Two books smearing Hillary Clinton that are set to be released this week have been slammed in just-published reviews from The New York Times and Bloomberg News. The books, A Woman In Charge by Carl Bernstein Her Way by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta, have come under significant fire before even hitting stores for their numerous factual inaccuracies, questionable sources, insensitive remarks, and the authors' previous shoddy work.
Now that the books have been obtained by news agencies, they seem to be doing little better. Charles Taylor has written a scathing review of Bernstein's tome for Bloomberg, stressing that Bernstein's insider access has led him to become a pawn of the D.C. establishment.
An outlet for the grudges, suppositions and gossip of the sources it courts, insider political journalism finds its mission not in exposing the goings-on in the corridors of power but in flaunting its access to those corridors.
Bernstein bows to establishment Washington throughout "A Woman in Charge.'' In his view, it's always the Clintons who are at fault for failing to pay obeisance to a power structure that needs to be flattered and fawned over.
Taylor concludes by noting that Bernstein's dig at writer-turned-Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal --"once a journalist of some distinction"-- seems a perfect description of Bernstein himself. The review is a must-read.
The review of Gerth and Van Natta's even more partisan hit piece is not yet available online in full, but Matt Drudge has managed to scoop the Times once again by obtaining several quotes from Robert Dallek's critique. Dallek blasts Gerth and Van Natta, both investigative reporters for the Times, for "seem[ing] to detect no angels in Clinton's nature whatsoever, much less better ones, and the result is a one-sided figure who never quite springs to life or feels truly authentic." Dallek also notes the dubious nature of the authors' allegation of a "twenty-year pact" between the Clintons that would land them both in the White House for two terms. One of the sources for this claim, historian Taylor Branch, has called the story "preposterous."
Like so many of the Clinton stories that circulate through the news media, the truth seems to be of secondary importance to those who report them. Just yesterday, professional Hillary-hater Chris Matthews discussed on his Sunday morning talk show about how the story of the "pact" could pose a problem for Clinton, without noting that the story's accuracy is very much in doubt. Then again, Matthews probably hasn't read the book, let alone fact-checked it. As for those who did, the reviews speak loud and clear.
(Cross-posted at Clinton Smear Watch)