Especially since Ketchup Boy puts so much stock in his supposed resemblance to JFK, and the Big He also virtually worshipped the ground JFK walked on, Seymour Hersh's book, "Dark Side of Camelot", written at the height of the Clinton impeachment struggle (perhaps to help save the Big He by pointing out that he was hardly unique in his womanizing ways), is a useful companion read for anyone who chooses to read the Clinton memoir (once it can be had for a buck or two in the remainder bin - - soon, no doubt).
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316360678/qid=1087656449/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-9734383-2995921?v=glance&s=books
Amazon review notes:
If the Kennedys are America's royal family, then John F. Kennedy was the nation's crown prince. Magnetic, handsome, and charismatic, his perfectly coifed image overshadowed the successes and failures of his presidency, and his assassination cemented his near-mythological status in American culture and politics. Struck down in his prime, he represented the best and the brightest of America's future, and when he died, part of the nation's promise and innocence went with him. That, at least, is the public version of the story.
The private version, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour M. Hersh, is quite different. His meticulous investigation of Kennedy has revealed a wealth of indiscretions and malfeasance, ranging from frequent liaisons with prostitutes and mistresses to the attempted assassination of Fidel Castro to involvement in organized crime. Though scandals in the White House are nothing new, Hersh maintains that Kennedy's activities went beyond minor abuses of power and personal indulgences: they threatened the security of the nation--particularly in the realm of foreign policy--and the integrity of the office. Hersh believes it was only a matter of time before Kennedy's dealings were exposed, and only his popularity and charm, compounded by his premature death, spared such an investigation for so long. Exposure was further stalled by Bobby Kennedy's involvement in nefarious dealings, enabling him to bury any investigation of his brother and--by extension--himself.
Based on interviews with former Kennedy administration officials, former Secret Service agents, and hundreds of Kennedy's personal friends and associates, The Dark Side of Camelot rewrites the history of John F. Kennedy and his presidency.
Reader's review:
The Under Side of the Sheets, April 8, 2004
Reviewer: John G. Hilliard (see more about me) from Toronto Canada
I was born after the Kennedy Administration so I do not have the nostalgic feelings for him that many people do. I picked this book up to get a little less fawning impression of him then some other books tend to portray and for some good old fashion dirt. I have also read some other books by this author so I new him to be a straight shooter. Well, I was not disappointed. This book covered JFK's father, grandfather, campaign and full presidency and my impression is that the author left no rock or bed sheet left unturned. Before I go further I should add that I have read any number of political books that are basically hatchet jobs and I was a little concerned this book would fall into that category. I was pleasantly surprised that the author was able to present all the unflattering bits in a very evenhanded manner. The author could have tossed in little nasty comments here and there, but did not. He stuck to a very "just the facts" type of reporting.
The book covered some very interesting parts about the campaign and the unique financing that took place. The author did not pull punches, he detailed out vote buying to a rather large degree. The one area that was left unsaid was just how prevalent was this behavior. This is not an excuse, but if the Kennedy team was just doing what every politician had and was doing up to that point, the activity is not as exciting and revolting as the author stated. For me the other two most interesting parts were the detail on Cuba and Berlin. I was not upset or surprised at what the administration was doing to try and get rid of Castro. I think we all know about the Bay of Pigs and the attempt to have Castro killed. This book just filled in a lot of nice details. Again the author tried to make these activities far more scandalous then they were given the times that they took place in. Sure, if these activities were taking place today it would be a "blank gate" of some sort, but back then this was just how the game was played.
The most overriding theme of the book was the extramarital affairs JFK was involved in during his term. At first this was rather interesting in a playboy sort of way. How he carried on like this was a bit of every high school boys adolescent dream come true. It was just that it got to be too much of a good thing. In almost every chapter of the book we get details about this woman or that woman. At about the mid point of the book I was thinking, "Ok, I got it - he was a playboy -lets move on". It just got to be a distraction within the book. My only other complaint would be that the author tried to make hay about the political trip to Dallas that resulted in JFK's assassination. He tried to imply that the choices JFK made resulted in his death. I thought this was a bit of a reach. Overall the book was interesting if not a bit over the top on the woman issue. If you are a big fan of JFK you will want to stay away, but if you are looking for more interesting and in depth look at the man then this would be a nice addition to your JFK reading.
God, in His sovereign timing, juxtaposed Clinton's book with Reagan's death. A molehill next to a mountain. How appropriate.
My letter to the editor on Clinton, we will see if it gets published.
Remembering the Clinton Presidency
Clinton’s book tour seems like a good time to reflect on his accomplishments as President. I ask a couple of friends what they thought were his chief accomplishments. The economy came up; then I looked at the economic data, when Clinton came into office the economy was growing, by the time he left office we were in recession. So what did Clinton actually do for the economy?
Clinton wanted to be the center of attention and at the center of the news. I think Clinton considered himself to be more important than the Country he served. Whenever there was a conflict between what Clinton wanted and what was good for the Country, he chose himself. Getting elected and then reelected trumped other considerations. He even signed welfare reform after twice vetoing it because the idea was popular and he needed to improve his reelection chances.
In the most notorious example of Clinton’s misplaced priorities he decided that saving himself a little personal embarrassment was a higher priority than showing respect for the Truth, the Rule of Law and Our Judicial System. So while under oath he simply lied.
BTTT
I can't see large numbers of people actually reading his 957 page "book". As in his speeches as president, Clinton had no discipline. Obviously his model for speech writing was the Soviet dictators making 5 hour speeches in front of the Supreme Soviet. Of course leftists have a preference for quantity over quality.
Pray for W and The Johnson Family
BTTT
???What the he** is Fred Smoking?
Hello, FRED!!!
He failed us in national security, he failed to uphold good moral standards for all of us (most importantly, our kids) and failed to leave office with the 4.3% economic growth he inherited (it was 2.12% when he left office)
What does this goofball consider 'failing'?
Peggy Noonan's description of Hillary would suit Bill, too; squat and grasping.
X42(I) signed "welfre reform" only after it was passed with veto-proof margins in both the House and Senate. Fred should know this. The Rs would have loved to have rammed this into X42(I) on a veto override. It doesn't matter what Dickie "advised."
Bump this great piece.