the helpless victim, and attack the enemy with relentless savagery. And, of course, it is permissible to lie whenever the chance arrives. When many liberal Democrats pressured him truthfully to explain everything behind the pardon of Marc Rich and his associates, President Clinton acknowledged that those he pardoned, who evaded millions in taxes and maintained connections with the Castro and Gaddafi regimes, simply had been wrongfully persecuted by the Justice Department. It is a classic example of the `victim hood' phenomenon so popularly paraded by the Clintons. Everyone seems to be a poor, pitiable victim, especially if their names end with "Clinton" and the persecutor is that dang "right-wing conspiracy." I'm afraid the term you're looking for, Mr. and Mrs. President, is "vast critical-thinking conspiracy." Or perhaps the "concerned American citizen conspiracy."

Like "State of Denial," "The Final Days" wields sharp facts to counter the myths surrounding popular politicians. Clinton may have presided over the largest economic expansion in U.S. history, but the shameless "For Sale" sign dangling around his neck during the closing days of his administration calls into question his serious character and moral flaws. Similarly, Bush may have stated "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, but the fact that we are still there waging a failing campaign at the expense of American and Iraqi blood does not make his acts justifiable. I highly recommend both books to spark in your head the idea that maybe we need to rethink seriously the decision of putting these kinds of people in power.

A book about two topics: pardon and donation........2006-05-26

I listened to the audio version of this book. While most of the things said in this book may be true, it appears a bit biased. In addition to facts, the author uses some adjectives which show her personal dislike of the famous couple.

In the end, I had an impression that this book grew out of author's frustration upon Mark Rich pardon. Many chapters are dedicated to that case.

A disproportionately large portion of the book is devoted to two topics: pardon and donations. At one point the audio book spends a large amount of time only listing names of who donated what item. It goes on and on and on with names that make no sense and contribute nothing much to the story. That could have been moved to the appendix to keep the flow going.

I was hoping to find details about mischievious behavior by Clinton staff during the last days. There was no mention of that.

FAILING TO CROSSOVER.......2006-04-15

"The much talked about Marc Rich pardon has become an appropriate symbol of the entire eight years, but Mrs. Olson does a commendable service by clearly detailing the effrontery of his (Rich's) misdeeds, and an even more skillful demonstration of the President's specious and insulting attempt to justify this shocking act. To add fuel to her raging fire, she quotes former President Jimmy Carter who openly stated "I don't think there is any doubt that some of the factors in his pardon were attributable to his large gifts. In my opinion that was disgraceful."

Naturally, given her neo-con bent, Ms. Olsen failed to mention the extremely salient point that the attorney representing Marc Rich's pardon application was none other than Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney's aide.

Excellent and bloody right!.......2006-03-18

All of you Clinton lovers should actually learn to not turn the blind eye on many of these things Clinton did during his presidency. The last few minutes before he was impeached.
I can admit George Bush is a bad president himself but I can also admit what Bill clinton stood for. Corruption!
See the pardons such as the nationalistic terrorist group from Puerto Rico plus the tax cheat and a whole list of other losers that Clinton pardoned.

A Catalogue of Iniquities. .......2004-07-28

The last days of the Clintons were an occasion for the country to witness just how corrupt this two for the price of one team actually was. They took furniture and gifts that were not their's for the taking, and appeared to be granting pardons on the basis of what law breakers held the most influence within their circle of friends and family. From arsenic to Mark Rich, the whole squalid tale is recounted by the superlative Barbara Olso, who sadly is no longer with us.

Average customer rating:

Veteran Washington observers name names, document lies

Washington Babylon
Alexander Cockburn , and Ken Silverstein
Manufacturer: Verso Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1859840922

Customer Reviews:

Veteran Washington observers name names, document lies.......1998-10-10

Alex Cockburn and Ken Silverstein hold a clinic on how to interpret Washington DC, boldly naming names, citing specific incidents, invoking histories those less familiar with the subject leave out. Terrific job on how the New Boss is Same as the Old Boss -- and will be until we stop getting fooled again.

High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton

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A criminal gets a pass (and elected president....twice!!!)
Makes Watergate look like Childs Play
You will be glad you read it, even if you disagree.
Throwing up has liquified her neo-con brain
LUNACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton
Ann Coulter
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter

ASIN: 0895261138

Amazon.com

Bill Clinton pledged to run "the most ethical administration in the history of the republic." In High Crimes and Misdemeanors, conservative lawyer and pundit Ann Coulter finds this promise laughably off the mark. Although she devotes a fair amount of space to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Coulter covers the gamut of Clinton controversies, from the Whitewater deal to the death of Vincent Foster to Filegate (plus others--ever heard of "Wampumgate"?). Her tone is aggressively anti-Clinton, but she also has the virtue of engaging and straightforward prose that explains why each individual scandal matters. (The chapter on Whitewater begins: "This is the boring part. Whitewater gets interesting only when you understand why it is boring. It is boring by design, like a New York Times editorial. Don't skip to the next chapter! That's just what the Clintons want you to do.") The best section of the book is a serious examination of the impeachment process--how the Founding Fathers envisioned it, how it's been used throughout history, and why, in Coulter's opinion, it should be invoked against Clinton. --John J. Miller

Book Description

The book that started it all. Written with Coulter's trademark irreverent wit, this bestseller is now available in paperback.

Customer Reviews:

A criminal gets a pass (and elected president....twice!!!).......2007-03-26

In "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" Ann Coulter details the Crimes and Peccadilloes that illustrate Bill Clinton's disregard for the law and apparent contempt for the fairer sex. I have followed Mr. Clinton's crimes quite closely over the years but this book left me wondering if the country's left wingers and liberal mainstream media spent the '90s in a parallel universe. If you have enjoyed any of Ms. Coulter's other books this one will not disappoint. Ms. Coulter has few peers in the world of political punditry.

Makes Watergate look like Childs Play.......2006-12-15

Ann Coulter examines the term "high crimes and misdemeanors" in the context of English common law and the intentions of the framers of the United States Constitution. She discusses the Monica Lewinsky affair, the White House Travel Office, Whitewater, Vince Foster, and fundraising issues that she contends call for impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

And when you look at what is considered an impeachable event, President Clinton has a long line of them. It is amazing he was able to keep the office when he actually committed purgery under oath numerous times and all Nixon did was lie once, while not under oath, and the Watergate break-in was not performed by anyone on his White House staff. No one has ever dragged the Presidency to such a disgustingly low level in our history. As if lying about inhaling pot and dodging the draft didn't tell us what kind of person we were dealing with, he tops it all off by betraying his wife and disgracing his Office by having a young page perform sexual acts on him in the Oval Office.

The shameful lack of condemnation from various Liberal factions speaks volumes about their collective integrity, but I have come to expect this from liberals. Coulter lays out all the facts that shows that our ex-President on this issue, which was a double moral outrage, but also on major concerns such as Whitewater. Our forefathers expected the President to be a shinning example of integrity for the country. They would all have called for Clintons impeachment on a long list of "high crimes and misdemeanors."

You will be glad you read it, even if you disagree........2006-09-15

I will begin with criticisms of High Crimes & Misdemeanors. These are nagging little criticisms I make because the points I'll allude to are the sorts of things that would make me roll my eyes a little, or excuse myself for a couple of minutes for a breather if this were a conversation rather than a book. Ms. Coulter has suffered the fate of all those who seek to insert comic relief or sarcasm into serious material. Witticisms, sarcasm, barbed ironies, sage observations, facts, foregone conclusions, and research don't always blend perfectly to suit all the people all the time. Some of the (perhaps a little mean-spirited) humor at the expense of liberals, I found sophomoric and/or repetitive and/or a little snide. There, I've gone on record with that, and let me say that for me, these irritations accounted for about 12 sentences in the book. Usually they were the kickers to a "call & response", or a wrap-up rhetorical statement or question. I tried to bear in mind that I really didn't buy this book for the comedy.

As for the rest of the book, I cannot give more stellar praise. Without apology, I can say this was, at the time, the only book of its kind I had ever read. In the past month or so, I've since read other Coulter books. To distinguish myself from several reviewers, I have read the entire book. The bibliography, references and annotations are impressive. I didn't have or take the time to trace down every one of them. Owing largely to and in addition, I seem to remember someone else taking issue with Ann Coulter's fact-checking and accuracy, and coming away with a figuratively bloodied nose for his trouble. If (as a liberal) you'll allow that the quotes and documentation check out, I'll allow (as a conservative) that there is *always* the opportunity for contextual disagreement or for more thorough research into any given blurb or quote. To qualify this review, I am mostly conservative, I believe in the United States, I believe in my fellow Americans, and I believe that morals, right vs. wrong and a high standard of ethics can and should be applied to, indeed expected of our political leaders (as well as business leaders, religious leaders, teachers, law enforcement, lawyers, judges, etc., etc.). The things I don't believe in are persecution of human beings based on sexuality, race, religion, creed, or politics. I also don't believe liberals are stupid. I believe select people are stupid independent of political affiliation, but that is a different and longer story... All this to say, if you feel you should discount OR hearken to my review based on who I am, you now know some of the basics about the person with whom you are already mentally primed to agree or disagree. (Yes, I know I should've just ended that sentence with a preposition...it bothered me) If, in your mind, I'm still a NeoCon fanatic, hopped up on Reagan Kool-Aid, fine. I will still do my best to honestly evaluate this book.

The facts and citations Ms. Coulter used to build her case seem airtight. The logic she used, witticisms and criticisms aside, made sense to me. I am astounded at what I've learned. The spin machine she described is leaps and bounds beyond anything I imagined after having seen the movie "Wag the Dog". As a person who tries to whittle things down to the essentials, and then move on, I really can understand how inundation with conflicting stories, viewpoints and assertions basically paralyzes the American voter/citizen. It's no wonder President Clinton wasn't removed from office. By the time the matter was put to a vote, the issues truly at hand had been obfuscated and misrepresented so fully, (most of the nation -in my remembrance- was convinced that the whole thing was about Monica) that no one person seemed to have a credible grasp on the truth.

To clarify, it wasn't about Monica. It *was* about sex, but not that wholesome, middle-America sex, so hale and beautiful. Notably, not the kind of sex that is correctly omitted from polite conversation because it is a personal and virtuous expression between partners (rather than acquaintances). Quite likely, though most don't know why, we all feel a little dirty, perhaps a little ashamed for having endured the whole messy affair. Sex scandals (plural) in the White House were definitely something this country could have done without. Though I wish it hadn't happened, I'm glad I've found out more details about this episode in U.S. history. The book is nothing if not annotated details, quotations, recorded testimony, and in truth, a highly cogent and damning lambasting of our former President. You will be indignant, you will be enlightened, and you will puzzle at how these quotes and tidbits escaped your attention during the media frenzy. If you're willing to admit that there is a surpassingly effective spin machine somewhere between Maryland and Virginia, you will feel justified in your suspicions that more went on than we were told.

Moreover, this book is interesting in that the sex scandals were like a Part Two of Four in the book. I found the pre-Presidency and late-second-term material more interesting, more telling, and foremost more genuinely horrifying. Truth be known, President Clinton could have adultered, and thus shamed his wife and child, and ultimately the office of President and all who salute it until the cows came home, and he would only have met with mild disapproval from me. JFK was notorious for just that and more. FDR had a mistress. Poor Gary Hart ... I digress. Public figures have been imperfect, (if not deeply flawed) corrupt, philandering, disingenuous, cloying and base since politics began. I did read between the lines of the book that, as time passed, the Clintons were getting better at and bolder with their many and sundry misbehaviors. The stakes went up, their skill increased. I was further surprised to find out much evidence indicates Mrs. Clinton was a lynchpin in the whole criminal enterprise (several of them, in fact). Note that Mrs. Clinton is not just a lawyer, but has been hailed as a brilliant lawyer. The erstwhile Senator from New York may well be a fairly accomplished criminal as well. Though I can't call these arguments against the Clintons surprising, I am profoundly dismayed at the apparent snow-job (couldn't resist) perpetrated against the American public. Before you vote for Hillary in '08, you should read this book. If you vote for her afterwards, fine. We can agree to disagree ... BUT, if you got your news from CNN during this tumultuous time, do please read High Crimes and Misdemeanors first. I am pliable to suggestions for books or articles that offer a plausible defense against the accusations in this book (that is to say, I am not inviting rabid, Bush-hating emails, etc ... I could be more pleased with Bush too). If the work cites facts and verifiable evidence, not opinion and invective, I will read it thankfully. Meanwhile, you should read this, see if you agree, try to debunk that which you doubt, and prove to yourself that you're a reasonable, thoughtful and truly impartial seeker of truth. I surmise you will be stunned, as I was.

