Synopsis
An honest look at some of the most controversial and earth-shaking American events of the last half-century, includes the Kennedy assassination and President Clinton's impeachment, as seen through the eyes of a veteran senator.
Reviews
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts," asserts Specter in the opening of his political memoir, which greatly resembles the senator's (R., Pa.) public persona: gruff, direct, given to long, detailed explanations leavened with an appealing touch of humor. Specter has been a major player in some of the most dramatic political events of late 20th-century America, and with his single-minded focus on "combating distrust," he describes his role in these events and the logic and reasoning that led to the conclusions he drew. Having begun his political rise as the district attorney of Philadelphia, Specter brings to each episode a prosecutor's dogged pursuit of truth. The "single bullet theory," which he developed as a member of the Warren Commission, simply fit the facts, he claims. Similarly, it was his "fetish for the facts" that led Specter to vote against Robert Bork for the Supreme Court ("He said our system could function without judicial review"), to conclude that Anita Hill was lying and to find Clinton not guilty of the charges in his impeachment. Specter emerges as a figure who lets neither party loyalty nor political expediency deter him from doing what he believes to be the right thing. This has not always made him a popular figure, but in today's political atmosphere, certainly a rare one. While there is little here to startle his readers, the sheer details of Specter's stories make this an informative and enjoyable read. 16 pages of b&w photos, not seen by PW. Agent, Deborah Grosvenor. (Nov. 1)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
No one has ever doubted that Specter, Pennsylvania's senior Republican senator, is a smart fellow, but few have suggested he join the diplomatic service. The style with which many became familiar in the televised Bork and Thomas/Hill Judiciary Committee hearings is on display here, as the senator (with his communications director) reviews the highlights of 40 years in public service. Specter had just joined Philadelphia's district attorney's office when he was asked to join the Warren Commission's team of lawyers. (Yes, Virginia, 'twas Specter who developed the "single bullet theory.") He returned to Philadelphia to lead a major racketeering prosecution of the region's Teamsters leaders, then ran for a series of offices: Specter failed in his campaign to be mayor but was elected district attorney and, in 1980, senator. Roughly half of Passion for Truth is devoted to confrontations during Specter's two decades on Capitol Hill: particularly, the Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas, the Senate's Ruby Ridge investigation, and the Clinton impeachment. It will surprise no one who's seen him in action that Specter has strong opinions about these events and does not hesitate to express them. As an idiosyncratic Republican moderate, Specter has been a notable but far from dominant figure in recent Congresses. His perspective, though hardly objective, will illuminate future study of late-twentieth-century politics. Mary Carroll
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