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Klein's 'Truth' is simply sordid - (Hillary's media minions already attacking "big time!")
LA TIMES.COM ^ | JUNE 26, 2005 | TIM RUTTEN

Posted on 06/25/2005 7:07:58 PM PDT by CHARLITE

Every once in a while, something hits your desk and makes you wonder whether there really isn't an argument to be made for book burning.

Edward Klein's "The Truth About Hillary" — a purported biography of the New York senator and former first lady, which arrived this week — is precisely that sort of something.

Prurient in its focus, shameless in its methodology and vile in execution, this volume is a near-perfect example of what has come to be called "bio-porn," a particularly noxious subgenre of the polemic literature that nowadays infests our bestseller lists.

A book like this does not have a publisher so much as it does an aider and abettor — called Adrian Zackheim, who runs Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin U.S.A. established to bring to market the "conservative" titles that lately have been reliable moneymakers. The problem with an enterprise conceived to pick conservative pockets rather than address conservative consciences is that it tends to miss some of the movement's finer points — such as self-restraint and civility. But even now, few serious conservatives are willing to stand by and watch them trampled quite as wantonly as Klein has done.

"Mr. Klein's problem," Peggy Noonan wrote this week, "is that he assumes the market is conservative and conservatives are stupid. They're not, actually." The former speechwriter for President Reagan went on to call the book "poorly written, poorly thought, poorly sourced and full of the kind of loaded language that is appropriate to a polemic, but not an investigative work."

The New York Post's John Podhoretz described Klein's book as "one of the most sordid volumes I've ever waded through."

Just how sordid?

Well, it even triggered the gag reflex on Fox News, where Bill O'Reilly announced on-air that he would not interview Klein.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: abouthillary; bookreview; edklein; hillaryclinton; latimes; thetruth
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Never never never forget that the left wing media is there like a net under the high wire trapeze artist...lest she fall.

I'm actually a bit surprised at the otherwise much revered Peggy Noonan's negative view of Klein's book.

1 posted on 06/25/2005 7:07:59 PM PDT by CHARLITE
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To: ThreePuttinDude; Beth528; SMARTY; Ghost of Philip Marlowe; CyberAnt; nothingnew; Cornpone; ...
Hillary ping!

Char :)

2 posted on 06/25/2005 7:08:43 PM PDT by CHARLITE (I propose a co-Clinton team as permanent reps to Pyonyang, w/out possibility of repatriation....)
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To: CHARLITE
I'm actually a bit surprised at the otherwise much revered Peggy Noonan's negative view of Klein's book.

Feeble attempt on the Beast's part to numb the public down.

3 posted on 06/25/2005 7:12:04 PM PDT by evad (No action to secure borders, No action on judges... NO MONEY!)
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To: CHARLITE
Peggy Noonan on Hillary book
4 posted on 06/25/2005 7:12:32 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: CHARLITE
Full court Clintonesta press. Must be hitting home!
5 posted on 06/25/2005 7:17:03 PM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: CHARLITE

Well if Peggy feels that strongly against the book, and the MSM is suggesting book burnings and trying to blackball the book...I think I'll break my cardinal rule of never buying nor reading a book concerning the Clinton's out of principle.

Per Rush's opinion that some of these "conservatives" denouncing the book are trying to get in the MSM's graces to show they aren't rabid Hillary haters. May be some truth to that.

Personally I don't see the need for such extremisism on the part of these people if they don't like the book. I didn't advocate we burn Kitty's book and Klein supposedly has a good reputation. She did not. Good grief.


6 posted on 06/25/2005 7:18:38 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: CHARLITE
Having written her own HRC book has NOTHING to do with Peggy Noonan's comments, I'm sure.

I like Peggy, but it's not like she doesn't have a dog in this fight.

7 posted on 06/25/2005 7:19:06 PM PDT by Dr.Hilarious (If Al Qaeda took over the judiciary and mainstream media, would we know the difference?)
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To: CHARLITE

The question to be answered is, "Is the information in the book substantially correct?" I suspect it is.


8 posted on 06/25/2005 7:23:14 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: Texas Songwriter

I get the feeling that the info is correct. Also that the book "hits below the belt." So is it fair? I wouldn't want to say. Maybe not fair, but still true? I put a request in for the book at our local library...


9 posted on 06/25/2005 7:29:08 PM PDT by guitarist
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To: guitarist

I'd say it is recompense for the Clinton Machine Tactics which are coming around to bite Hillary on the butt. They don't deserve any better treatment for what they did to the country.


10 posted on 06/25/2005 7:33:30 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: CHARLITE

11 posted on 06/25/2005 7:33:43 PM PDT by John Lenin (Liberalism: Where defeat is victory)
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To: CHARLITE
I'm shocked the LA Slimes would like to burn this book.

But - they consider ANY mishandling of the Koran as unforgivable..and an impeachable offense by the President!

It all comes down to whose Ox is gored....

MSM has less that ZERO credibility now...
It's a WONDERFULLY appreciated occurrence, and long overdue.

Semper Fi
12 posted on 06/25/2005 7:35:48 PM PDT by river rat
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To: CHARLITE
Again, I don't see *anything* in the article that explains why Klein's book is - as everyone seems to say - innacurate or "below the belt."

Genralizations don't cut it when it's all there in black and white. If the book is innacurate, show us where in the text it's inaccurate. If it hits below the belt, refer to the text and tell us why.

13 posted on 06/25/2005 7:37:52 PM PDT by Reactionary
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To: Reactionary

Make that "generalizations."


14 posted on 06/25/2005 7:38:09 PM PDT by Reactionary
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To: CHARLITE

Hillary's media minions.

15 posted on 06/25/2005 7:39:43 PM PDT by BulletBobCo
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To: CHARLITE
..."one of the most sordid volumes I've ever waded through."

Sordid subject = sordid book.


16 posted on 06/25/2005 7:40:46 PM PDT by TXnMA (Iraq & Afghanistan: Bush's "Bug-Zappers"...)
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To: Texas Songwriter

I am listening to the audiobook now. Having read a few books on the Clintons, most notably "Deriliction of Duty" and "Unlimited Access", I tend to believe every word I am hearing. All this stuff about the domestic staff being forbidden to look her directly in the eyes, and people ducking in offices to avoid her just sounds too authentic to me.


17 posted on 06/25/2005 7:41:40 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: rlmorel

Also, I cannot believe the average person would find nothing unusual in the fact that Hilliary's billing statements for the Rose Law Firm miraculously were 'found' two days after the statute of limitations expired on the Whitewater scandal.

Among other things.


18 posted on 06/25/2005 7:47:08 PM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: TXnMA
Sordid subject = sordid book.

Exactly right!


19 posted on 06/25/2005 7:51:28 PM PDT by CHARLITE (I propose a co-Clinton team as permanent reps to Pyonyang, w/out possibility of repatriation....)
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To: CHARLITE

Thanks for the ping!


20 posted on 06/25/2005 7:52:59 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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