posted on June 23, 2005 09:09:47 AM new
Tony Blankley
About once a year I review a book in this column that ought to be required reading for people who care about politics. Edward Klein's "The Truth About Hillary" is such a book. The pre-publication leak about the book -- that Bill Clinton had allegedly talked about raping his wife -- was off-putting for me. I don't usually waste my time reading salacious scandal books from the Left or the Right. But I was advised to take a look at this book, which I read last weekend.
It was worth my time. This is not a scandal book intended merely to gratify the reader's salacious interests. Instead, Mr. Klein has written a serious political and psychological biography of the most likely next Democratic nominee for president -- and thus, quite plausibly, I fear, the next president of the United States.
Although this is a heavily researched book that includes amongst its sources almost a hundred people who are or were personally close to Mrs. Clinton, this is not a peek through a keyhole. Instead, it is a peek -- and more than a peek -- into the mind of Hillary. And, whether you like or hate Hillary, the inside of her mind is a fascinating place in which to rove about. Hillary haters will certainly find further evidence to support their sentiment. Principled liberals, I suspect, will be deeply disconcerted by what they will find out about her mind in this book.
But for people who like their presidents ruthless, expedient and very smart (in a dangerous time, those are not all bad features), the portrait Mr. Klein paints may well not be seen as negative. In fact, as the author notes, Mrs. Clinton has more than a little in common with Richard Nixon.
One of the more interesting anecdotes recounted in the book describes the time President and Mrs. Clinton met with President Nixon. It was March 1993, the first time Nixon had been invited back to the White House since he departed in 1974:
"The elevator door opened, and the first person Nixon saw when he stepped off was Hillary Clinton. 'Your health care reform legislation in 1973-74 was so good that we are using it as a blueprint for our own package,' Hillary said. This struck Nixon as an incredibly strange, wonkish greeting from the First Lady. But then Hillary managed to top even that by adding: "Had you survived in office, you would have been light years ahead of your time." "Had I survived in office! Nixon later remembered thinking. Maybe I could have if she hadn't been working to impeach me."
The anecdote continued with Nixon's recollection that he had thought that Bill Clinton was too nice to provide world leadership:
"He doesn't scare anybody.' Then Nixon added, as though he had a sudden insight: 'Hillary inspires fear.' Nixon explained that a few minutes after the meeting started Chelsea Clinton joined the group." The kid ran right to Clinton and never once looked at her mother. I could see that she had a warm relationship with him, but was almost afraid of her mother. Hillary is ice-cold. You can see it in her eyes. She is a piece of work … Hillary inspires fear." Of course, for Nixon, that was a high compliment.
For any woman running for president, she must first prove to the public that she is tough enough. And what better character reference could such a woman hope for than from the arch-tough guy President Richard Nixon.
If readers with a taste for realpolitic find the previous Nixon endorsement of her toughness comforting, liberals will find chapter 39 positively chilling. Therein Mr. Klein describes Sen. Clinton's encounter with some New York liberals who had raised money and campaigned for her, and had close ties to Marian Wright Edelman (Mrs. Clinton's ideological godmother.) The women had come in to seek Sen. Clinton's support for a child-care bill. When they asked her why she was not supporting it, Sen. Clinton explained: "It's not going to fly. I'm not going to spend my political capital on something that is doomed before it starts." The women responded: "We want you to spend your capital whether you win or not … If it was Ted Kennedy, he'd stand on what he believes." Hillary bristled at the invidious comparison between her and Ted Kennedy … "If you don't understand my position, there is nothing more to say. I have other people waiting … Goodbye." And with that, she strode out of the room in a huff." The women understood quite well: " … she will do anything to get to the White House, including dropping child care."
But perhaps the most revealing chapters of the book are numbers six through eight, in which Mr. Klein studies Hillary Clinton's childhood. The focus of those years is her father, a former Penn state football star and Navy drill instructor. He raised young Hillary and her two brothers to be tough, excel at all things and fight to win, which Hillary did, literally on a number of occasions punching out boys larger than her who displeased her. Mr. Klein's description of Hugh Rodham Sr.'s parenting methods reminded me of no one so much as Joseph Kennedy Sr. -- father of a president and two senators.
posted on June 23, 2005 10:19:38 AM new
If you notice Miss crowfarm those were not bears words but the words of Tony Blankley. He was just a messenger.
Why would he be scared. I would think that there is nothing to be scared about in that book especially for Bear
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posted on June 23, 2005 10:29:57 AM new
I was shocked and awaed a couple nights ago when Sean Hannity interviewed Klein and for the most part, had nothing nice to say about the book. This is a guy that so lockstep conservative it scares me at times (and amuses me to no end at others) and yet even he thought that this book crossed the line of good taste. Even he felt that that the possibility as large that this book would have exactly the oposit of the desired and much hyped effect and rather than kill her candidacy would create a backlash of sympathy for Hilary and her family.
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No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 23, 2005 10:35:20 AM new
Even the most conservative Republicans see this book as trash. Here is a link to the Hannity - Klein interview that you mentioned, Fenix.
posted on June 23, 2005 10:35:38 AM newIf readers with a taste for realpolitic find the previous Nixon endorsement of her toughness comforting, liberals will find chapter 39 positively chilling...
...Sen. Clinton explained: "It's not going to fly. I'm not going to spend my political capital on something that is doomed before it starts."
Does this reporter believe that liberals are idiots? Hate to break this to you but I want someone that knows the difference between fighting the good fight and tilting at windmills. Sounds like Hillary expressed very clearly that she knows the difference and knows the value of picking your fights.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 23, 2005 10:38:51 AM new
Yes, but you have to realize that to neocons, who never read beyond the National Enquirer level, this is great literature
posted on June 23, 2005 09:07:07 PM new
Anyone with any sense would be scared of hillary, but then none of the demonrats have ever been accused of having any sense.
A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby
