Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (Hardcover)

by William J. Bennett (Author)

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

From The Washington Post
...a slim book with a correspondingly slim premise ... Bennett displays contempt for average Americans, calling us fools because we do not view the president the same way he does. Rather than seeking to understand the moral underpinnings of positions others take, he dismisses them as debased, lacking in morality.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1st Touchstone Ed edition (September 14, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684813726
• ISBN-13: 978-0684813721
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,486,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 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.

18 of 19 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.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a classic!, December 8, 1999

By A Customer

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

Out of all the polls that have been published since Clinton's presidency, the most revealing was the one taken right after he was impeached. That poll showed a fascinating fact. Those who knew about Clinton's other crimes (rapes, assaults, blackmail, death threats, etc.), thought he should have been removed from office, and those who didn't know about his other crimes thought he was just an innocent victim, being unfairly attacked because he was liberal. The truth is leaking out, slowly but surely, and this book helps to make sense of the damage that was done during Clinton's terms. The poor folks who have been fooled by Clinton, and who have been taken in by his fake version of love, will be affected and hurt the most. This book explores that subject, in depth, and you can tell its a great book by all the reviews it gets. It is a genuine classic, and I suggest you buy it, and then have it bound by a professional binder. No other book could sum up the 90's better than this one.