Though the former Newsweek and New York Times Magazine editor’s book, “The Truth About Hillary” has yet to be released, it has already reached number one on Amazon. Does that make it a good book? Hardly, but the debate that has grown around the release of this book is interesting, to say the least.
Liberal critics have already begun to call this book, “a right wing hit piece.” But is it? If you look at Mr. Klein’s credentials, you see that he’s worked for two of the biggest left-leaning media establishments in the country, Newsweek, and the NY Times.
Is it a left wing hit piece then? Perhaps an example of liberals killing their own wounded?
I think the whole argument is ridiculous actually. This is, plain and simple, a hit piece. It doesn’t matter WHO it is hitting, really, what matters is that it's really just full of sleaze.
Yes, sleaze. A low but popular form of the media that I like to call, “the main-sleaze media.” These books are, as Bill O’Reilly accurately pointed out on his Fox News show last night, easy to write:
Writing a book or article that slams somebody is simple. Just line up the person's enemies and let fly. They do that stuff to me all the time and to every other successful person in the media or politics.
Exactly right. Unfortunately, sleaze often sells even better than sex. In some ways, this kind of sleaze, the kind you’ve seen hurled at people like Mr. O’Reilly, President Bush, President Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, and now Senator Clinton, is a form of pornography. It’s chock full of lurid details, and salacious rumors. Stuff that, unfortunately, people love to read.
Is any of this garbage uplifting in any way? Does it teach us anything of value? These kinds of books are the fast food of literature; they are fun to consume, but you feel less healthy rather than more at the end of it.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Try turning your head away from a train wreck. It's human nature.
2 - Al Barger
The Clintons SO much deserve all the sleazy attacks they get. They have brought this stuff on themselves in a thousand ways. For example, Bill apparently really DID rape Juanita Broderick, besides every other kind of sexual misbehavior. Should we be then offended for his honor over these questionable allegations?
Screw 'em both, I say. They've got it coming to them.
3 - Eric Berlin
Al -
a) How does someone apparantly really do something?
b) Where's your proof?
4 - Al Barger
Juanita Broderick has reluctantly but publicly told her story. She sounds pretty credible. However, I say "apparently" because I don't know 100%, and he's never been convicted of such charges in a court of law.
Monsieur Berlin, surely you're not going to claim that Bill Clinton has not had a fairly ugly history of abusive sexual behavior.
5 - Eric Berlin
While Clinton has had affairs, I see no reason to label it "abusive sexual behavior." I go back to: if Hillary and Bill have worked things out -- as it seems they have -- what business is it of anyone's elses?
6 - David Flanagan
Al,
Does Chelsea Clinton deserve this kind of treatment? Because, if rumors are true, Ed Klein is making the case that she's was conceived through an act of intra-marital rape.
That's a terrible charge for a young lady to have leveled at her.
David
7 - David Flanagan
Matthew,
Would you pay $20 for a guided tour of a trainwreck? That is what you are doing when you buy this book.
Thanks,
David
8 - Silas Kain
The Clintons SO much deserve all the sleazy attacks they get. They have brought this stuff on themselves in a thousand ways. For example, Bill apparently really DID rape Juanita Broderick, besides every other kind of sexual misbehavior. Should we be then offended for his honor over these questionable allegations?
You know what? I hope Hillary doesn't run because I am sick and tired of the right wingnuts and their constant torture of the Clinton family. They did it to the Clintons, they did it to John McCain and now they're doing it to the Clintons again. I've had it with the diatribe. People who have nothing better to do but malign anyone who does not tow the party or religious line are equal to Nazism, Communism, Islamic terrorism and every other ism that is a threat to the very foundation of human rights and dignity. There, I said it. And I won't be a coward like Dick Durbin and tearfully withdraw my remarks.
Cal Thomas this week stated that the church, not the state, must advance the moral agenda. Well, former Senator and U.N. Ambassador John Danforth disagrees. Until I became a fan of Blogcritics, I was of the opinion that with all its faults the Democrat Party was our last, best hope. I was wrong. It's time for the Whitmans, McCains and Danforths of this country to revolt and take back the party of Lincoln. The GOP needs a purge and it's time we had the balls to do it.
McCain-Danforth 2008!
9 - Dave Nalle
I'm with you, Silas, but I want it to be McCain-Tancredo - which I think is more viable anyway.
