WP,pg1: Books Paint Critical Portraits of Clinton: 2 Biographies Detail Marital Strife, Ambition

Books Paint Critical Portraits of Clinton
2 Biographies Detail Marital Strife and Driving Ambition
By Peter Baker and John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, May 25, 2007; Page A01


Hillary Clinton's campaign had braced itself for the books, which one aide called "cash for rehash." (By J. Scott Applewhite-Associated Press)

Two new books on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York offer fresh and often critical portraits of the Democratic presidential candidate that depict a tortured relationship with her husband and her past and challenge the image she has presented on the campaign trail.

The Hillary Clinton who emerges from the pages of the books comes across as a complicated, sometimes compromised figure who tolerated Bill Clinton's brazen infidelity, pursued her policy and political goals with methodical drive, and occasionally skirted along the edge of the truth along the way. The books portray her as alternately brilliant and controlling, ambitious and victimized.

The Clinton campaign has nervously awaited publication of the books for fear they would include a bombshell revelation or, at the very least, revive memories of less-savory moments in the couple's rise to power. The books, both by longtime journalists and both obtained by The Washington Post yesterday, include a number of assertions and anecdotes that could confront her campaign with unwelcome questions.

"A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton," by Carl Bernstein, reports that Clinton as first lady was terrified she would be prosecuted, took over her own legal and political defense, and decided not to be forthcoming with investigators because she was convinced she was unfairly targeted. While in Arkansas, according to Bernstein, she personally interviewed one woman alleged to have had an affair with her husband, contemplated divorce and thought about running for governor out of anger at her husband's indiscretions.

"Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton," by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr., reports that during her husband's 1992 campaign, a team she oversaw hired a private investigator to undermine Gennifer Flowers "until she is destroyed." Flowers had said publicly that she had an affair with Bill Clinton while he was governor of Arkansas....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/24/AR2007052402479.html?nav=hcmodule

What will sink Hillary is if her still philandering husband gets his picture splattered in the tabloids with another woman, and the story turns out to have legs. Hillary will have to choose to dump the bum or continue to enable the bum. If she dumps the bum, she might lose an important source of political goodwill, but she might just win the whole enchilada out of sympathy.

You are so sadly and pathetically consumed with your obsession of Hillary Clinton that you will say just about anything to feed it...including make judgments about their marriage and medical decisions...

When Hillary wins I don't know what you will do...hopefully not follow the example of Edmund Ruffin...

Pity is all I feel for you!

Geffen said as much!

Says the Hotline Blog:

"But the only thing that really matters, politically, are new relevations about Clinton's marriage -- or revelations of recent misconduct by Pres. Clinton. There aren't any."

Link: http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/05/those_two_new_h.html

Remember that Geffen spoke of Bill Clinton's reckless behaviour in the present tense (Vegas, LA?).

I've read about it in at least a couple of books. It's something that happened in the '80s.

Will you risk the entire 2008 campaign, and the White House, on the premise that Bill has behaved since the Monica scandal?

I am not willing to take that chance!

but I do know that there hasn't been any concrete evidence of anything, just whisperings, mostly originating from the Enquirer.

What does it matter anyway? I mean, I hope for Hillary's sake that he hasn't been doing anything, but the campaign doesn't rest on it.

The rumors of infidelity are coming from liberal circles.

You better put a chastity belt on that boy until after the elections!

I don't think any new infidelities would have that much of an impact, either. Everyone on the planet knows the he's a philanderer.

As for these "liberal circles" to which you refer, is it coming from anyone other than Geffen, who has personal beef with the Clintons? Geffen hasn't gotten along with the Clintons since 2000, from what I understand, so how would he have any special information about Bill's activities?

Imagine, politicians seeking the highest office in the country being driven and ambitious.

duh! isn't that a requirement to be a politician?!

Is ambition not a characteristic of all presidential candidates........or are men in public life not ambitious?

they said it better than I could:

Those Two New Hillary Clinton Books
Based on this Washington Post article, On Call agrees with the Politico's Ben Smith: where's the there there?

Revelations are said to be:

Ooh -- HRC is ambitious. And ruthless. Ambitious people can be ruthless.

Ooh -- HRC fought to keep her family's private life private.

Ooh -- Bill Clinton had extramarital affairs.

Ooh -- the Clintons were worried about Whitewater.

Don't get us wrong: the books themselves we will buy and plow through, and given the pedigree of the authors: Carl Bernstein, Don Van Natta, Jeff Gerth -- they are certain to be well-reported and worth the money.

More: http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/05/those_two_new_h.html

Ayup.

I'll have a hard time trusting either book.Possibly some truths in there,but they'll most likely be packaged with enough lies to make the whole shebang dubious.I don't like Hillary in the slightest,but I'm very hesitant to take the word of two guys I wouldn't trust with a kid's lunch money.

opening the books on BushInc and their crimes of office, or not.

Why won't ANY of the corporate media yakkers bring up THAT issue most important to this nation's democratic future?

She seemed to do okay

of course, it didn't turn out so well for her, so maybe that's a bad example.

While Catherine was Tsarina in her own right

I found many of the accusations thrown at her to be similar to those that have been used against Hillary.

Actually, I mostly just brought it up because it's of course a very bad example and I have a strange sense of humor.

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Jeezus, they never get tired of this shit, do they? She's not my first choice by a LONG shot, but Goddamn, just GIVE IT A REST.

We. Don't. Care. Anymore.

and time to bore anyone with sense. I could care less about the Clinton's personal life, other than one fact, I admire them for sticking it out and raising an amazing daughter.

Where are those McCain, Romney, Guiliani books???????????

Just a little word to the wise: piling on Hillary could cause backlash like it did during the impeachment!:eyes: