Posted on 06/22/2005 3:13:35 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
The author of a book aimed at hurting a potential White House run by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Tuesday she would be a "dangerous" president as critics slammed his reporting as flawed muckraking.
Edward Klein's "The Truth About Hillary," published on Tuesday by Penguin's conservative Sentinel imprint, portrays Clinton as a ruthless and ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to become president like her husband.
"I didn't go into this book ... with an agenda," Klein said, citing his 40 years as an "independent" journalist at places such as The New York Times' magazine and Newsweek.
Nevertheless, he told Reuters in an interview, "I do not want to see her become president of the United States. I think that would be a dangerous thing; to have another darkly paranoid president like Richard Nixon, who has an enemies list and is inclined to do illegal things."
Sen. Clinton's spokesman Philippe Reines said, "This is a book full of blatant and vicious fabrications contrived by someone who writes trash for cash."
While Sen. Clinton has not said if she will run for the White House, she is widely seen as a leading contender for the Democratic nomination in 2008. She has been credited with adopting a moderate stance on issues such as the war in Iraq in a bid to make her a more attractive national candidate.
"I don't think we need another eight years of the Clintons," Klein said.
Bill Clinton's 1993-2001 presidency was dogged by sex scandals, prompting his wife to complain in 1998 of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" after news broke of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. That scandal led to his impeachment.
PERSONAL ASSAULT
Ridiculing her as "The Big Girl," Klein's book offers a 305-page personal assault, asserting without obvious sourcing that she is a cheater, a liar and a back stabber, a late sleeper, and that's only in the first few pages.
The book garnered much pre-publication media coverage because of myriad salacious claims about the Clintons' sex life -- claims many news outlets chose not to report directly.
Some conservatives hope the book will hurt Clinton as much as "Unfit for Command" damaged Sen. John Kerry's prospects. That book questioned Kerry's Vietnam war service during last year's campaign against President Bush and was credited with distracting the Democrat from policy issues.
But early reviews suggested otherwise.
"This book ... will not, as has been hoped or feared, do for any Clinton presidential campaign what 'Unfit for Command' did for the Kerry one," Publishers Weekly wrote.
"This clip and paste job ... is unlikely to change a single mind, let alone vote," the magazine's review added.
David Brock, a journalist who built a career digging up dirt on Bill Clinton's personal life before reinventing himself as a liberal media commentator, wrote an open letter to Penguin calling the book "an obviously false and defamatory tract."
With a print run of 350,000, the book will likely be prominently displayed in most U.S. book stores. It was No. 5 on Amazon.com's bestseller list by early afternoon on Tuesday.
The Washington Post questioned the veracity of Klein's reporting and sourcing.
"Sometimes the author repeats rumors and then footnotes them to a prior author who referenced the rumors" the newspaper wrote, adding that "new, corroborated news seems slight."
On the book's assertion that she knew about her husband's affair with Lewinsky two years before it was made public, the Post said, "Klein doesn't have the goods."
"Instead, he relies on one anonymous Democratic National Committee staffer, who herself doesn't seem to have firsthand or even secondhand information," the review said.
Klein disputed that as "absolutely untrue," insisting he had "several sources on that."
Publisher Adrian Zackheim of Sentinel, an imprint set up to publish conservative political views, said, "We stand 100 percent behind Ed Klein's credibility."
Let's pray the CONTENT of the book stops her in 2008.
It should be a must read for every liberal and Oprah-victim.
:-)
I hope folks aren't seriously hoping this will be a knockout punch for Her Heinous.
Even if it's true, the MSM will never cover it. It'll be up to Rush/Hannity, and the blogs to save the nation from the witch.
Adrian Zackheim is my "boss," and he approved "A Patriot's History of the United States," so I'm thrilled that Sentinel is making so much money on this, because it means my next contract will be bigger!
This book won't serve its underhanded purpose and Hitlery will lose the election anyway.
Hitlary needs her own swift boat vets to bring her down. I pray it works as planned.
I don't think so. She has her legions of Kool-Aid drinkers, who would give her their first-born. There is nothing in this book that will sway them, regardless of whether they believe it.
Klein is absolutely right on!!! hilleree WOULD be a danger to this country. Look how the coed Presidency depleted our military might. Klein knows of what he speaks.
Unfortunately, it will soon be President Hillary.
Hopefully, she won't nationalize the US economy.
...Though I'm a lawyer, so it would probably make me even richer than I already am.
While I certainly don't discount her media popularity and fundraising ability, I really don't see her winning an electoral victory.
And if she does?
It would be a catastrophe of epic proportions.
I don't thin anyone is banking on this book...there will be other things come out about her as time goes on. I just know it. Seems to me there are those who knew she would probably pull a stunt and leave NY to try for the Presidency so do you really think people have been sitting on their hands doing nothing?
I would venture to say ms hillereee will have to deal with a lot more than Klein's book. Mark my words...there is going to be more to come out. No one's life is THAT secret. I just bet there will be more things. My gosh, her staff and camp are all panicked out now just about this one book...imagine as we go down the line.
You can save my post to tell me I was wrong or congratulate me on my idea. :)
Books aim is to make money for author. I'm sure he is working on a book on whoever else he thinks people hate/love.
Do love those Swift Boat Vets. The seem to reinvent themselves as authorities on many issues.
Then it should be released in 2006 or 2007.
By 2008 the Clinton's will say "this is old news that has been debunked" throughout the primary season.
Nevertheless, he [Klein] told Reuters in an interview, "I do not want to see her become president of the United States. I think that would be a dangerous thing; to have another darkly paranoid president like Richard Nixon, who has an enemies list and is inclined to do illegal things."
At least Nixon wasn't so darkly paranoidal that he was covertly and often times overtly antiAmerican in sentiment and in purpose like Hillary Clinton is. Nixon didn't pander to extremist centric groups...like Hillary Clinton does. The MEDIA has permeated Nixon-hatred generation after generation without citing positive accomplishments by Nixon and his administration. Nixon pledged to end the Viet Nam war which had been extended and prolonged by previous Democrat presidents...and Nixon did end the VN war.
If elected president, I agree that Hillary Clinton will be a most serious danger to the Constitutional Republic of America, to its ideals and to its traditional values.
Hillary will say anything duplicitious, do anything expedient, pander and patronized where ever necessary to be elected president. The MSM will enable Hillary every which way but right.
Hillary is plainly consumed by ruthless ambition.
"She has her legions of Kool-Aid drinkers, who would give her their first-born."
Ha... she would just snub her nose at that child of the "little people".
Unfortunately, it will soon be President Hillary.
Hopefully, she won't nationalize the US economy.
...Though I'm a lawyer, so it would probably make me even richer than I already am.
***If the US economy was nationalized, how would that make you, a lawyer, even richer than you are now? Wouldn't there be rent controls, fee controls, wage controls, etc?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.