How to kill a book, in 3 easy steps (Clinton Damage Control Team)

Te Politico ^ | 25 May 07 | Ben Smith

[SkyPilot]

Here's how you kill a book:

First, see to it that it emerges into the public eye on the Friday of a holiday weekend.

Then, express ostentatious boredom at its contents.

Then, attack.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson declined to comment on the question of whether the campaign leaked to The Washington Post a copy of one of two forthcoming biographies of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. And though there’s no confirmation that the Clinton campaign leaked either book, there is at least some circumstantial evidence that points that way.

“The only people who have an interest in putting it out on a Friday before Memorial Day are the Clinton folks,” said Chris Lehane, a veteran of Clinton White House damage control.

The use on Clinton’s website of passages from one book also appeared to confirm that the campaign had a copy of the book in its possession.

Meanwhile Philippe Reines, Clinton’s spokesman, drew chuckles inside the Beltway for his canned response to the books: “Is it possible to be quoted yawning?”

[SkyPilot]

The Clinton's haven't change - see that bad news get released on a Friday afternoon - before a holiday weekend is even better.

Then have their lackeys show up on every TV program, blog, and radio show they can to say it is "old news."

Amazing - and pathetic.

[weegee]

Same as they did during the Starr investigations.

Now the Left applauds leaks.

[justiceseeker93]

I detest the Clintons as much as the next guy here on FR. But, having said that, I don't think the point this article is trying to make is worth much at all. If the book(s) has (have) useful information, it will not be "killed" entirely by "leaks" about it to the WaPo at the start of the Memorial Day weekend. If the publisher(s) can get the author(s) good media exposure, these tactics by Her Thighness' handlers can't keep the material in the book(s) away from the American public forever.

[GOPJ]

If the publisher(s) can get the author(s) good media exposure, these tactics by Her Thighness' handlers can't keep the material in the book(s) away from the American public forever.

When it's "old news", a publisher has a much harder time getting MSM (free) coverage (buzz).

[SteveMcKing]

Hillary wants these books so that people feel sorry for her... the poor victim, a woman wronged by gossip....

Anything that distracts from her socialist agenda will help her, however scandalous. She needs these novels.

[mcenedo]

At first I thought it odd that 2 more Hillary tomes (by some real 'Rat lovers) hit the news on a Friday before long weekend.

However revealing and disgusting the books, they will be old news soon.

I'm still amazed that anyone could support someone so duplicious and evil and criminal as this women, even if you only believe 1/10th of what is revealed in these books, much less the vast quantity of already known scandals.

But, maybe she'll bring back the silverware she stole on the way out.

[CTSeditor]

“I’m still amazed that anyone could support someone so duplicious and evil and criminal as this women”

Money and greed does strange things.

[jmaroneps37]

Yes yes yes, we have heard this before: The clinocchios run the world so they can withstand a book like this.
But while that was very true in 92 and 96 and again in 2000 and 2006 will it be true in 2008? The new media is very much stronger now and for the very first time in the new media era the beast has REAL opponents. There are no more Nita Loweys out there!
She may beat these books, but doing so will not be as easy as some think. abracadabra is smart, has big money and lots of beast haters with him. opie is just the same old dunce he always has been, but osama? Now that will be different.

[SkyPilot]

A book could be published that had 37 color glossy photographs of Hillary engaged in lesbian sex with one of her lovers (who is rumored to be employed by Hillary) and the Clinton camp would sneer:

"This is old news."

[SkyPilot]

Look at this story from today:

Clinton 'planned to divorce Hillary to be with one of his many lovers'"

Bill Clinton was ready to divorce Hillary to be with one of his lovers, according to a book out next month. The marriage crisis is said to have ended with his wife talking him out of the move, telling a friend "there are worse things than infidelity". ......As Mr Bernstein makes clear, in light of the Monica Lewinsky scandal that turned out to be "a flawed assumption". In the 640-page book, Bob Boorstin, who worked for Mrs Clinton when she was trying to restructure the nation's healthcare system, blamed her for the collapse of her own plans. "I find her to be among the most self-righteous people I've ever known," he told Mr Bernstein. "It's her great flaw."

[justiceseeker93]

She needs these novels.

Not sure what you mean by "novels." They're supposed to be biographies. One was written by a former and a present NY Slimes reporter, and the other written by Carl Bernstein, so the authors are all MSM left establishment. That doesn't necessarily make the books complete puff pieces, but I would expect moderate criticism of her at best.

I don't know if you can say that she "needs" these books, but they probably won't do her much harm in the long run either, regardless of whether her lackeys are successfull in "killing" them.

[alrea]

She needs something, per the poll numbers. So they are turning wheels and pushing buttons.

[justiceseeker93]

She needs something, per the poll numbers...

The last I saw, she was running in the 30s among 'Rats and had been stuck there for months. Not too impressive when you consider she's has by far the most name recognition.