Rating: 
Summary: A tour de force that enrages & enlightens
Review: This book is an incredible achievement, based on exhaustive reviews and footnotes. I don't automatically read something and believe it 100 percent, but if Conason and Lyons have documented HALF of their research and interviews accurately (and based on their reputations, I'd believe it's significantly higher than that), many, many Republicans have a great deal to apologize for. Conason and Lyons perform a devastating autopsy on the right's campaign to destroy Clinton before he even announced his candidacy for president in 1991, through both terms of his presidency. As someone who voted for Clinton twice (and would happily do so again), I knew Clinton had enemies, but I didn't know he had this many who were this menacing. The authors lay out in stunning detail the lies and half truths that were willingly perpetrated by the mainstream media, discussing topics like the Foster suicide (many were convinced/hoping that it was a Clinton-sponsored murder), Troopergate, Filegate, Ken Starr and the wanton abuse of his Independent Council powers and much, much more. The above topics have been discussed ad nauseum in other books and articles, but the authors go further, detailing the many right-wing backed publications such as The American Spectator, the wealthy right wing tycoon Richard Mellon Scaife and his backing of the Arkansas Project, William Renquist and his role in Whitewater and the Starr appointment, and most importantly in this reader's eyes, how the first independent council, Robert Fiske, was ousted after he couldn't find any wrongdoing on the part of the Clintons. This paved the way for Starr's appointment, who would stop at nothing to get something on the Clintons. Conason and Lyons also detail the highly unethical treatment of Monica Lewinsky at the hands of Starr and his deputies. Speaking of Monica, the authors gain credibility by not condoning or even trying to explain away Clinton's moral lapses with Monica and other women, but they also detail the credibility problems of many Clinton accusers, namely Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones. This book simply must be read to be believed. The authors certainly got my partisan blood boiling all over again, 90s style, about what the Republicans did to try to bring down a good but imperfect man. This book makes one wonder where the "liberal media" was during the 1990s, when even the most incredibly idiotic rumors about Clinton, after being reported in a publication of ill repute, would be picked up by the mainstream media. The authors rightly conclude that publications like The Washington Post and the New York Times (the latter of which broke Whitewater and was perhaps eager to make up for getting scooped during Watergate) had too much invested in Whitewater as time went on for the stories to come up empty. Hence, the papers kept after a story that never was really there in the first place. Even more outrageous, during critical junctures during Starr's investigation, when information came to light that proved highly favorable to the Clintons, it went largely unreported by two of America's most "reputable" newspapers. My one minor complaint about the book is that it did not detail the impeachment proceedings at all, and the impeachment and the GOP's behavior during that show trial is every bit as outrageous as what led up to it. Had Conason and Lyons written the full story about the impeachment, this could be THE ultimate book from A to Z about the GOP's war on the Clintons. (Perhaps we'll see a part II?) But, this is still probably the best, most meticulously detailed book on the right's campaign to destroy Bill and Hillary. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: This book is scary
Review: This book starts out detailing the antics of a group of Arkansas Clinton-haters and how they intended to get even with Clinton for having defeated them politically. That loosely organized gang showed unlimited creativity in their attempts to create scandals, where none actually existed. Their lies were then picked up and spread by well placed national figures that hid behind their employers presumed credibility. (William Safire and Michael Isakoff to name a couple).
Our formerly honorable news organizations, in search of a scandal, would greedily lap up the lies funneled towards them by the Arkansas gang. Those news organizations would then turn around and lend legitimacy to those lies by simply repeating them in print.
Soon the Arkansas gang was joined by a national counterpart of extremely well funded, well connected, right-wing operatives who all seemed to have full time jobs working to discredit Bill Clinton and other Democrats.
The lies were told and retold by writers at the Wall Street Journal, Rev. Moonie's Washington Times, and The American Spectator. Formerly legitimate news sources, such as the NY Times and The Washington Post found themselves falling for all the subterfuge. Their good names fell so far from grace that one can only believe that their writers were moles planted by the right-wingers.
Other "conservative" publications and deep-pocketed donors helped to spread the lies. Richard Mellon Scaife played his usual major role in this scandal.
The scariest part of this book wasn't the ability of this right-wing cabal to create news and scandal and have it carried in the mainstream press. The scariest part was actually how Ken Starr and the Federalist Society were able to turn our judicial system upside down, and cheapen it to the point that Ken wanted to examine the President's penis to look for "distinguising characteristics". If that soiled dress hadn't turned up, he surely would have pushed for the examination.
Their Alice in Wonderland justice system was actually able to compel testimony from a reluctant Monica Lewinsky and the President of the United States regarding their sex lives. All of this originated with the "Independent Council" investigation of a fabricated crime regarding a failed land investment the Clinton's made in Arkansas nearly 20 years prior.
I consider this book to be a must read for all Democrats and undecided voters. Even the most battle-hardened Democrats will be shocked by the magnitude of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, and the depths to which they would stoop. Undecided voters will get a horrifying view into the workings of that machinery, and how it touches so many of the major players in today's media and the Republican party.
Conservatives, on the other hand, will smile with glee at how effective they were at "pulling this one off".
Rating: 
Summary: Who needs this?
Review: Who cares about the Clinton's anyways? This book blames the downfall of the Clintons on the GOP, isn't that who Democrats blame everything on? YAP YAP YAP. The Conservatives really destroyed Clinton. Yeah. . . RIGHT! Former President Clinton destroyed himself when he claimed, "I didn't have sexual relationships with that woman." Ok, her name is Monica not "that women" How disrespectful! Anyways, a real feminist would have divorced a cheating scumbag like Clinton. Hillary only stayed with him because she has more power that way. I'd recommend reading The Hillary Trap by Laura Ingraham before you read this junk. You could find the same crap in the cheap magazines that say mermaids exist! Overall, this book blames those "filthy conservatives" for all the world's problems because the liberals can't blame themselves for the problems they got themselves into. Clinton has been digging a hole for himself and Hillary ever since he got into office, and this is apparently the only excuse he can come up with.
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