The Hillary Clinton Books: Stale Coffee Grinds
Two new books about Hillary Clinton are set for release in June. One is by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr., the second is by Carl Bernstein.
As for the ridiculous assertion that 20 years ago Hillary and Bill were planning on how to each be two-term Presidents, Media Matters provides the debunking.
What's left is like sifting through old coffee grounds. Do we really need new books re-hashing old Clinton marital woes?
How about the facts? Gerth and Van Natta, Jr. make a big deal out of Hillary's non-review of the National Intelligence Estimate when it came out. Why? It's not as if she claimed otherwise. Only six senators did review it (none of whom are current Presidential contenders.)
When Hillary was asked about this a few weeks ago in New Hampshire, she said she was briefed extensively on it. That only six Senators read it was documented during the 2004 presidential campaign, for example by ABC on 4/14/07 and the Washington Post (article by Dana Priest) on 4/27/04.
More old coffee grinds:
Two more non-scoops in the book:
- On Hillary running for Governor: Dick Morris and others have been pitching this one since 1999 on both Fox News and Paula Zahn.
- On Hillary failing the D.C. Bar: She wrote about it in her book, Living History.
The book also contains at least one inaccuracy: Gerth states that Bill Clinton came in third in New Hampshire, when in fact he came in second.
As for author Gerth, Media Matters dissects his career today, including his highly criticized "reporting" on Whitewater and Wen Ho Lee.
Less is known about Bernstein's book which comes out the same day as Gerth's, but it is said to focus on the Clinton's marriage. I can't think of a single marriage in America that's been more dissected then their's. Isn't it time to move on?
I, for one, would welcome an ambitious, determined, confident, focused, intelligent President. That's the impression of Hillary I get after reading the reviews of the books.
More reviews and commentary:
- Garance at American Prospect.
- Marc Ambinder at the National Journal's Hotline
- Glenn Thrush at Newsday
- Ben Smith, Politico
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