Throwing up has liquified her neo-con brain.......2006-08-08

Atheists have a lower divorce rate than born again christians but I guess thats just a fluke hu, Ann. They must be bad people somehow. People like Ann can't be christians because they shame one person for having an affair and then forgive another that is an alcoholic because he's a republican. She speaks to people who want to believe so bad they don't care that she doesn't have a christian bone in her body. True christians don't defame, judge or claime superiority. She doesn't have any idea of what being Jesus-like is. Oh and intelligent design is not science. Science is how Religion is why- They are too different questions.

LUNACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-07-17

HOW COULD ANYONE EVER SUCUMB TO WRITING SUCH AN INSURMOUNTABLE LOAD OF NONSENSE?!?!

A SEXUAL AFFAIR IS THE MOST IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE??? NOT IRAN CONTRA, WATERGATE, TORTURE, OR WIRETAP? Noooooooooooooo, it just HAS to be what the DEMOCRATS did, not matter HOW insignificant!

Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security

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Wow Refreshing Read
Truth Can Hurt and Is A Stubborn Thing
Must Read!
Repeats every urban myth he can dig up
The Clinton's Own Set of Rules

Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security
Robert Patterson
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0895260603

Amazon.com

Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson was a military aide to President Clinton from May 1996 to May 1998 and one of five individuals entrusted with carrying the "nuclear football"—the bag containing the codes for launching nuclear weapons. This responsibility meant that he spent a considerable amount of time next to the president, giving him a unique perspective on the Clinton administration. Though he arrived at the job "filled with professional devotion and commitment to serve," he left believing that Clinton had "sown a whirlwind of destruction upon the integrity of our government, endangered our national security, and done enormous harm to the American military in which I served." </p>

Dereliction of Duty is not a personal attack on President Clinton or a commentary on his various scandals; rather, it is a "frank indictment of his obvious—to an eyewitness—failure to lead our country with responsibility and honor." Lt. Col. Patterson offers a damning list of anecdotes and charges against the President, including how Clinton lost the nuclear codes and shrugged it off; how he stalled and lost the opportunity to launch a direct strike on Osama bin Laden at a confirmed location; how the President and the First Lady, and much of their staff, consistently treated members of the military with disrespect and disdain; and how Clinton groped a female Air Force enlisted member while aboard Air Force One, among other incidents large and small. A considerable portion of this slim book is devoted to the myriad ways in which President Clinton undermined the military, and hence the security, of the nation. He seriously questions Clinton's decisions to send troops to Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, and Bosnia to accomplish non-military tasks without clear objectives. Having participated in each of these engagements, Lt. Col. Patterson personally "experienced the frustration of needlessly wasted lives, effort, and national prestige" as well as the alarmingly low morale that Clinton inspired. </p>

This is certainly not the first anti-Clinton book, but it is different in that Patterson does not seem to have a political ax to grind. In fact, at times, he appears apologetic about having to write about his ex-commander in chief. Yet, in the end, this retired soldier felt his last act of service should be to share his experience with his country. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Here is the ultimate insider's account from the highest and most sensitive levels of the Clinton administration, revealing how the irresponsible use of power can lead to a terrible price paid by all Americans.

Customer Reviews:

Wow Refreshing Read.......2007-06-10

For once a book about Bill Clinton that has some basis in reality. So many books out there are written based purely on politics and ideology but this book seems more based in facts.

If you want to learn more about Bill Clinton but can't stand all the typical Left wing defenses and Right wing attacks this book is for you

Truth Can Hurt and Is A Stubborn Thing.......2007-05-21

Ron Marlar (a retired USAF officer, college professor, school teacher, living currently in Florida)

I checked Robert (Buzz) Patterson's Dereliction of Duty out of our local library and read it shortly after it was published (2004). Then I bought copies - one each for self-admitted liberal and conservative friends. The copy for the liberal friend was a housewarming gift. It certainly warmed his house and more. At his instigation we have hardly spoken since his warming. Conclusion: Liberals take great offense at criticism no matter how well documented and by eyewitnesses of their favored people.

One of the many incidents - this one personal - Buzz Patterson reports may have been a major factor prompting him to write a book with such a telling title and so full of failures and offenses to civility by the Clintons and their staffers. Bill Clinton hit on Patterson's wife according to Patterson. Should anyone be surprised by that, given the other revelations so far about the Clintons, especially Bill, his own confessions and apologies?

Should anyone be surprised by the Clintons demeaning, misusing and harming the military? Unlike George H.W. and George W. Bush who served at least in some capacity in the military the Clintons have not done so. Indeed Bill evaded military service by deceiving the University of Arkansas ROTC commander.

Those who attack the messenger rather than the message often do so because they cannot attack the message. Despite the ad hominem attacks on Patterson his message rings true as consistent with other reports on the attitudes and actions of the Clintons, those whom they gather around themselves, the supporters of the Clintons and other Democrat politicians, both past and present. Together with that consistency in reports, attitudes and behavior patterns the attackers of Patterson lend credibility to him as the messenger.

Be careful when selecting Dereliction of Duty for buy. The main title is the same as another book (by H.R. McMaster, 1998) recounting the dereliction of duty by Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert Strange McNamara and those that they appointed as top military leaders. Did I not say something already about the consistency of attitudes, behavior patterns and misuse of the military by Democrat politicians, both past and present?

Must Read!.......2007-05-21

Excellent read with information that has been backed up by multiple sources that illustrate how the Clintons (yep, that's plural for both of them) are the best educated and most popular white trash to hold a public office. Book is directed at Bill's dereliction (and he is on click away from being as bad as Carter) with a little on Hillary. Make no doubt about it, Hillary could best be described in veterinary terms for a female dog. Good read.

Repeats every urban myth he can dig up.......2007-03-27

What a sorry excuse for a book. This guy isn't even original enough to make up his own lies. Instead he cuts and pastes wingnut talking points and urban myths at every turn.

An example? He repeats a myth about Hillary Clinton banning military uniforms at the White House, one that was debunked as such three years before Patterson ever set foot in the place. Oh, and the Chelsea-Clinton-hates-soldiers-lie. See Timothy Noah's March 26 piece in Slate exposing this particular bit of dishonesty.

And this is a guy who claims to have been trusted with the "football"?

