Posted on 06/16/2004 10:06:41 AM PDT by NYC Republican
CBS News legend Dan Rather was one of the few people to get his hands on an advance copy of the hotly awaited and tightly guarded 975-page memoir My Life, by former President Bill Clinton. So what’s the verdict, Mr. Rather?
"Maybe he didn’t come totally, absolutely clean with himself, but he made an effort to do it," he said, "an effort it would be difficult to find with any former President."
Did Mr. Rather like the book?
"I liked it more than I thought I would," he said, "more than I was prepared to like it. Who knew that Bill Clinton could write this well?"
"As Presidential memoirs go," he added, "on a five-star scale, I give it five."
On Sunday, June 20, two days before the book’s official release, 60 Minutes will air Mr. Rather’s attempt to wrassle with the newly buff (by way of the South Beach Diet), bear-hugging, pain-feeling former President in an hour-long interview. Mr. Rather said Mr. Clinton didn’t attempt to avoid the prickly, Monica Lewinsky–related questions in their sit-down interview. "He made no effort to cut it short, or brush aside any question," he said, "and he said, ‘I’m not making any excuses. I have no excuse and as far as I’m able to explain it to myself, here’s my explanation.’ There are very few people in public life who can do that on camera."
Mr. Rather had a lot of praise for the first half of Mr. Clinton’s tome, which deals with his hard-luck upbringing in Arkansas and his years working as a staffer for Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, which shaped his views on Vietnam. He called it "informative and revealing." But when asked about the second half, which addresses Mr. Clinton’s Presidency—and specifically, the Monica Lewinsky blowup that plagued his second term in office—Mr. Rather could not characterize it as revelatory.
"I didn’t find it as rich or as revealing as I found the first half," he said. "And I found the first half very revealing indeed.
"We all lived that and he lived it in a very public way," he continued. "On this most critical stuff, frankly, I think people would make a mistake if they went to that immediately. I think a lot of people will. There’s a lot of that in it."
Mr. Rather said he was suitably convinced that Mr. Clinton had written the book himself, having glimpsed notebooks filled with longhand in Mr. Clinton’s Harlem office. Of course Robert Gottlieb, Mr. Clinton’s editor (and The Observer’s dance critic), has a long history of turning literary coal into diamonds. Mr. Rather compared Mr. Clinton’s homespun Southern style to North Toward Home, by Willie Morris. As it happens, Mr. Gottlieb was Mr. Morris’ editor in the 1960’s.
Was Mr. Clinton critical enough of his actions while President of the United States?
"In some portions, yes," said Mr. Rather. "In some ways, I thought he was surprisingly, if not remarkably, so. But that is not to say that he is hard on himself about everything everybody thinks he should be hard on himself about."
Mr. Rather was being coy.
"That’s what makes the first half of the book so effective," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at observer.com ...
Well, we all know the real headline..."Rather gives Clinton a Monica"
LOL!
How would you know that from reading this book?
As we used to say at my old school, "what a crawly bumlick".
He probably gave this book a 5 star 12 years ago.
Usually presidents write their books before they run for president and after being president they clam up. It's almost like their youthful illusions were embarrassing once they got to the office.
I give Clinton's book five stars too...........on a scale of 5 to 3,000.
It's nice to see Dan get out and get his head up an ass other than his own.
:) Wouldn't it be funny if the scale were 10?
I just hope Slick Willie's book ain't a pop-up book. Ewwwwwww!!
I see your views about Clinton have mellowed the last few years.
Duh. He probably wrote it.
This from the man who said "At heart, I think Bill Clinton is an honest man."
Such a ringing endorsement makes me want to rush out and buy it, along with Lying, I mean, Living History. /sarcasm
Wow! Kenneth's in the book review business now? Hey, Dan! Two thumbs up (your ass)!
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