Dave
10 - SFC SKI
I don't want to start going OT, but Hillary and Bill have managed to kept themselves a lot of scrutiny by their actions or inactions, as have many other public figures.
11 - Al Barger
Mr Flanagan, Bill and Hillary are public figures of significantly earned ill repute, and I'm not impressed with arguments that they should be able to hide behind their daughter to avoid criticism. Plus, the rape charge isn't "leveled against her." It doesn't say anything about her whatsoever.
Mr Berlin, Bill's behavior is worse than simply having an affair or two. He's humping the help, using his status as a powerful elected official to get his way with women- and then destroy them if they become inconvenient. Most notorious here, of course, Monica Lewinsky.
Also, screw John McCain. He's a fascist schmuck who needs to be knocked down. I'd vote for Hillary before him. However, he has NOT been drug through the mud on a personal level. The attacks on him have been largely purely professional.
12 - SFC SKI
Al, if all Bill had done was get it on in the Oval Office, I could probably accept him. As always, history wil judge his legacy, so check back in about 30 years.
13 - Silas Kain
Also, screw John McCain. He's a fascist schmuck who needs to be knocked down. I'd vote for Hillary before him. However, he has NOT been drug through the mud on a personal level. The attacks on him have been largely purely professional.
With all due respect, Al, I disagree. McCain was totally dragged through the mud by Bush operatives during the 2000 campaign under the tutelege of one Karl Rove. He was taken through the mud, maligned for the adoption of a child of color and his wife was made a political pawn. The Bush operatives organized a demonic smear campaign that bore false witness against the Senator. As far as I can see, under Christian doctrine, those fundamentalists who took part in that campaign will burn in the bowels of Hell. Unless, of course, they vow to kill fags, outlaw abortion and deport Hillary.
Dave, thanks for the info on Tancredo. I have read some stuff and based on your recommendation I shall now support the ticket! McCain-Tancredo 2008!
14 - Silas Kain
Al, if all Bill had done was get it on in the Oval Office, I could probably accept him. As always, history wil judge his legacy, so check back in about 30 years.
SFC, as far as I'm concerned I want a President that likes to get off. It makes him human. Somehow Richard Nixon doesn't strike me as a guy who would have enjoyed a blow job. Maybe that's what made him so paranoid.
15 - gonzo marx
wow..seems big Al is off his meds again
as far as Clinton's alleged behaviour when it comes to women...if the allegations are proven true, lock the fucker up...however, since Ken Starr spent over 40 million of the taxpayers money going over everything with a fine tooth comb looking for ANY excuse to nail slick Willie, and failed to prove ANY of the shit big Al is spewing off about then mebbe it's time to let go of the peurile, unfounded, accusations...eh?
you know..the whole "innocent until proven guilty" bit
hell, it's not like a prominent GOP type that waged the impeachment jihad against him ever divorced his wife on her deathbed from cancer so he could marry his ex-intern that he had been having an affair with , who was half his age, then divorced that one for another, younger intern...
oh , wait..that's right...Newt actually did that...my bad..
as for McCain, fascist? how so? and i guess the push polls done by an "outside firm" that cost 2 million during the 2000 primaries in South Carolina that called him "unpatriotic" and made it seem like he was pro-breast cancer were "professional" and not "personal"
cold pack for big Al please..i'm sure he'll be just fine folks..
Excelsior!
16 - dietdoc
David writes: "These kinds of books are the fast food of literature; they are fun to consume, but you feel less healthy rather than more at the end of it."
Reply: And the analogy holds for the American society. If, like Morgan Spurlock, we chose to consume only junk food, we will reap unhealthy benefits. "Junk media," like junk media, is unhealthy. It is dangerous for the body, mind and spirit. Unfortunately, we - as a society - seem to be on a strictly Big Mac diet.
Like the Golden Arches, this sort of writing is everywhere.
Cheers,
Ron
17 - DrPat
Folks, the strategy is to make the allegation - you can always apologize later, boo-hoo, I didn't mean to upset anyone. As long as the charge is leveled, there will always be plenty of people who nod wisely and intone, "no smoke without fire, y'know."
This book is the logical outgrowth of the supermarket tabloids, worthy of no more notice than them. You wouldn't make this kind of uproar over "President Meets with Extra-Terrestrials at Camp David," would you?