The Clinton's Own Set of Rules .......2007-03-21

The title alone caught my eye so I had to pick it up and read it. The book details The Clinton's lack of respect and knowledge of the US military. Therefore, many bad decisions were made in the eyes of the author who also happened to be one of President Clinton's military aides. In addition, there were conflicts with Hillary as well since she shares her husband's disrespect for the military. One could think that this is just another Clinton-bashing book but, since there are so many, it is hard to take it as just that.

This book is a quick read at under 200 pages

White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen

Average customer rating:

A wonderful read and great look into the daily routine of White House living
needs some help
White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen
A JOY TO READ - FOR WHITE HOUSE FANS
You are what you eat

White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen
Walter Scheib , and Andrew Friedman
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471798428

Book Description

"An engaging book about life at the Executive Mansion. . . . Hillary Clinton had charged this fiercely competitive, meticulously organized chef with bringing 'what's best about American food, wine, and entertaining to the White House.' His sophisticated contemporary food was generally considered some of the best ever served there."
—Marian Burros, New York Times

White House Chef

Join Walter Scheib as he serves up a taste—in stories and recipes—of his eleven years as White House chef under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Scheib takes readers along on his whirlwind adventure, from his challenging audition process right up until his controversial departure. He describes his approach to meals ranging from the intimate (rooftop parties and surprise birthday celebrations for the Clintons; Tex-Mex brunches for the Bushes) to his creative approach to bringing contemporary American cuisine to the "people's house" (including innovative ways to serve state dinners for up to seven hundred people and picnics and holiday menus for several thousand guests).

Scheib goes beyond the kitchen and his job as chef. He shares what it is like to be part of President Clinton's motorcade (the "security bubble") and inside the White House during 9/11, revealing how he first evacuates his staff and then comes back to fix meals for hundreds of hungry security and rescue personnel. Staying cool under pressure also helps Scheib in other aspects of his job, such as withstanding the often-changing "temperature" of the White House and satisfying the culinary sensibilities of two very different first families.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful read and great look into the daily routine of White House living.......2007-06-05

Scheib has given us a pretty good look into the life of a White House chef under two administrations: one (the Clintons) that really wanted to make the White House into a place of entertainment and a place to show off America's best foods, and one that, well, isn't interested in that.

The recipes are good, interesting, and worth the cost of the book as well.

But what I find most interesting in the book, and what I was most hoping for when I ordered it, was a look at the non-flashy daily grind of life in the White House, and Scheib provides us many anecdotes, from Bill Clinton ordering huge steaks when his wife was away, to George Bush popping his head into the kitchen after a run and asking "What's for lunch?"

I enjoyed the stories of the giant dinners and elegant soirees, but it was the daily stuff I found most interesting: where the First Families enjoyed eating, their comfort foods, Chelsea Clinton making cookies with friends, Chelsea's first adult-style evening of entertaining, Scheib fighting with the purchasing staff to get better quality produce, that Bush likes his toasted cheese sandwiches cut at an angle, how the White House staff fill the elevator at lunch time making it difficult for the chef to get food to the president while still hot, the personalities of different people, and so on. While it is a world famous house, with incredibly important stuff going on, it's still a workplace for many with all the personality adventures of a workplace, and it's also home for one family that, for the most part, act like any other family or any other people. That is the aspect of the book I most appreciated, and which I wish had a lot more.

I also appreciate that Scheib refused to dish dirt on either family, or use the book as avenue to embarrass to sensationalize.

While the book is wonderful as it is, I think that a book about more than a decade in the White House deserves a lot more text. It reads much too quickly for subject matter that is this interesting and fascinating. Color photographs would have been more appropriate, too.

"White House Chef" shows some of the excitement of the big state dinners and other large entertainments, but is mostly an intimate look at some of the daily grind of the presidential family and the White House. Although we cannot all be president, we all eat, and so a book looking through the lens of food makes for a compelling read, tying us together on a more human level than just a biography or history book. But it should have been bigger, more in-depth, and with color photographs. Not many people are in a position to write a first-person account about being the chef at the White House. The rarity of that situation, I think, deserves a much more in-depth cover of the experience, and that's why I give this four stars.

needs some help.......2007-05-14

Cookbooks are great as teaching tools, inspirations for new meals, or often just plain interesting reading....this book, teaches and sometimes inspires but it is bland, without color photos to share the chefs excitement, and therefore way overpriced...thumbs down.

White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen.......2007-03-25

Don't buy it if you're a Republican. The author can't help getting political as he contrasts the Clinton and Bush White Houses (the Clintons are wonderful, the Bushes not so great). Clintonites will eat it up. Good recipes, okay writing with excellent editing, fine pictures. Independents and hungry non-politicos will give this four stars.

A JOY TO READ - FOR WHITE HOUSE FANS.......2007-03-24

As an Australian with a fascination with the White House and US Politics generally, I looked forward to reading this 'inside look' when I saw it reviewed on FOX News. The author is a hard working perfectionist chef, perfectly suited to the exacting standards of White House entertaining and the Clintons who encouraged greatness from the national residence. The menu and invititation copies were nice to see, for those who will never get an invite to the White House. The menus are all American classics or variations on same. It was an interesting 'inside' look at domesticated Hillary Clinton and a different view to the one we are seeing now as a presidential candidate. I was also interested to read the author's perceptions of the George W Bush's, who are portrayed as dull and uninterested in food or in presenting the White House in greatness. They throw very few State dinners or events, and eat the same dull food throughout the year. I highly recommend this book.

You are what you eat.......2007-03-22

Bush's love of pnut butter and honey on white bread offers verification for the theory "you are what you eat"
Well written and fascinating description of life behind the scenes.

Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years

Average customer rating:

Know the Truth...
Makes you wonder how he got away with it
Devastated by passage of time
Shipment early, packing condition
Why the Change?

Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years
Rich Lowry
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895261294

Book Description

Richard Lowry explores the real importance of the Clinton years--the Clinton administration appeasing and ignoring the ever-growing threats to American security from hostile regimes and parties, rogue states, and global terrorist networks. Lowry offers the first sweeping-and stunning assessment of what the Clinton era really meant and means for America.

