Product Description

In this new, updated edition of a book heralded as a clarion call to the nation's conscience, William Bennett asks why we see so little public outrage in the fade of the evidence of deep corruption within Bill Clinton's administration. The Death of Outrage examines the Monica Lewinsky scandal as it unfolded, from Clinton's denials that he had had sex with a young White House intern, to his testimony before the grand jury, to the nation's decision not to remove Clinton from office. Brick by brick, Bennett dismantles the wall of defenses offered by Clinton and his apologists, and casts the clear light of moral reason and common sense on a shameful chapter in American history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #545733 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Amazon.com Review
Don't look for President Clinton's picture in The Book of Virtues; bestselling author and former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett considers Bill Clinton uniquely unvirtuous. In the wake of the White House intern sex scandal, Bennett accuses Clinton of crimes at least as serious as those committed by Richard Nixon during the Watergate imbroglio. Rising above anti-Clinton polemics, The Death of Outrage urges the American public--which initially displayed not much more than a collective shrug--to take issue with the president's private and public conduct. Clinton should be judged by more than the state of the economy, implores Bennett. The commander in chief sets the moral tone of the nation; a reckless personal life and repeated lying from the bully pulpit call for a heavy sanction. The American people should demand nothing less, says the onetime federal drug czar. In each chapter, Bennett lays out the rhetorical defenses made on Clinton's behalf (the case against him is "only about sex," harsh judgmentalism has no place in modern society, independent counsel Kenneth Starr is a partisan prosecutor, etc.) and picks them apart. He may not convince everybody, but this is an effective conservative brief against Bill Clinton. --John J. Miller

From The Washington Post
...a slim book with a correspondingly slim premise ... Bennett displays contempt for average Americans, calling us fools because we do not view the president the same way he does. Rather than seeking to understand the moral underpinnings of positions others take, he dismisses them as debased, lacking in morality.

From Booklist
That the author of the Book of Virtues (1993) is appalled by the Clinton-Lewinsky affair is certainly no surprise. Nor is it surprising that Bennett's take on the affair was rushed into publication just after the president's short speech on the matter. After all, if the president was to resign, the book would be moot. Bennett's stated objective is to put the presidential sex scandal into a larger perspective; he hopes to shows that if Americans accept the arguments made in Clinton's defense, "we will have committed an unthinking act of moral and intellectual disarmament." To make sure that doesn't happen, Bennett sets out all Clinton's defenses and attempts to shoot them down. His topics include sex, character, politics, Ken Starr, law, and judgment. Anyone who has heard Bennett (or any of his fellow talking-heads) on the unending television shows that are tracking the scandal will find nothing new here. On the other hand, Bennett's organization is crisp, and his arguments, unlike those of so many on both sides of the issue, are cogent. That doesn't mean a bit of demagoguery here and a bit of disingenuousness there doesn't creep in. For instance, he baldly states that Clinton or Reno could simply fire Starr if they feel he has performed his job so poorly. Surely he's old enough to remember the Saturday Night Massacre and how well that worked out for Nixon. Whether this book will change anyone's mind is doubtful, but there can be no doubt about one thing: Bennett will continue to turn up on the talk shows. Ilene Cooper

Customer Reviews

Tight, concise analysis of the Clinton labyrinth of lies
If you are one who SUPPORTS the notion that character doesn't count then this is a book that will not make much of a difference in your belief system. However, if forthrightness, integrity, and honesty are important leadership traits to you then this is a must read. Mr. Bennett lays the facts before the reader in clear, easy to understand language and debunks Clinton supporters' point for point with Clinton's own words.

One reviewer stated his dislike for the personal tone that the book sometimes takes. But what has not been realized by the reviewer is that the contorted double helix of untruths the president and his men have fashioned has made a book of this matter necessary.

Ultimately only those individuals who would avoid reality will find great fault in this simple, yet eloquent, book that exposes the man know as William Jefferson Clinton for what he is.

Even more... it tells us about ourselves. And you will not like what you'll see.

Thought provoking analysis of Clinton's crisis.
Bennett in his typical style thoughtfully summarizes and carefully probes the arguments in this heated controversy. He reminds us that there are inevitable consequences for breaking moral precepts. At times he pushes the argument too far, revealing his anger with Clinton the man. This is unneccesary, he does best when allowing the Presidents words and deeds to prove his argument. I appreciate his candor in finding the independent counsel statute flawed and find it ironic that Clinton renewed the law in 1994.

This book is a classic!
Out of all the polls that have been published since Clinton's presidency, the most revealing was the one taken right after he was impeached. That poll showed a fascinating fact. Those who knew about Clinton's other crimes (rapes, assaults, blackmail, death threats, etc.), thought he should have been removed from office, and those who didn't know about his other crimes thought he was just an innocent victim, being unfairly attacked because he was liberal. The truth is leaking out, slowly but surely, and this book helps to make sense of the damage that was done during Clinton's terms. The poor folks who have been fooled by Clinton, and who have been taken in by his fake version of love, will be affected and hurt the most. This book explores that subject, in depth, and you can tell its a great book by all the reviews it gets. It is a genuine classic, and I suggest you buy it, and then have it bound by a professional binder. No other book could sum up the 90's better than this one.