The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

William J. Bennett (Author), Charlton Heston (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

Today we see little public outrage about Bill Clinton's misconduct. With enormous skill, the president and his advisors have constructed a defensive wall built of bricks left over from Watergate: diversion, half-truth, equivocation, and sophistry. It is a wall that has remained unbreached. Until now.

In The Death of Outrage, former cabinet secretary and bestselling author William J. Bennett dismantles the president's defenses, brick by evasive brick, and analyzes the meaning of the Clinton scandals: why they matter, what the public reaction to them means, and the social and political damage they have already inflicted on America. The Death of Outrage explains:

How the president's actions, far from being irrelevant to the conduct of his affairs, have severely restricted his ability to govern.

The unprecedented recklessness of the Clinton administration in everything from influence peddling to sexual misconduct to alarming tactics of intimidation.

How the president and his defenders have exploited the natural tolerance of the American people -- and made a mockery of the rule of law.

Why the Clinton scandals -- from the Travel Office, to Filegate, to the Lewinsky Affair -- are neither a creation of the tabloid press, nor independent of one another.

Explosive and hard-hitting, The Death of Outrage is directed at a shameful chapter of American history. It is an urgent call for American citizens to repudiate the deep corruption of Bill Clinton, and the corrupting arguments made in his defense.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Don't look for President Clinton's picture in The Book of Virtues; bestselling author and former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett considers Bill Clinton uniquely unvirtuous. In the wake of the White House intern sex scandal, Bennett accuses Clinton of crimes at least as serious as those committed by Richard Nixon during the Watergate imbroglio. Rising above anti-Clinton polemics, The Death of Outrage urges the American public--which initially displayed not much more than a collective shrug--to take issue with the president's private and public conduct. Clinton should be judged by more than the state of the economy, implores Bennett. The commander in chief sets the moral tone of the nation; a reckless personal life and repeated lying from the bully pulpit call for a heavy sanction. The American people should demand nothing less, says the onetime federal drug czar. In each chapter, Bennett lays out the rhetorical defenses made on Clinton's behalf (the case against him is "only about sex," harsh judgmentalism has no place in modern society, independent counsel Kenneth Starr is a partisan prosecutor, etc.) and picks them apart. He may not convince everybody, but this is an effective conservative brief against Bill Clinton. --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

That the author of the Book of Virtues (1993) is appalled by the Clinton-Lewinsky affair is certainly no surprise. Nor is it surprising that Bennett's take on the affair was rushed into publication just after the president's short speech on the matter. After all, if the president was to resign, the book would be moot. Bennett's stated objective is to put the presidential sex scandal into a larger perspective; he hopes to shows that if Americans accept the arguments made in Clinton's defense, "we will have committed an unthinking act of moral and intellectual disarmament." To make sure that doesn't happen, Bennett sets out all Clinton's defenses and attempts to shoot them down. His topics include sex, character, politics, Ken Starr, law, and judgment. Anyone who has heard Bennett (or any of his fellow talking-heads) on the unending television shows that are tracking the scandal will find nothing new here. On the other hand, Bennett's organization is crisp, and his arguments, unlike those of so many on both sides of the issue, are cogent. That doesn't mean a bit of demagoguery here and a bit of disingenuousness there doesn't creep in. For instance, he baldly states that Clinton or Reno could simply fire Starr if they feel he has performed his job so poorly. Surely he's old enough to remember the Saturday Night Massacre and how well that worked out for Nixon. Whether this book will change anyone's mind is doubtful, but there can be no doubt about one thing: Bennett will continue to turn up on the talk shows. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audioworks; Abridged edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671043927
• ISBN-13: 978-0671043926
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (148 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,108,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William J. Bennett served as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H. W. Bush and as Secretary of Education and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities under President Reagan. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Williams College, a doctorate in political philosophy from the University of Texas, and a law degree from Harvard. He is the author of such bestselling books as The Educated Child, The Death of Outrage, The Book of Virtues, and the two-volume series America: The Last Best Hope. Dr. Bennett is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Bill Bennett's Morning in America. He is also the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute and a regular contributor to CNN. He, his wife, Elayne, and their two sons, John and Joseph, live in Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tight, concise analysis of the Clinton labyrinth of lies, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (Audio Cassette)

If you are one who SUPPORTS the notion that character doesn't count then this is a book that will not make much of a difference in your belief system. However, if forthrightness, integrity, and honesty are important leadership traits to you then this is a must read. Mr. Bennett lays the facts before the reader in clear, easy to understand language and debunks Clinton supporters' point for point with Clinton's own words.

One reviewer stated his dislike for the personal tone that the book sometimes takes. But what has not been realized by the reviewer is that the contorted double helix of untruths the president and his men have fashioned has made a book of this matter necessary.

Ultimately only those individuals who would avoid reality will find great fault in this simple, yet eloquent, book that exposes the man know as William Jefferson Clinton for what he is.

Even more... it tells us about ourselves. And you will not like what you'll see.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking analysis of Clinton's crisis., February 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (Audio Cassette)

Bennett in his typical style thoughtfully summarizes and carefully probes the arguments in this heated controversy. He reminds us that there are inevitable consequences for breaking moral precepts. At times he pushes the argument too far, revealing his anger with Clinton the man. This is unneccesary, he does best when allowing the Presidents words and deeds to prove his argument. I appreciate his candor in finding the independent counsel statute flawed and find it ironic that Clinton renewed the law in 1994.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Refutation of Clinton's Defenders., December 23, 1998

By 

Mark J. Koenig - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (Audio Cassette)

William Bennett presents in this short, easily readable book a clear, cogent argument for the removal of Bill Clinton as President. Anyone who is wavering in the middle, unsure as to whether Clinton's offenses rise to the level of impeachment needs to read this book. Bennett's arguments are logical, persuasive, and essentially irrefutable. This book should be required reading in college political science curricula.