Customer Reviews:

Know the Truth..........2007-03-25

Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years by Rich Lowry provides the reader with an intense and thorough analysis of the Clinton Era. Legacy is rich with actual quotations from Clinton, his wife and, most importantly, the people from his inner political circle, his aides and advisors. The book immerses deep into Clinton's insidious past and presents a wealth of forgotten truths to the reader, not as conservative propaganda, but, as cold hard facts. Lowry's powerful use of syntax and diction paints a very deep and honest portrait of Clinton. From Clinton's insecurities and capricious behavior to his inability to take action and responsibility, Rich Lowry does NOT hold back from exposing Clinton for what he truly is...a self-absorbed coward. Overall, Lowry does a splendid job of compressing eight years of mistakes, scandals and lies into one book. I applaud him. Being in the military, I experienced much of the aftermath from Clinton's budget cuts and other bogus endeavors and I can attest that we, as Americans, have paid a heavy and painful price for his cowardice and dishonesty. I encourage all Americans to open their eyes, read this book and acknowledge the fact for now is time to know the truth about Clinton.

Makes you wonder how he got away with it.......2007-01-14

it kind of tells it like it was. He as not the smiling guy he comes off as. Get it at the library for free. I gave it three stars because it does bring out some of the seedy things he did. I really never finished it.

Devastated by passage of time.......2006-11-04

Wow, what a difference five years makes.

For all the flaws Lowry finds in Clinton (and there are several which bear noting), even the most serious pale to what we now find in the Executive Branch. If only we had a president who cared about his legacy enough to correct mistakes in judgement and reverse course when desperately needed. If only we had a president today who cared about polls, and the will of the people. If only we had a leader who acted cautiously, intellectually, and with the aid of evidence rather than "gut feelings".

I remember well the days when I thought Clinton would be the worst president our country would ever see. How quaint those days seem.

Shipment early, packing condition.......2006-07-29

Book arrived on earliest date listed. Packing was simply a tight bubble wrap envelope that (I am sure) resulted in bent corners of book. Otherwise, book in great condition.

Why the Change? .......2006-06-18

This review is somewhat belated. I read the book shortly after its original release. The copy I have has a scarlet letter "A" in the title, which I thought represented perfectly the legacy of this brilliant, but terribly flawed man. It's too bad the title was retooled.

Average customer rating:

A Gothic Tale of American Success
Real book from a real man.
We Don't Need To Know Everything
Worth reading but it gets slow
Nice visit with President Clinton

My Life
Bill Clinton
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 140003003X
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Amazon.com

An exhaustive, soul-searching memoir, Bill Clinton's My Life is a refreshingly candid look at the former president as a son, brother, teacher, father, husband, and public figure. Clinton painstakingly outlines the history behind his greatest successes and failures, including his dedication to educational and economic reform, his war against a "vast right-wing operation" determined to destroy him, and the "morally indefensible" acts for which he was nearly impeached. My Life is autobiography as therapy--a personal history written by a man trying to face and banish his private demons.

Clinton approaches the story of his youth with gusto, sharing tales of giant watermelons, nine-pound tumors, a charging ram, famous mobsters and jazz musicians, and a BB gun standoff. He offers an equally energetic portrait of American history, pop culture, and the evolving political landscape, covering the historical events that shaped his early years (namely the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and JFK) and the events that shaped his presidency (Waco, Bosnia, Somalia). What makes My Life remarkable as a political memoir is how thoroughly it is infused with Clinton's unassuming, charmingly pithy voice:

<blockquote>I learned a lot from the stories my uncle, aunts, and grandparents told me: that no one is perfect but most people are good; that people can't be judged only by their worst or weakest moments; that harsh judgments can make hypocrites of us all; that a lot of life is just showing up and hanging on; that laughter is often the best, and sometimes the only, response to pain.</blockquote>

However, that same voice might tire readers as Clinton applies his penchant for minute details to a distractible laundry list of events, from his youth through the years of his presidency. Not wanting to forget a single detail that might help account for his actions, Clinton overdoes it--do we really need to know the name of his childhood barber? But when Clinton sticks to the meat of his story--recollections about Mother, his abusive stepfather, Hillary, the campaign trail, and Kenneth Starr--the veracity of emotion and Kitchen Confidential-type revelations about "what it is like to be President" make My Life impossible to put down.

To Clinton, "politics is a contact sport," and while he claims that My Life is not intended to make excuses or assign blame, it does portray him as a fighter whose strategy is to "take the first hit, then counterpunch as hard as I could." While My Life is primarily a stroll through Clinton's memories, it is also a scathing rebuke--a retaliation against his detractors, including Kenneth Starr, whose "mindless search for scandal" protected the guilty while "persecuting the innocent" and distracted his Administration from pressing international matters (including strikes on al Qaeda). Counterpunch indeed.

At its core, My Life is a charming and intriguing if flawed book by an equally intriguing and flawed man who had his worst failures and humiliations made public. Ultimately, the man who left office in the shadow of scandal offers an honest and open account of his life, allowing readers to witness his struggle to "drain the most out of every moment" while maintaining the character with which he was raised. It is a remarkably intimate, persuasive look at the boy he was, the President he became, and man he is today. --Daphne Durham

Book Description

President Bill Clinton’s My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and political gifts, and his extraordinary capacity for hard work, to serving the public.

It shows us the progress of a remarkable American, who, through his own enormous energies and efforts, made the unlikely journey from Hope, Arkansas, to the White House—a journey fueled by an impassioned interest in the political process which manifested itself at every stage of his life: in college, working as an intern for Senator William Fulbright; at Oxford, becoming part of the Vietnam War protest movement; at Yale Law School, campaigning on the grassroots level for Democratic candidates; back in Arkansas, running for Congress, attorney general, and governor.

We see his career shaped by his resolute determination to improve the life of his fellow citizens, an unfaltering commitment to civil rights, and an exceptional understanding of the practicalities of political life.

We come to understand the emotional pressures of his youth—born after his father’s death; caught in the dysfunctional relationship between his feisty, nurturing mother and his abusive stepfather, whom he never ceased to love and whose name he took; drawn to the brilliant, compelling Hillary Rodham, whom he was determined to marry; passionately devoted, from her infancy, to their daughter, Chelsea, and to the entire experience of fatherhood; slowly and painfully beginning to comprehend how his early denial of pain led him at times into damaging patterns of behavior.

President Clinton’s book is also the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written—encompassing not only the high points and crises but the way the presidency actually works: the day-to-day bombardment of problems, personalities, conflicts, setbacks, achievements.

It is a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.

It is the gripping account of a president under concerted and unrelenting assault orchestrated by his enemies on the Far Right, and how he survived and prevailed.

It is a treasury of moments caught alive, among them:

• The ten-year-old boy watching the national political conventions on his family’s new (and first) television set.

