After reading "The Secret Life of Bill Clinton," by British newsman Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, and "Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Whitehouse," by Gary Aldrich--both of which I have reviewed here--I thought nothing further need be said to demonstrate the depths of depravity to which Bill Clinton's administration could sink. I was wrong!
This book, "Absolute Power," by David Limbaugh carries the saga of corruption, degeneracy and wantonness even further.
Beginning with the debacle of rogue federal agencies' slaughter of nearly 100 men, women and children at Waco, Texas, in February of 1993 under the direction of the federal Department of Justice, the book next details the federal attack on the tobacco industry, supposedly to retrieve taxpayer's money, spent on tobacco's victims by Medicare, Medicaid and the armed forces--ignoring the fact that smokers as a group, because of their early deaths, SAVE the government huge amounts of money they would have cost Social Security--an amount estimated at $29 billion a year by the Congressional Research Service. The Clinton Administration also ignored the fact that those very socialist programs--Medicare and Medicaid, costly as they are, were put in place by a previous Democrat administration: that of Lyndon Johnson, and that it is not a constitutional function of the United States government to provide for, or insure, American citizens' health needs, and that those very programs have increased the costs of medical care to the public in this country exponentially. Also ignored is the fact that government, through its taxation, derives more profit from the sale of cigarettes than do the tobacco companies themselves.
I'm not personally a smoker, but I am a shooter, and it was under the Clinton-Gore Administration that the same deplorable attacks by the government were begun on another completely legal industry--which makes a product protected, in fact, in the Constitution itself--the firearms manufacturers. So far, thankfully, those attacks are being rebuffed by the courts, but not without cost to the industry.
Then Limbaugh details the sorry spectacle of the White House Travel Office firings, in Bill and Hillary Clinton's effort to replace it with some of their Arkansas and Hollywood cronies. A debacle that encouraged William Safire to refer to Hillary Clinton as a "congenital liar."
In a chapter titled, "The Mother of All Scandals," the infamous campaign finance scandal is dealt with, with its sorry tale of illegal foreign campaign contributions, money laundering, and lax security of military secrets.
"With Janet Reno providing legal cover, the Clinton-Gore administration was able to do all this, and more, with impunity," says Limbaugh. This is a comprehensive, case-by-case critique of the Clinton Justice Department, and by extension the Clinton Administration, beginning with the firing of all 93 United States attorneys, simultaneously, when Reno took office--thereby signaling the total politicization of perhaps the most important agency of the executive branch of our government.
With any luck, this will be the last of the books that detail one of the sorriest episodes in U.S. history. We can hope that the amoral Bill Clinton is past history now, and that Hillary will turn out to be a flash-in-the-pan and fail to be re-elected, even in New York, and that we can move on.
I, for one, would like simply to be able to forget them, for they have shamed us.
But, this is an important book. It demonstrates that James Madison, who wrote the Constitution, was right when he said, "In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty is this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
The great weakness of our system is that it depends upon the wisdom of the people to select leaders who are moral, honest, and who put the good of the nation first. In Bill Clinton, we failed to do that.
Joseph H. Pierre, USN (Ret.)
What Limbaugh has the inside story to the Clinton administration? What Limbaugh has an insight into what Janet Reno knew? What Limbaugh has taken an objective view of the past 8 years? I know you're thinking Rush, but you may be surprised to find out it's his brother David and this book may also be a surprise.
When I first started reading this book I thought another book that tells about the scandals and the spin machine from the beltway, and the book does that, but it also brings to light some very interesting information that may have and has been kept from the public until now.
Limbaugh shows how the Administration put itself above the law of the land, what the justice department knew and kept secret, what Janet Reno knew or didn't know as the White House turned information over to her.
You'll read about how Elian Gonzales was a political pawn in a masterful chess game run by Bill Clinton, how the Clinton administration ignored Senate confirmations and tried to shut up and down big tobacco.
You'll read and understand how people's lives were ruined if they disagreed with the Clinton Administration, the cover-ups and other scandals like Monica, Vince Foster and White Water.
Overall this is not a Clinton bashing book but rather a book about what bashing the Clinton's did during the 8 years in power. This Limbaugh may have finally hit the nail on the head.
I expected this book to be another citing and counting of the scandals of the Clinton administration but was surprise to read otherwise in many places. The author actually compliments both Clinton and Reno where they did take stands that require courage and judgment, but these actions were far few in number.However, it also details in easy to read words just how bad both of them performed and ran from their duties and responsibilities as public servants. Although Reno said she was responsible for Waco she did nothing to make sure all of the truth came out! Although Clinton said from the start the release of FBI Files was a mistake, it was a gross abuse of ineptitude, to say the least. Clinton misuse of the legal process to protect his lies under oath is something no one can be proud of if you have any character at all. To this very day, his actions divide rather than unite the nation.
It was refreshing to see the author vindicate Kenneth Starr's investigation and absolute confirmation that his office never leaked anything. Today, the Democrats who supported such lying under oath and obstruction of justice are wondering why we are out power in Washington and many states. This book will explain why when people and a political party runs away from trustworthiness and creditability the smart and honest voters eventually run away from them.
The writer points out the inescapable conclusion that Clinton and Reno hid behind either intentional gross incompetence or deliberate misapplication of the laws and constitution. Either way, neither deserve commendation and both should not be embraced as good models of being honored with the title of public servants. Even the term professional lawyers are no longer applicable to them. Sadly, they may not even have the ability to live up to the supreme compliment of all Americans as common citizens.
I highly recommend this book for those in the media who believe in blind government by the incapable. After reading it, you will never think proudly of Reno or Clinton again, and that is a dispirited legacy for our children, party and country.
