Jul 20, 2007

Biography charts Clinton's political aspirations

By Terri Schlichenmeyer / Book Reviewer

"A Woman in Charge"
By Carl Bernstein
Knopf
$28, 628 pages

Remember the '90s?

Sure you do. The "Rachel" haircut, Furbys, the Macarena, Beanie mania and Depeche Mode? How about Pogs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Crystal Pepsi?

How about the Clinton administration? Remember that?
Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Bernstein does. In his new book, "A Woman in Charge," he writes about Hillary Clinton, her life, her strengths, and the controversies that follow her.

Almost from the day she was born, Hillary Diane Rodham was encouraged to be different from others in her Chicago suburb. Despite the fact that little girls were urged to be demure, Dorothy Rodham, Hillary's mother, taught her daughter to stand up for herself, fight back, be steadfast, open in her opinions and to follow her interests. Hugh Rodham, Hillary's father, was abusive to his wife and stingy with affection and approval for his children, but his dinnertime Republican debates may have formed Hillary's early eye on politics. Longtime friends from grade school through college remember Hillary as a good student, a "teacher's pet" and someone who, they believed, would someday seek higher office.

Because of that, many were dismayed when she "hitched her star" to up-and-coming Arkansas politician and "hayseed," Bill Clinton. But there was no denying it: Hillary was in love.

Still, she stepped cautiously as she and Bill worked together at Yale, courted, and eventually married. Friends say that while Bill and Hillary's personalities and strengths complemented one another, and while they seemed particularly suited as a couple, there were problems from the start. Hillary knew all along about Bill's "other women" (and there were many), but she hoped that political office might dampen his womanizing.

History has obviously proven otherwise.

So, were the Clintons targeted by political enemies bent on bringing their Washington tenure down, or were the problems during the Clinton administration those of their own, or specifically, Hillary's making? More importantly, what did Hillary Clinton learn from the past administration's mistakes that might allow her to move back into the White House in 2009?

"A Woman in Charge" is a little daunting at first. At over 550 pages of narrative and more than seventy pages of notes, it's not thin. It's not light either, in tone or heft. What it is, though, is a highly detailed, thoughtful and well-researched biography of a complex woman with lifelong ambitions that could well make history.

Former Watergate reporter and author Carl Bernstein doesn't dish dirt, nor does he gush with shameless praise. Typical of Bernstein's journalism background, he lays out the facts in a way that isn't dry or stuffy, but that is easy to follow, albeit occasionally rambling. Truth is, I'd rather read Bernstein's ramblings any day, than have to suffer through another page of Bill Clinton's "My Life."

"A Woman in Charge" is not airplane reading and it's probably more than most people will want on vacation, but considering that a very important election is coming up, it's a must-read for voters.