• The young candidate looking for votes in the Arkansas hills and the local seer who tells him, “Anybody who would campaign at a beer joint in Joiner at midnight on Saturday night deserves to carry one box. . . . You’ll win here. But it’ll be the only damn place you win in this county.” (He was right on both counts.)

• The roller-coaster ride of the 1992 campaign.

• The extraordinarily frank exchanges with Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole.

• The delicate manipulation needed to convince Rabin and Arafat to shake hands for the camera while keeping Arafat from kissing Rabin.

• The cost, both public and private, of the scandal that threatened the presidency.

Here is the life of a great national and international figure, revealed with all his talents and contradictions, told openly, directly, in his own completely recognizable voice. A unique book by a unique American.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

President Bill Clinton¿s My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and political gifts, and his extraordinary capacity for hard work, to serving the public. It is the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written, and a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.

Here is the life of a great national and international figure, revealed with all his talents and contradictions. Filled with fascinating moments and insights, it is told openly, directly, in President Clinton¿s own completely recognizable voice.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

A Gothic Tale of American Success.......2007-06-25

This is a gothic tale of American success. Bill Clinton became successful the old fashion way: by listening to his parents and teachers, drinking deeply intellectually, picking his fights and then "bobbing-and-weaving," working like hell, and when he made a wrong turn, he picked himself up and tried again.

Fat, un-athletic and so un-cool during most of his childhood in rural and then urban Arkansas, Clinton somehow survived the Elvis and James Dean eras unscathed. Given the antics of his alcoholic father, there is more than just a passing similarity between Clinton's family dysfunction and the subtext of Dean's movie "Rebel without a Cause."

Clinton was successful when most with his background have failed in part because he was a good observer of human nature and because he came from an unusually richly endowed environment where having such a talent mattered a lot. Even as it was populated by a textured mixture of both "real" and "homespun" intellectuals, racists, and other assorted scoundrels, no matter their station in life, these were people full of life and confidence, always on the go -- if not on the make; many of whom showed up later in Clinton's life. And like Bill, they reappeared in the second act as uncommon and unexpected success stories.

The subtext of this 994-page American drama is that with the right ingredients and a bit of luck, anyone in America can make it. And whether one believes this fully or not, Bill Clinton is living proof that it can, and did happen.

Whatever else one may think of Clinton, his presidency, his foibles, his life, his wife, this book proves that he has a heart, and that it is a good one. He became an intellectual heavyweight through sheer force of will and a desire to "do good," and to make a difference. He accomplished both.

What a good story, what a good life.

Five Stars

Real book from a real man........2007-06-04

I personally loved this book. I have taken an interest in government ever since my first day of my US Government class in high school, yet this was my first political biography. I first picked it up (despite a few bad reviews) as i was interested in what the life of a president (whom I like) is really like, and in that respect, I couldnt've been more satisfied. Clinton did a great job of showing his struggles as both a regular man and as a president, and also showed how the two are one in the same. I personally dislike George Bush, yet after reading this book, I've learned to not be so quick to judge his decisions, as if there's one thing this book's taught me, it's that presidents are regular people like all of us Americans, they're under stress, they're under pressure, they make mistakes, and we shouldn't rip them to shreds for it. Overall I give the book a five, as it was both educational (scholastically and practically) and interesting (usually an oxymoron in my opinion). I honestly think that there is no better political novel out there than this one. If you haven't read it yet, read it.

We Don't Need To Know Everything.......2007-05-15

A good read. It is interesting to read things from Clinton's vantage point and learn about the events in his life that helped shaped him and his persona. There are too many details for many parts of it, though. We don't need to know every little bit and piece of events that happened to him, laid out descriptive piece by piece. But considering he is a person full of himself, as one would have to be to be President these days, this over-descriptive approach should not have surprised me as much as it did. Every president and candidate are writing books these days. I wonder what George Bush JR's will be like. It will be quite interesting reading a book by a president that's a pop-up.

I found this book intriguing enough to make me want to read more of his books. He seems to have a long list of them. Again, he is full of himself, so I don't know why I'm so surprised. Unlike some reviews here, I felt his personality and charisma came through well, although not in all places.

Worth reading but it gets slow.......2007-05-12

It was terrific hearing a review of history that I actually experienced but from the President's perspective. Many times I stopped and thought to myself wow he had a lot going on at once. It's obvious he's a good person and did the best he could, warts and all. But the book does get boring at times.

Nice visit with President Clinton.......2007-05-09

I found the book interesting, but particularly enjoyed having it read by the president. I played it on a trip and it was delightful. Tho, I think he glossed over a few details, for the most part he was very candid.

Average customer rating:

Packed with facts and information!
Loved it, read it.
Great book!
The Strange Death of the Truth
Disgusted

The STRANGE DEATH OF VINCENT FOSTER
Christopher Ruddy
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684838370

Amazon.com

Ever since the night that deputy White House counselor Vincent Foster was found dead in a Washington, D.C., park, conspiracy theories about his death have abounded. Everyone from evangelist Jerry Falwell to talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has weighed in with his or her own version of events: Foster was murdered; his body was moved; the investigation into his death became a giant cover-up. Christopher Ruddy, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a paper owned by conservative Richard Scaife, has entered the fray with The Strange Death of Vincent Foster.

As Ruddy goes over the evidence, it becomes increasingly clear that the initial investigative work by the park police and the FBI was mishandled--evidence was poorly collected and documented, the autopsy was hardly comprehensive, and eyewitness accounts differed drastically. In addition, the role of White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum in obstructing the police search of Foster's office and belongings was undoubtedly out of line. Do shoddy police work and overzealous political posturing add up to a vast governmental conspiracy? Ruddy suggests they do; readers of The Strange Death of Vincent Foster may or may not reach the same conclusion.

Book Description

On a humid July day in 1993, White House deputy counsel Vincent W. Foster was found dead in Fort Marcy Park in suburban Virginia. One of the nation's highest-ranking federal officers, Foster was a boyhood friend of President Bill Clinton and a close confidant of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. His death sent shock waves through the White House and the nation's capital.

The death was quickly pronounced a suicide. According to the official story that soon emerged, Foster was depressed, angry, and isolated. With nowhere else to turn, he went to a secluded park near the Potomac River, put a gun in his mouth, and killed himself.

But is that what really happened?

In this compelling and fully documented report, investigative journalist Christopher Ruddy answers that critical question. Ruddy, who has covered the case almost from the start, details the disturbing inconsistencies surrounding Foster's alleged suicide, chronicles the botched investigations, documents the frenzied illegal activity in the White House in the hours after Foster's death, and notes the persistent failure of mainstream media to ask the right questions.

Throughout his thorough investigation of the available forensic and circumstantial evidence, Ruddy weaves a disturbing tale of cover-ups, abuse of power, police and prosecutorial incompetence, and press indifference. His startling conclusion -- that despite the official line, Foster could not have killed himself in Fort Marcy Park -- will persuade even the most skeptical reader to demand a full public investigation into the mysterious circumstances of the death of Vincent Foster and the troubling events in its aftermath.

Customer Reviews:

Packed with facts and information!.......2007-06-19

I picked up this book not knowing much about Vincent Foster, or the scandals that surrounded the Clinton's. I was younger then, and now that Hillary is running for President I thought I should know.

Firstly, Ruddy should be commended for his exhaustive efforts in putting together an informative book. No doubt he has sifted through countless documents and interviews, and probably spent countless nights digesting all of it.

Pretty much after the first ten pages I knew Foster did not kill himself, which left me to wonder what the remaining 300 pages would consist of. This book has a LOT of information and at times it can feel overwhelming. I thought it might have felt less so had Ruddy separated his book into chapters by points of concern or contradiction, followed by facts backing up each point. I realize this approach is difficult, for Foster's death is murky and had it been easy to discern the truth the case would be solved by now. Because of this Ruddy's book goes back and forth with events discussed previously resurfacing later.

One thing's for sure, you get more from Ruddy's book if you come in with some pre-knowledge of other key players: McDougals, Webster Hubbel, Craig Livingstone, Whitewater, Travelgate, even Bill and Hillary, to name a few! This book is like a piece of a puzzle that fits better when you have all the pieces. These people and cases are important and Ruddy doesn't necessarily fill you in with details, (it's a bit annoying at times, but it certainly cuts down on the length of his book). Ruddy does include a couple pages in the Appendix covering a bit about these people, as well as a few timelines that are helpful.

Overall, this is no novel, it's an investigate study packed with facts and information and you'll certainly have your fill of it.

Loved it, read it........2006-06-29

There are certain occurrences which come into play during the Clinton administration like so many deaths during his reign, Chinagate etc. Read this and look deeper than what is written.

Great book!.......2001-08-20

A fascinating account of yet another bungled White House cover-up. The author is to be commended not only for writing a compelling book but also for his excellent research skills. It is obvious from reading some of the negative reader reviews that many people write reviews without reading anything but the flyleaf. Books like these only make me more grateful to be a Canadian!

The Strange Death of the Truth.......2001-07-20

This book is nothing more than a compilation of hypothetical "what ifs." The author posits no evidence and does nothing more than simply spew forth his opinion that the Clintons are evil and therefore must be up to foul play. Treat this book like the hogwash that it is.

Disgusted.......2001-05-11

There is a reason why this book is so hard to find...there are people who dont want this information out there. I was glued to this book until I was finished. I always felt as if the story that the news media and the government gave us was acceptable until I read this book!

Better Than Sex:: Confessions of a Political Junkie (Gonzo Papers, Vol 4)

Average customer rating:

FEAR AND LOATHING IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 1992
Not what I expected but still good
Political Junkies, Rejoice...
Accurate Title
A great representation of sarcasm

Better Than Sex:: Confessions of a Political Junkie (Gonzo Papers, Vol 4)
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679424474
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Amazon.com

Since his 1972 trailblazing opus, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter S. Thompson has reported the election story in his truly inimitable, just-short-of-libel style. In <B>Better Than Sex</B>, Thompson hits the dusty trail again - without leaving home - yet manages to deliver a mind-bending view of the 1992 presidential campaign, in all its horror, sacrifice, lust, and dubious glory. Complete with faxes sent to and received from candidate Clinton's top aides, and 100 percent pure gonzo screeds on Richard Nixon, George Bush, and Oliver North, here is the most true-blue campaign tell-all ever penned by man, beast, or Thompson.

Book Description

"Hunter S. Thompson is to drug-addled, stream-of-consciousness, psycho-political black humor what Forrest Gump is to idiot savants."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
Since his 1972 trailblazing opus, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter S. Thompson has reported the election story in his truly inimitable, just-short-of-libel style. In Better than Sex, Thompson hits the dusty trail again--without leaving home--yet manages to deliver a mind-bending view of the 1992 presidential campaign--in all of its horror, sacrifice, lust, and dubious glory. Complete with faxes sent to and received by candidate Clinton's top aides, and 100 percent pure gonzo screeds on Richard Nixon, George Bush, and Oliver North, here is the most true-blue campaign tell-all ever penned by man or beast.
"[Thompson] delivers yet another of his trademark cocktail mixes of unbelievable tales and dark observations about the sausage grind that is the U.S. presidential sweepstakes. Packed with egocentric anecdotes, musings and reprints of memos, faxes and scrawled handwritten notes (Memorable."
--Los Angeles Daily News
"What endears Hunter Thompson to anyone who reads him is that he will say what others are afraid to (.[He] is a master at the unlikely but invariably telling line that sums up a political figure (.In a year when all politics is--to much of the public--a tendentious and pompous bore, it is time to read Hunter Thompson."
--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"While Tom Wolfe mastered the technique of being a fly on the wall, Thompson mastered the art of being a fly in the ointment. He made himself a part of every story, made no apologies for it and thus produced far more honest reporting than any crusading member of the Fourth Estate (. Thompson isn't afraid to take the hard medicine, nor is he bashful about dishing it out (.He is still king of beasts, and his apocalyptic prophecies seldom miss their target."
--Tulsa World
"This is a very, very funny book. No one can ever match Thompson in the vitriol department, and virtually nobody escapes his wrath."
--The Flint Journal

Customer Reviews:

FEAR AND LOATHING IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 1992.......2007-04-23

Better than sex

Know this. The late Hunter Thompson, Doctor Gonzo, was something of a muse for me although our politics, in the final analysis, were light years apart. I have read everything of his that I could get my hands on. During many a troubled time when I got down on the seemingly hopeless struggle in the fight for socialism his savage humor aimed at the inanities of bourgeois politics and politicians carried me through. That said, the book under review Better Than Sex about the trials and tribulations of covering the ill-starred 1992 presidential campaign is not one of his better efforts and even with his vast journalistic skills must have been a chore rather than something to really dig into. I will tell you my take on the matter.

