Customer Reviews

The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As a gigantic scoresheet on Bill Clinton's abuses of power and why people at least _ought to_ care about them, this book is right on target. But as a valid predictor of the future or a handbook for practical action, this book does not qualify. And as a novel, _Huckleberry Finn_ it isn't. It is, in the end, wishful thinking.

Tyrrell's major handicap is that he is trying to move from the realm of journalistic editorship to the realm of novel-writing, and simply doesn't have the skills for it. Simply put, Mark Twain he isn't. When I read a novel, I expect an in-depth study of the characters and the situation. I expect to be told not just _what_ the characters do, but _why_ they do it. And the "why" inevitably goes much deeper than "that Bill Clinton may be a scumbag, but he's _our_ scumbag," and is definitely more complicated than that.

But instead of depth of characterization and background, I get Barney Frank and Charles Schumer acting like Rush Limbaugh's favorite caricatures of them. I also get Sonny Bono behaving as though he were once again doing one of his television shows, instead of participating in arguably the most _serious business_ of all our lives--and again, with no explanation of Sonny's behavior. And I get thirteen Democratic "crossover Senators" who make the difference between "Guilty" and "Not Guilty" in the Senate--but with no, or scant, explanation of _why_ they cross over. Compare Tyrrell's Frank and Schumer with Twain's "King and Duke," and compare Tyrrell's Sonny Bono to Twain's Tom Sawyer, and you'll see what I mean.

I would certainly hope that the _real_ Bob Barr (who has just filed an impeachment resolution in the House in real life), the _real_ Henry Hyde, and the _real_ Orrin Hatch and Arlen Specter would make a better effort than this to (a) gather intelligence on the other side, and (b) make a coherent plan to win people over, through appeals to emotions either noble or ignoble. Tyrrell's book is not a plan. It is a wish. A wish that I myself will fully acknowledge sharing, but a wish nonetheless. And again, as a novel, it is far too pedestrian ever to take itself, or be taken, seriously.

The trouble is that I think Bill Clinton _should_ be impeached, and for the reasons that Tyrrell states, and for other actions and policies of his that are tantamount to treason. But by the time the professional book reviewers--which is to say, those who actually write novels for a living--get through with this book, they'll start such a drumbeat against it that the American people will lose its message in their disappointment in the finished work. And that's too bad for the country.

Tyrrell must be a Democrat plant among the lunatic right. He writes this hilarious suicide scenario for the Republican party--Impeach the President!--and the fools actually follow it. Only, the Barrbarians and Hydethesalami don't build their case on Tyrrell's long, paranoid list of crimes and/or sins committed by that bad boy and Antichrist, Bill Clinton (now called William Jefferson Clinton to dignify his accusers). Why, they can't even catch the Evil One with his hand in the cookie jar. But they do catch him with his thing in an airhead, and by God, that's good enough for them! Off to trial they go with a case spun from whole cloth and fustian--mostly fustian--out of sex, sort of. Thus does the party of Lincoln, already descended to being the party of Nixon, morph into the Blow Job Party. Last one to leave turn out the lights. Neat book.

Dan Rather: "Senator Daschle, we all know the GOP couldn't hit a bull's ass with a bass fiddle..." Sen Daschle: "Pardon?" Dan Rather: "...so why should we even pay attention to this Bob Tyrrell screed?" --- I loved the author's witty insight into the ways of Washington. Plus, the whole sordid Clinton record is exposed and put into the proper context of crime it deserves.

I expected this book to be an ultra-conservative raving against Clinton. Instead, I found it to be the best recap of every scandal (so far) that has swirled around Clinton. The fictional part is interspersed with copies of actual documents of prior hearings, White House memos, etc. This book should be required reading for all citizens, for them to see all in one place the myriad of abuses and coverups which we have allowed to happen due to our nonchalance and feeling of "everybody does it". The historical part of the book is irrefutable, and much of it are things I have never heard previously, or certainly never read about in the media!

This book is a hilarious, irreverent look at the process we are currently experiencing every evening on the news. How sad that Sonny Bono cannot actually be here to add his wit to the proceedings as he did in the book. My only complaint is, I want to know who anonymous is!

How did WJC get this far? The book is an easy read. The zingers attributed to Bono are funny. The documentation is troubling. WJC's own handwriting selling the Lincoln bedroom for $100,000?!? The blatant and rampant buying of access is discouaraging and disheartening. Nussbaum is evil. Why is John Connally giving $$$ to the DNC? Power corrupts and although WJC doesn't have absolute power, he's got too much..

After having read Tyrell's "Boy Clinton" I was really looking forward to a good read. I am sorry to say that this book is fluff and certainly not worth the price.

A very biased view of the Clinton administration. In light of the disasturous impeachment hearing,the author has shown American his true colors...and its not red, white and blue.

Nuff said

I don't even know what Bob Barr's contribution to this piece of trash was - considering he's a racist, lying, philandering little midget who is one of the biggest hypocrites around. and he's probably illiterate too!