For Love of Politics: Inside the Clinton White House
Product Description
During their eight years in the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton worked together more closely than the public ever knew. Their intertwined personal and professional lives had far-reaching consequences–for politics, domestic policy, and international affairs–and their marital troubles became a national soap opera. Based on unparalleled access to scores of Clinton insiders–cabinet officers, top administration officials, close personal friends–and skilled analysis of a vast written record, including previously unavailable private papers, For Love of Politics is the first book to explain the dynamics of Bill and Hillary’s relationship, showing that they are two halves of a unique whole and that it is impossible to understand one Clinton without factoring in the other. Sally Bedell Smith, acclaimed author of Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House, offers intimate scenes from the Clinton marriage, with new details and insights into how a passion for politics sustained Bill and Hillary through one crisis after another. With clarity and depth, Smith examines the origins of an unconventional copresidency, explains the impact of the Clintons’ tensions as well as their talents, and reveals how Hillary shifted from openly exercising power in the first two years to acting as a “hidden hand,” advising her husband on a range of foreign and domestic issues as well as decisions on hiring and firing. Smith describes for the first time the inner workings of a White House with an unprecedented “three forces to be reckoned with”–Bill, Hillary, and Al Gore–and shows how the First Lady’s rivalry with the Vice President played out in the West Wing and even more profoundly during the 2000 campaign. As Hillary seeks to follow in her husband’s footsteps, this riveting book will leave readers marveling at what they never knew about Bill’s intensely covered presidency–and wondering what it would be like to have two presidents, both named Clinton, living in the White House. From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Sally Bedell Smith is the author of Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House, Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess, Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman, and In All His Glory: The Life and Times of William S. Paley and the Birth of Modern Broadcasting. A contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 1996, she previously worked at Time and The New York Times, where she was a cultural news reporter. She lives in Washington, D. C. , with her husband, Stephen. They have three grown children. From the Hardcover edition.
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November 26th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Sally Bedell Smith’s For the Love of Politics makes for insightful and prescient reading for those seeking to understand Hillary Clinton’s 2007-2008 presidential campaign and to anticipate the possibility of a Hillary Clinton-led White House. Bedell Smith ably chronicles the eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency, making a compelling case that Hillary Clinton played a strong and ongoing role in her husband’s policymaking. While Hillary Clinton’s involvement in West Wing events appears to have ranged from overt (during the first two years of Bill Clinton’s presidency) to covert (particularly during the 1995-96 re-election bid), Hillary Clinton appears to have been a prominent influence in her husband’s presidential decision-making process. Bedell Smith’s account also suggests that Hillary Clinton, as First Lady, was frequently more tough-minded and partisan than her husband, who was more likely to take a conciliatory stance toward his opponents. At the same time, Bedell Smith’s reporting indicates that the Clintons’ relationship is centered on the political process and on policymaking and concludes that a Hillary Clinton presidency would be shaped by both Clintons, much as Bill Clinton’s presidency was. Especially interesting in Bedell Smith’s account are foreshadowings of some of the events of Senator Clinton’s Senate career and 2007-2008 campaign: –Hillary Clinton’s 2000 New York Senate campaign highlights Clinton’s expertise on policy issues, a decision driven by polling results suggesting that the “personality negatives” perceived by voters can be overcome only by emphasizing her experience. The 2008 presidential campaign has been run on the same premise. –Bill Clinton’s attempts as president to dislodge Saddam Hussein from power foreshadow Hillary Clinton’s 2002 support for the invasion of Iraq, and her reluctance to embrace an antiwar stance. –A successful call for a gasoline tax during Bill Clinton’s presidency foreshadows Hillary Clinton’s embrace of this approach in the spring of 2008. –The Clintons’ single-minded commitment to Hillary’s 2000 race for the Senate to the detriment of Al Gore’s presidential candidacy has a similar flavor to the Clintons’ pursuit of the 2008 presidential nomination at the possible expense of Democratic Party unity and victory in November 2008. In sum, Bedell Smith describes a talented, flawed and hard-driving political couple whose personal and political ambitions are pursued at all costs. The sense of shared legacy looms large. Bedell Smith’s narrative suggests shared disappointment at the lost opportunities of a Bill Clinton presidency undermined by a bitterly partisan political environment, GOP dominance in Congress, and the Lewinsky affair. The Clintons’ mutual disappointment at the defeats suffered during Bill Clinton’s White House years, the mutual desire for a second chance at the presidency, and the shared need to strengthen a fragile legacy appear to shape Hillary Clinton’s tenacious 2008 run for the White House. All told, Bedell Smith has created a fair, balanced and compelling look at the Clintons. For the Love of Politics should be required reading for those seeking to understand the Clintons’ marital and political partnership.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
. . . read this book first! My interest was piqued when I saw a book review by the author on TV. Her research was extensive and carefully documented. She spoke to both Hillary’s supporters and retractors and quoted both personal interviews and published reports. The book was both a page turner and a head shaker. If you want to find the epitome of the “snake oil salesman” look no further than Hillary and Bill! Sleazy backroom deals and downright dishonesty are all part of their political game.