MuD & PHuD

No, Clinton has not ordered another bombing of an Aspirin factory. The bombs, this time, are aimed at his new so-called book. Both the New York Times and the AP have taken turns flogging Bill's literary flop.

NYT:

Unfortunately for the reader, Mr. Clinton's much awaited new autobiography "My Life" more closely resembles the Atlanta speech, which was so long-winded and tedious that the crowd cheered when he finally reached the words "In closing . . ."
The book, which weighs in at more than 950 pages, is sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull — the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history.
In many ways, the book is a mirror of Mr. Clinton's presidency: lack of discipline leading to squandered opportunities; high expectations, undermined by self-indulgence and scattered concentration. This memoir underscores many strengths of Mr. Clinton's eight years in the White House and his understanding that he was governing during a transitional and highly polarized period. But the very lack of focus and order that mars these pages also prevented him from summoning his energies in a sustained manner to bring his insights about the growing terror threat and an Israeli-Palestinian settlement to fruition.

AP:

Part of the problem is that "My Life" is relentlessly chronological, especially the second half of the book, which is devoted to his presidency. Almost every paragraph describes another meeting with a foreign leader or the signing of another bill or delivery of another speech.

The effect is mind-numbing. It's like being locked in a small room with a very gregarious man who insists on reading his entire appointment book, day by day, beginning in 1946.

[...]

You dig and you dig. And in the end, it just isn't worth it.

All I can say is: Wow. I read the words and still I find it hard to believe. And don't go saying, "Well, at least now you have to admit that the whole Media Bias thing is way overblown." Nope, my guess is that this book is so bad that not even the liberal NYT can swallow what little journalistic pride they have and give it a good review. Just goes to show you, everyone has limits =).

I'd love to hear what the Unwashed Masses out there have to say about this (those of you who have otherwise-useless disposable income and some serious free time...and a whole lot of caffeine). I'm not really holding out any hope to get a response though, I just can't imagine anyone who's not getting paid to do it actually reading the whole thing.

Update:

Jeeze, I completely forgot to include this article:

Bill Clinton loses his temper with David Dimbleby during a BBC television interview to be broadcast this week when he is repeatedly quizzed about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

The former American president, famed for his amiable disposition, becomes visibly angry and rattled, particularly when Dimbleby asks him whether his publicly declared contrition over the affair is genuine.
His outrage at the line of questioning during the 50-minute interview, to be broadcast on Panorama on Tuesday night, lasts several minutes. It is the first time that the former President has been seen to lose his temper publicly over the issue of his sexual liaisons with Ms Lewinsky.

Poor baby. Somebody actually asks tough questions (on a topic about which Clinton lied under oath) and he gets all worked up. How telling. Anyone remember this touching moment from the Clinton Years:

Along those same lines, another source reports that two Secret
Service agents heard Hillary's daughter Chelsea refer to them as
"personal trained pigs" to some of her friends. When the friends
had gone, the senior agent on detail tried to scold Chelsea for
such disrespect. He told her that he was willing to put his life
on the line to save hers, and he believed that her father would
be shocked if he heard what she had just said to her friends.
Chelsea's response?

"I don't think so. That's what my parents call you."

Class acts all the way around.
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