Bill Clinton: The Survivor. Is this pro Clinton or anti-Clinton?

[romantico]

A new book comes out on Tuesday about Bill Clinton. Just curious if anyone knows if this is gonna be a fair portrayal of Clinton or another 'lets run his name through the mud' book.

[Catherine Vincent]

1. Do you know who the author is?

[BamaLefty]

2. That will be the tell-tale sign n/t

[meegbear]

3. From Amazon.com

In clear, workmanlike prose, veteran Washington Post reporter Harris traces the emotional highs and lows of a presidency with an excess of both. The book takes off after the disastrous (for Democrats) midterm elections of 1994, in part because of the arrival on-scene of a volatile Newt Gingrich and consultant Dick Morris, who is portrayed as quite sleazy. As the political wars over Whitewater and Lewinsky heat up, Harris's behind-the-scenes reporting pays dividends: he finds Gingrich boasting to Clinton, "Mr. President, we are going to run you out of town" and Clinton angrily denouncing the 1998 impeachment attempt as "a fucking coup d'état!" to a blank-faced, unsympathetic Al Gore. According to Harris, "the stereotype of Clinton as a supremely guileful and deceptive politician was essentially wrong." Instead, he views Clinton as an insecure, needy man whose frequent shifts in direction and self-destructive behavior reflected not cunning but utter lack of self-control. He also sees Clinton as growing in strength, self-confidence and wisdom over his eight years in office, and praises his courage in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. On terrorism, Harris offers a mixed verdict, crediting Clinton with recognizing the growing threat posed by al-Qaeda and expanding U.S. efforts against it while acknowledging the inadequacy of those efforts. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375508473/102-9443457-1118514?v=glance

[ultraist]

4. Sounds pretty cheesy

It doesn't appear to be a very favorable take on Clinton, IMO.

"According to Harris, "the stereotype of Clinton as a supremely guileful and deceptive politician was essentially wrong." Instead, he views Clinton as an insecure, needy man whose frequent shifts in direction and self-destructive behavior reflected not cunning but utter lack of self-control.

[wabranty]

5. Here's your indication that the reporter has an agenda:

"Clinton angrily denouncing the 1998 impeachment attempt as "a fucking coup d'état!" to a blank-faced, unsympathetic Al Gore."

Was the reporter in the room when this was said? Who told him this? How does he know that Al Gore was unsympathetic?

It's little "details" like that that tell you what the spin is. And look at the last line - Clinton gets credit for recognizing Al Qaeda as a threat but he's blamed for not doing enough? Tells you right there that this reporter is just passing along GOP talking points.

[romantico]

6. Too Many Books like this!

I don't mind a little fair criticism, but to be that one sided is just wrong!Last good Clinton biography I read was either Sidney Blumenthals or Joe Kleins.Wish there were more. Maybe I'll buy Madeline Albright's 'Madame Secretary'. Haven't read that one yet.