Her Way

by Jeff Gerth and Con Van Natta Jr

Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr., two Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalists, have written an unauthorized autobiography of Hillary Rodham Clinton and called it Her Way— as if to imply either that Hillary is a spoiled brat who has to have everything her own way, or that she is an assertive individualistic woman who does things in her own unique way.

In case you don't already know everything you always wanted to know about Hillary Rodham Clinton, or need your memory refreshed about what has already been reported and hashed over endlessly in the media, you can listen to this abridged audio version and come to your own conclusions. Perhaps, like me, you will decide that neither of those extremes is the real Hillary. Or perhaps, like me, you will conclude that in spite of the online hype about this book providing the truth about the most eminent woman in America , the truth is, as the authors readily and frequently admit, that the general public does not know the real Hillary.

In spite of being advertised as an exposé that offers “previously undisclosed,” “never-before-revealed,” “new,” and “provocative” “revelations,” nothing scandalous or incriminating is presented. Whitewater, Vince Foster, fee padding, already well-washed dirty laundry and personal details are rehashed. Didn't we already know that Hillary “has balls,” is ambitious, is a “meticulous architect of her persona,” and doesn't like to admit mistakes, which makes it hard for her to encourage others to see her as a strong anti-war presidential candidate? Doesn't every politician have to learn to be hard-shelled and ruthless?

Gertz and Van Natta present as big news the so called “secret pact,” in which the Clintons from early-on planned to occupy the White House for a total of 16 years -- 8 with Bill as top dog, and 8 for Hillary. Some of us could see these ambitions shining out from those early Clinton days, when First Lady Hillary was out there on the front line battling for health care rather than just serving tea in the rose garden. If you want to think the 16 year plan is a machination from the dark side, or that it is equivalent to 16 years of the Bush family in the White House, that's up to you!

This audio of Her Way is worth listening to in order to refresh your memory of salient issues that you might want to study more closely for yourself. If you expect a diatribe or a paean, you will be disappointed. Whatever the authors' intentions, Her Way turns out to be a fairly even-handed presentation of the information available to date on this formidable, complicated, perhaps unknowable woman, who seems to have an excellent chance of achieving a historical landmark in becoming the first female President of the U.S.