On the Edge: The Clinton Presidency - Softcover

Drew, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0684813092 ISBN 13: 9780684813097

Publisher: Touchstone, 1995

Synopsis

Bill Clinton's Presidency has been the most turbulent in recent history, as this talented but flawed and perplexing man has struggled to govern. On the Edge is the first full-spectrum report on the Clinton Presidency. From its first days, Drew spoke with the President's top advisers, key Cabinet officers, and members of Congress as she watched -- up close -- as policies were hammered out and crises confronted. Drew tells the remarkable story of this fascinating term and deciphers what it means for this country.

About this title

About the Author:

Elizabeth Drew is a much-honored writer of seven books, including Washington Journal: The Events of 1973 - 1974 and Politics and Money, and is a distinguished television and radio commentator who appears frequently on such programs as Meet the Press. She lives in Washington, DC.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Distinguished essayist and ``Meet the Press'' commentator Drew (Election Journal, 1989, etc.), relying heavily on firsthand interviews with senior White House officials, paints a vivid portrait of a presidency in turmoil. Clinton's large legislative ambitions--primarily for sweeping change on health care and deficit reduction--and great personal abilities and weaknesses dominate this account of government by crisis. Drew views the Clinton administration as a gamble from its inception: She points out that Clinton won the presidency on a promise of ``change'' and that ``if he were deemed to have failed- -an already cynical electorate might become still more jaded, with potentially dangerous consequences.'' Elected to end government gridlock, this Democratic president with Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress soon was preoccupied by emergencies and disasters that reduced his prestige and eroded his ability to lead. Clinton faced constant disarray in his White House staff and communications office, as Arkansas cronies and aides like George Stephanopoulos proved unable to manage Clinton's turbulent relations with the press. Meanwhile, some crises--from the significant, like Clinton's failed attorney general nominations, to the trite, like his $200 haircut at the Los Angeles airport--were the result of political maladroitness or simple bungling, while the president's lack of focus on foreign policy issues, financial and sexual scandals from his years as governor of Arkansas, and the gradual dissipation of his legislative inititatives may have been symptomatic of deeper character and administrative flaws. Drew's report of cutthroat Beltway politics illustrates how severely sophisticated lobbying efforts, direct-mail campaigns, and well- organized special interests can limit a president's ability to enact his program. Drew's insightful account of an increasingly paralyzed presidency raises questions about the viability of American government that go beyond the fate of the Clinton administration. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Touchstone
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0684813092
• ISBN 13: 9780684813097
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464