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F R I D A Y , J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 0 5"The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House"-- The Americablog reviewby Michael in New York on
6/24/2005 06:00:00 PMNOTE: On Fridays and down times, we are considering postreviews and previews of books, and the like that should be ofinterest to politically minded bloggers. Hey, we're reading themanyway -- might as well let you know what we think. Tell us ifyou think it's appropriate. Coming next week: "1776" by DavidMcCullough.""THE SURVIVOR: BILL CLINTON IN THE WHITE HOUSE"By John F. Harris($29.95; Random House)While the muckraking book on Hillary is getting trashed (evenby the New York Post), this look at Clinton's run for thePresidency and White House years has vaulted onto the charts.Harris, a reporter for the Washington Post, happily doesn'thave an ax to grind or a career to burnish. He's not trying topraise Clinton or denounce him. Harris just lays out as factuallyas possible the eight years that Clinton served the country, thepeople he worked with and the personal traits -- conciliation,empathy, delaying tough decisions -- that served Clinton sowell in so many ways but doomed him on the Paula Jonesscandal.Some unexpected heroes emerge here (including LloydBentsen, who Harris says Clinton curried favor with and wasrather in awe of) as well as some who come of more poorlythan in the past (including, perhaps, George Stephanopoulos).And Harris reminds us that we can blame Newt Gingrich in partfor Monica Lewinsky (it was Gingrich's ploy of shutting downthe government that led to a skeleton White House staff andthus the conditions for their first liaison).As you'd expect from a reporter, the style is no-nonsense andstraightforward. It all comes in a rush -- Gore's contributionsand political caution, Hillary's loyalty and brash sense ofpurpose, the Karl Rove-ian figure of Dick Morris, and theconstant polling that both allowed Clinton to pursue the policieshe believed in and led Clinton to policies he hadn't considered.Perhaps the book's signal achievement is the overwhelmingsense of crisis after crisis and issue after issue that threatensto swamp even the most capable president. As welfare reformand Bosnia and Haitian refugees and midterm elections and therealignment of NATO and Boris Yeltsin's drunkenness and othertopics demand attention and affect each other in unexpectedways, you begin to appreciate the awesome responsibility ofthe Presidency.Harris hasn't written the definitive account of Clinton and thoseyears -- it will take decades, not to mention the release ofclassified documents and private papers and public memoirsbefore someone can have enough of the facts to do that. Butthis sober book is compelling and blessedly free ofpartisanship. When Clinton returns to center stage (As thehead of the UN? As the President's spouse?), anyone lookingfor perspective on his personality and presidency would do well
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
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6/24/2005 06:00:00 PMNOTE: On Fridays and down times, we are considering postreviews and previews of books, and the like that should be ofinterest to politically minded bloggers. Hey, we're reading themanyway -- might as well let you know what we think. Tell us ifyou think it's appropriate. Coming next week: "1776" by DavidMcCullough.""THE SURVIVOR: BILL CLINTON IN THE WHITE HOUSE"By John F. Harris($29.95; Random House)While the muckraking book on Hillary is getting trashed (evenby the New York Post), this look at Clinton's run for thePresidency and White House years has vaulted onto the charts.Harris, a reporter for the Washington Post, happily doesn'thave an ax to grind or a career to burnish. He's not trying topraise Clinton or denounce him. Harris just lays out as factuallyas possible the eight years that Clinton served the country, thepeople he worked with and the personal traits -- conciliation,empathy, delaying tough decisions -- that served Clinton sowell in so many ways but doomed him on the Paula Jonesscandal.Some unexpected heroes emerge here (including LloydBentsen, who Harris says Clinton curried favor with and wasrather in awe of) as well as some who come of more poorlythan in the past (including, perhaps, George Stephanopoulos).And Harris reminds us that we can blame Newt Gingrich in partfor Monica Lewinsky (it was Gingrich's ploy of shutting downthe government that led to a skeleton White House staff andthus the conditions for their first liaison).As you'd expect from a reporter, the style is no-nonsense andstraightforward. It all comes in a rush -- Gore's contributionsand political caution, Hillary's loyalty and brash sense ofpurpose, the Karl Rove-ian figure of Dick Morris, and theconstant polling that both allowed Clinton to pursue the policieshe believed in and led Clinton to policies he hadn't considered.Perhaps the book's signal achievement is the overwhelmingsense of crisis after crisis and issue after issue that threatensto swamp even the most capable president. As welfare reformand Bosnia and Haitian refugees and midterm elections and therealignment of NATO and Boris Yeltsin's drunkenness and othertopics demand attention and affect each other in unexpectedways, you begin to appreciate the awesome responsibility ofthe Presidency.Harris hasn't written the definitive account of Clinton and thoseyears -- it will take decades, not to mention the release ofclassified documents and private papers and public memoirsbefore someone can have enough of the facts to do that. Butthis sober book is compelling and blessedly free ofpartisanship. When Clinton returns to center stage (As thehead of the UN? As the President's spouse?), anyone lookingfor perspective on his personality and presidency would do well
HuffPost PoliticsHuckabee's Huck Pac In Turmoil With StaffTurnover, Mounting Debts - Former Arkansas Gov.Mike Huckabee's political action committee, HuckPac, is undergoing a "restructuring," ExecutiveDirector Sarah Huckabee said Wednesday....2 minutes ago
Ben SmithGoing small - My story tonight: President BarackObama came alive about 50 minutes intoWednesday night’s news conference – whensomebo6 minutes ago
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...43 minutes ago
EschatonOvernight - Folk On. Newish.1 hour ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Open Thread below...1 hour agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
1 of 57/23/09 1:03 AM
Visit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in
REM - Orange CrushAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
2 of 57/23/09 1:03 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)1 hour agoEzra KleinTab Dump5 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’6 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .7 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
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Twitter RSSTwitter Feed
Get the blog by email:
Subscribe me!
Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
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S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
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SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
4 of 57/23/09 1:03 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: "The S...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/survivor-bill-clinton-in-w...
5 of 57/23/09 1:03 AM