Hunter Thompson started making a name for himself as a political journalist in his first efforts at trying to understand presidential political campaigns during the ill-fated Democratic campaign of George McGovern against one Richard M. Nixon in 1972. His Fear and Loathing on Campaign Trail 1972 stands as a classic of `alternative' journalism on the issue. He stated then that a political junkie, and by any definition he was one, could only really stand in the vortex of one such campaign before burning out. Nevertheless he recklessly pressed his luck. Unfortunately, Thompson found himself in the place where Teddy White found himself after his seminal `straight' reporting on the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon campaign, The Making of President. White too, went on to write more such books and not to his benefit. In short, pigeon-holed. Take that lesson for what it is worth.

The problem with Better Than Sex is that Thompson had written it all before, and to better effect. The writing seems frantic and tired, very tired. It did not help that his cast of main characters- one President George H. W. Bush, one William Jefferson Clinton and one genuine dingo bat Ross Perot- would make even a political junkie get him or herself to the nearest rehabilitation center. The book reflects that in many ways not the least of which is the extraordinary amount of filler (literally with `draft' notes, letters, drawings etc.) that clutters the book. If that does not convince you then a three star rating on a genuine five star journalistic hero of mine tells the tale. Still, there is more than enough savagely funny analysis and humor for a real Thompson junkie to get by on during a few lonely political nights. Enough said.

Not what I expected but still good.......2006-01-27

Lots of politic stuff.Kind of boring theme but Hunters words makes it fun and intersting.It is a good book if you are a Hunter fan.If you are not dont start go with this one.Pick up "Fear and Lothing in Las Vagas" or "Hells Angels".After you read those book this book will be lot better.

Political Junkies, Rejoice..........2005-06-03

I find that, no matter what book I read by the good Dr. Thompson, I can never write an appropriate review or make any sort of intelligent, logical comment on the subject. To date, I've read Hell's Angels, The Rum Diary, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas twice, along with a few of the articles in Hey Rube. Picking up Better Than Sex, I hoped to finish the book and be able to, finally, write some sort of response to the book, putting to rest this impotence of critique that seems to hang like a strange, twisted shadow over his writing.

Like most people faced with the inability to perform a task, mine is psychological, rooted in a sort of awe factor, that phosphorous phantom known as envy that usually takes the form of imitation or fear and inability. I mean, essentially, you read Thompson and when you put the book down, you say "I want to write like that." Then, you open up Word or, if you're a bit old-fashioned, you pull out a pen and paper, and sit there, staring at the blankness, the perfect emptiness that you know you're only going to muck up because no human being can write like that.

No living human being, anyway.

What Thompson did - not only in writing but in life - was to infuse everything he touched with a sort of rough humanity. Whatever the subject, from the loss of idealism in the sixties hippy culture to why Bill Clinton was a weird one, but the only thing we had going in 1992, he could explain and expound upon it with the word of a poet and the common sense of your best childhood friend. The man knew how to craft a sentence and a story, something that was both informational and interesting, and by the time you reach the end of the story, you realize you're walking away not only entertained but educated. He had the power to do that.

Better Than Sex is a bit different from his earlier work, mostly in that it relies heavily on deviant, manic faxes sent to everyone from Clinton's campaign manager to Jan Wenner at Rolling Stone while Thompson was covering the campaign trail in 1992. While you're shuttled from one strange jaunt to the next, entertained at Hunter's various bizarre suggestions, you're also learning, picking up things you never realized were going on in that oh-so-important election year. He's pointing out mistakes that Bush Sr. made in 92, mistakes that were remembered not only by Hunter, but as becomes apparent as the book comes to a close, by the Bush II campaign. It's like a hard, fast look at the 2004 election trail, seeing the same plays from the same teams, except this time the away team learned from their mistakes twelve years ago, and they're not about to lose this championship again.

Reading it, however, isn't just an entertaining story or a guide to how to win a Presidential election. It's also a window into the mind of a man who was fed up with the Republicans twelve years ago, ready to take drastic action if Bush Sr. was re-elected. Reading it now, in light of Thompson's suicide in February, one can almost begin to comprehend the incomprehensible, as in his weirdest, most outrageous moments, Hunter revealed more of himself than he did when straight-laced and serious. In his coverage of the 92 campaign is the story of a man who could not live under the fascist iron fist of the more moderate Bush Republicans of the past, who reviled everything they stood for, and who threatened to flee the country should they take control for another four years. He shows himself as a man who is reinvigorated by the victory of sensibility over the zealous, Big Brother of a Republican party that was half the strength and only a forth as fanatical as the one that recently enthroned itself for another four years. He is revived by the masses throwing out the trash and choosing to change the ways of the country by making a choice for improvement and change. Twelve years later his rallying cry in Rolling Stone went unanswered, America chose fascism over freedom, and freak power as a force to be reckoned with is dead in the United States-how could he survive in that world?

This is not to say that a single presidential election could determine the life or death of one man; when it comes to politics, mortality rates are usually in the thousands. What Better Than Sex does say, however, is that like it or not, Thompson was a political junkie, that while his reputation was built on drugs, his perfect drug is a good political match, and that as a catalyst, it held major sway with a man whom drugs alone could not touch.

Accurate Title.......2004-05-22

This book is better than sex. His best since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He's not your average acid casualty. This book is an amazing blend of outrageous, mind bending accusations, libelous paranoid ranting, and just good old fashion fun. Hunter is a national treasure and this book is a great read.

A great representation of sarcasm.......2004-05-05

Better Than Sex is a book for those who like to read sarcastic, humorous, and often-cynical writing. Thompson creates a world of politics that is not the "norm" in the United States. It is something ugly, COMPETETIVE (even capitalizing it makes it understated), and downright dirty. He compares getting into politics like an addiction, a very serious addiction. It can mold people into a horrible beast that would run over their own mother as long as they got elected.
This is a book about politics. Yet, there are stories contained with James Carville, the ragin' cajun, stealing Hunter's money and jacket. Also, Thompson describes the, both good and bad, possibilities of a fax-machine, press pass, and telephone. Thompson basically shows his interest in politics in a very uninterested way. He almost makes it seem like he doesn't, in actuality, care about politics through his blatant sarcasm and, at times, downright rudeness. However, while reading, that does not deter from that he is obviously obsessed with politics. I think he's simply trying to state his opinion in a broad, un-censored way. All in all a very good and fun read, for those of you who are cynical and critical of the world around you.

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