THE MALET STREET GAZETTE
EST. 1998
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EST. 1998 |
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Book Review
ISBN 0-316-92919-0 Little, Brown Price: $27.95 Clinton's First Term: "To Be or Not To Be?" All Too Human depicts a presidential aide torn asunder by his personal convictions - convictions that portrayed undivided loyalty to the President. George Stephanopoulos reveals a portrait of himself that is both honest, yet victim to a White House fortress preoccupied with media "spin." In a recent New Yorker article, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan crystallizes some of the paradoxes encountered by Mr. Stephanopoulos. While Senator Moynihan agreed with some of the President's agenda, he was also very critical of the way President Clinton "practiced politics." Stephanopoulos was right in the thick of this "practice" - a practice he loyally adopted, protected, and then tried to guide. Whether handling the recurring "bimbo eruptions" over President Clinton's prior extramarital affairs, the travelgate episode, Vince Foster's suicide, trying to "spin" interviews with Bob Woodward or the eruption of the Whitewater investigation - Stephanopoulos was zealously loyal to the president. But as he rightly admits, his immaturity and youth - at times - compelled him to advise the President poorly. The Waco fiasco is but a case in point. Rather than have the President account for the ATF's action, Stephanopoulos advised the President to yield to Attorney General Janet Reno on this matter. Though mistaken (Stephanopoulos is the first to admit this), it shows a dedicated advisor willing to stick his neck out. President Clinton or anyone for that matter will have a hard time criticizing this ex-advisor of sitting on the fence. Right or wrong - he took the hits. As to the 'bimbo eruptions," All Too Human reveals that serious character flaws, when they become evident, are a sure red flag to more serious issues down the road. Stephanopoulos had no time during the primaries to really know whether Clinton's character was flawed or not, the agenda was to move forward with the issues of the primary. On Whitewater, All Too Human reveals how Stephanopoulos and presidential advisor David Gergen vigorously recommended that the President provide the Washington Post and other media with "documents" to prove no wrongdoing by the President and the First Lady. Instead, the President was swayed by Hillary Clinton's refusal to release the Whitewater documents. Tragically for the President, and the country, this refusal sparked the appointment of the Whitewater independent counsel setting into motion the ruination of lives, careers and calls for the elimination of the office of Independent Counsel. Ultimately, the President's attorney, Bernie Nussbaum's fear about the independent counsel's dangerous role proved only too true - had the documents been released, as Stephanopoulos and Gergen recommended, it may have prevented an independent investigation to begin with. Stephanopoulos reveals how the media will try and create news simply by publishing unsubstantiated allegations. All To Human shows the inherent dangers when media moguls have their hand into so many outlets, such as cable, print and TV - one side produces allegations and other side creates stories based on those allegations. If along the way lives are destroyed, so be it. The 60 Minutes interview with Bill and Hillary Clinton on the eve of the New Hampshire primary about allegations of Bill Clinton's extramarital affairs with Jennifer Flowers (with Stephanopoulos off camera) was a tour de force showing how both loyalty and honest advice helped the Clinton's dodge a campaign bullet. The dynamics of the meetings prior to that interview show Stephanopoulos at his best - he dared to use the "A" word despite Hillary's vehement disapproval. Stephanopoulos splashed the truth on the table, and helped to create a final performance, that in retrospect, helped Clinton win the primary. The 60 Minutes interview saved Clinton's election and Stephonoulos helped forge that result. All Too Human is filled with interesting episodes of double-dealing by the President. The President, for example, would seek the counsel and advice of his senior advisors like Stpehanopoulos, and then secretly undermine or dismiss such advice by relying on Dick Morris - an outside paid political advisor. Dick would take a poll, and tell the President what to do, and the President would listen. This in itself if not wrong, but is it not disloyal to undermine your own advisors - who are on the front lines defending your character and Presidency, while a paid political consultant to both Republicans and Democrats has the real influence? Hillary Clinton is no doubt part of this Presidential matrix - it appears from All to Human, that Hillary represents just one additional layer of control and influence that Stephanouplos and others had to penetrate to influence the President. It was Hillary after all, who called Dick Morris for help after President Clinton lost his governership in the 1980's, thus cementing what turned out to be a long and strange affair with the Clinton's. It was Hillary who was only too quick to blame Stephanopoulos for the White House leaks to Bob Woodward, which were published in his book "Agenda." It was Hillary who accused Stephanopoulos of not believing in Bill Clinton when they were in trouble in Hew Hampshire. If there ever was an opportunity for Stephanonous to define who he was, he missed it here. Ultimately, Stepanouplos failed to achieve the overall "balance" his father advised after the election victory. If there is any lesson, Stephanopoulos shows that loyalty, intelligence, and access to a President are not enough. Lacking wisdom, Stephanopoulos seemed too consumed with winning every battle. Perhaps Stephanopoulos could have weathered the White House confusion beset by media spin and the Little Rock inner circle with some broader White House consensus building of his own? Stephanopoulos had friends, but in the end, like the Clinton administration, he too was "bungee jumping without a rope." The writer is the editor of The Malet Street Gazette.
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