18 - Eric Berlin
Yep, that's exactly right, DrPat. It's Swift Boats all over again. I'm afraid we've arrived at The Age of Swift Boats, where it's okay to make up any damned crackpot allegations you like, as long as it's published under a glossy-looking cover.
19 - todd
This is just more misdirection that is symptomatic of american politics.
Clinton (and Bush's) crimes are all dome right out in the open.. Waco, Iraq, Elian Gonzales, lying about the state of US finances, protectionism, the FCC protection of the entrenched elites, bailing out big business with govt money.. the essential wrongness of everything that is happening, killing innocent foreigners to deflect attention from domestic issues.
I could go on for pages.
But no leader will ever be held accountable for any of this crap.
And I personally would rather see Bush held accountable for lying about Iraq than worry about Clinton lying about a consensual sex act.
Its like those people that spent hours playing metal records backwards to find satanic messages in a Judas Priest or Ozzy song, when all they have do do is listen to the actual freaking song the right way to hear the bad stuff.
The lengths that the right has gone to trash the Clintons is pretty amazing tho.
The equvelant arguements from the left towards Bush are fairly tame taken in comparison.
20 - Silas Kain
The lengths that the right has gone to trash the Clintons is pretty amazing tho.
The equvelant arguements from the left towards Bush are fairly tame taken in comparison.
You're absolutely right, Todd. That's why I maintain we must take from the center and start purging our politics from extremism. This left-right mud slinging and paranoia is paralyzing this country a hell of a lot more than the terrorists did on 9/11. It's a disgrace that the politicians in this country have been allowed to get away with their shenanigans since then. They have done the American public a disservice and 48% of Americans have done themselves a disservice by not being more proactive concerning their own futures.
21 - todd
Actually Silas, I think the answer is more extremism, but extremism towards an idea, not partisanship.
Partisanship is just dumb and leads people into making fools of themselves and supporting people instead of ideas and causes.
If you are pro-life for instance, why support a candidate who wants to use your tax money to experiment on dead babies?
Likewise, if you are anti-war, why support the party that went right along with Bush in gong to war?
All those people should have had some balls and voted for Nader instead of Kerry.
And thats what it comes down to, having common sense and the balls to back it up.
My god, how could it get any worse if your Big Party candidate lost and the other guy got in? Nothing will change as long as people keep going after the least of evils. At least, in such a narrow scope as to choose between a Dem or a Rep.
America's answers, politically, don't lie in the center. Liberty was at the time (the colonial days) an extreme concept and it still is. It was a reaction against the entrenched elites and their stranglehold on commerce via mercantilism.
Nah man, the middle is no place to be. I think a radical agenda is more likely to grab the attentions of the grass roots, which is why the Reps keep telling the Dems that Dean is bad news.
Not that I like Dean, he is just a placebo for disaffected lefties to funnel them back into the DNC.
22 - Silas Kain
Well, how about a compromise, Todd? Why not create a new extremism called the Proactive Electorate Party (PEP). To get Americans REALLY involved in the political process would be an extreme change. Take our friend Dave, for instance. By God by the time I'm done I will have convinced him to run for the local School Board.
23 - David Flanagan
Well said Ron!
Thanks. :-)
David
24 - Dave Nalle
I agree with Silas - McCain was really treated harshly during the last presidential primary, and it drove him to the point where I think he lost the primary mainly because he got so publicly pissed off about the attacks on his family.
McCain certainly isn't perfect. His biggest shortcomings are the disastrous failure of his efforts at campaign finance reform, his reputation as a bit of a waffler and gloryhound, and his advancing age. I think his wife is a big asset. She'd be the best looking thing in the white house since Jackie Kennedy. Plus McCain does have a reputation for honesty which is a nice change from what we've experienced for the last 16 years or so.
I like Tancredo as a running mate because he's strong on issues like immigration, he's a real hard-line conservative but not a religious nut and he's young. His main shortcoming is that he's also a westerner like McCain.
Dave
25 - David Flanagan
Dave,
At least, after all the praise Democrats have heaped upon McCain for being a moderate, they would have trouble then backpeddling and smearing him as they have so many other GOP candidates.
There are a lot of things I like about McCain. I don't know if he would be my ideal candidate for President, but he's certainly a strong candidate.
David