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Dick Morris served as Bill Clinton's political consultant for twenty years. A regular political commentator on Fox News, he is the author of ten New York Times bestsellers (all with Eileen McGann) and one Washington Post bestseller.
Eileen McGann is an attorney who, with her husband, Dick, writes columns for the New York Post and for their website, dickmorris.com. She has written extensively about the abuses of Congress and the need for reform.
| 1 | Deconstructing Hillary | 1 |
| 2 | Hillary as president | 15 |
| 3 | The HILLARY brand | 33 |
| 4 | Hiding Hillary : the politician | 71 |
| 5 | Hiding Hillary : the ideologue | 103 |
| 6 | Hiding Hillary : the material girl | 145 |
| 7 | Hiding Hillary : the inquisitor | 189 |
| 8 | Senator Hillary | 223 |
| 9 | The perfect storm | 255 |
| Notes | 267 | |
| Acknowledgments | 291 | |
| Index | 293 |
Like the moon, she shows us the same face each time we see her. Sometimes she displays more, sometimes less of her visage, but always it is the same carefully presented persona: friendly, open, giggly, practical, family-oriented, caring, thoughtful, unflappable, serious, balanced, and moderate. Just like the moon, though, Hillary Rodham Clinton has a face she never shows us, a side that is never visible, never on display.
This book is a voyage around that side of Hillary -- the parts of her personality and history that have been rewritten, reinvented, or omitted from her memoir Living History and her other writings or public statements. Senator Clinton's book is no more revealing of her hidden side than is a telescopic view of the moon seen from Earth. Her book simply presents, in one volume and in greater detail, all the pretense and pretend that dominates the Hillary we are allowed to see. Rewriting History offers a kind of annotation of Hillary's memoir, to tell more of the story she hides and the facts she omits. For much of Living History is not history, and much of Hillary's history is not in her book.
Some of what Hillary conceals is not dark, only unseen. Not sinister, just covered-up, protected from our gaze. Parts of it, although not always flattering, would be quite acceptable if she were to expose it to full public view. With incredible discipline, however, she conceals this side of herself in order to create the idealized portrait of Hillary that 's on display in Living History.
But some of Hillary's hidden side is indeed dark. Like the moon, she has been scarred by the constant pounding of political meteorites. Under their battering, she has developed a sinister side, which is chilling even to those who know her well. Some of her reinventions are defensive, a form of protective coloration to minimize her potential vulnerability and maximize her capacity to deny what she must to survive politically.
This secretiveness about who she really is creates a puzzle for onlookers. Just as we are curious about the dark side of the moon -- and spend billions to fly there to have a look -- so the missing parts of Hillary's public image drive us to speculation, myth, and rumor about the real person underneath.
Both of the Clintons are masters of subterfuge. But Hillary's deceptions and disguises are very different from Bill's. Bill Clinton deceives himself, and fools us in the process. He pretends, even when he is alone, that he is not doing what he knows he is doing. He never tells his right hand what his left hand is up to.
By contrast, Hillary knows full well who she is and what parts of her must never be exposed to public view. She reminds herself consciously, day after day, which parts of herself to hide and which to expose. Where Bill's instinct for deception is neurotic, Hillary's is opportunistic. He wants to hide his private life from our eyes; Hillary seeks to conceal her character from our view. But the things that Hillary hides are integral to her political essence. They are who she is and what makes her tick. Her trickery is designed to hide her most basic character and instincts from all of us.
Covering up one's flaws is certainly not unusual -- especially in politics. All politicians have done things they would rather not see broadcast to their constituents. Everyone in the public spotlight has private issues he or she would like to keep hidden. JFK did not want us to see his illness or promiscuity. FDR disguised his paralysis. Bill Clinton pretended to be a faithful husband. But what makes Hillary's unseen side unique is that, for the most part, it represents her real personality, her true self, far more than the person who smiles and giggles at us day and night. All public figures use makeup to cover a blemish or two. But only Hillary wears a mask of so many layers, one that hides her true face altogether.
Who is Hillary? We need to know. In fact, it's become critical that we do so.
After all, John Kerry is the Democratic Party's candidate in 2004, but Hillary is still its most popular politician. Unless Kerry beats Bush, she can have the nomination for the asking in 2008. And even if Kerry wins and runs for a second term, it will probably be Hillary's turn in 2012. She could even run for vice president in 2004. But would such a public step forward show us the real Hillary Rodham Clinton? It's hard to believe it would. Even after all the media coverage of the past twelve years -- after we've read the interviews, reflected on the editorials, and absorbed the analyses -- she still remains a mystery.
Is Hillary a dedicated public servant, or an unabashed selfpromoter? The victim of a vast right-wing conspiracy, or a shrewd operator who often gets caught in her own devious schemes? An innate politician, or a reinvention of herself refined by her ghostwriters and handlers? A sincere advocate for women and children, or an opportunist out for power? A New Democrat, or an old-fashioned liberal?
More than a million people bought Hillary's book hoping to get the answers. But, instead, all they got was a flattering self-portrait of an earnest, talented, devoted daughter, mother, and wife. Her rewrite of her own history reflects only the thoroughly reinvented Hillary she wants us to know -- a softer image, a kind of Hillary Lite, but also an incomplete portrait. After reading it, we still don't know what makes her tick. We still don't have the answers. Once more, we see only what she wants us to see.
Yet the answers to our questions become more important as the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency becomes more and more real. After thirty years of political consulting, I know that longrange forecasts of political climate are dangerous ...
Rewriting History. Copyright © by Dick Morris. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.Anonymous
Posted June 12, 2004
Lest we forget that Dick Morris got ousted from the Clinton's inner circle after he got caught with a hooker on the eve of the 1996 election. This is just a stab at a former employer from a disgruntled ex-employee.. Don't take this one too seriously..Dick wrote one called 'Power Plays' which is an excellent read for political buffs..Morris is pompous, arrogant, self-centered, and a brilliant political strategist. In this book, he's just trying to make a buck or two..Hillary ain't my favorite person, but she's not the antichrist either.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 9, 2007
What is truly shown here is an arrogant turncoat stab in the back friend rewriting history to shamelessly and hatefully attack and attempt to smear once close friends for self promoting personal gain. If ever there was a case of the Judas principle, Morris is one true example, for he is truly Judas in the present day. Don't waste your time with child like antics of the spoiled and dispossessed, they are upset they they are no longer on the inside looking out but on the outside looking in and show they will consider no attempts to bring down the higher principle to low or underhanded and that complete total fabrications and deceitful twisting of events totally acceptable. Children, when will they grow up?
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 5, 2007
Morris is a sad case of proven moral decadence seeking a vengeful reprisal on his former friends whom he shamelessly betrays. He has no credibility. He's better off writing his own biography and seeking to reform his own abject life, including asking forgiveness of the Clintons.
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Posted July 24, 2006
Morris hits the bulleyes and uses the pen with laser like accuracy as he tears into the very essence of Hillary. An intimate portrait of a political opportunist who cloaks her real intentions like a chameleon. Morris is dead-on and articulates the suspicions many Americans hold about this former first-lady. The chance of a Hillary presidency, or at the very least a nomination, is reason enough for all voting age Americans to read this book. America can ill afford to give this woman four years with a Pennsylvania Ave. address.
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Posted January 20, 2005
Morris went into great detail of how the former first lady has evolved and remade herself. He sounded the warning bells of what the pitfalls might be if she were to be elected to the highest office in the land. But, suddenly, the book ended. There was no tying of loose ends. It is almost as if he wanted to wait for the 2004 election results to add a final chapter. And maybe he SHOULD have.
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Posted September 6, 2004
I agree that 'Living History' was a predictably boring, self- serving work of fantasy. Dick Morris' 'Rewriting History' is immensely readable and interesting, replete with details offered by someone who was actually there. Hillary's feeble attempts to mask her true character -- her greed and lifelong sense of entitlement, her petty vindictiveness, her cunning and deviousness, her poorly concealed biases and bigotries, and her 'they're out to get me' mentality -- are carefully examined and backed up with nearly 25 pages of references and footnotes. That this bizarre woman is dangerous with even a little power is no surprise to anyone who has really paid attention to the things she has said and done in the past 20 years; but Dick Morris wraps it all up in a very appealing, very readable book.
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Posted September 9, 2004
THIS IS A REALLY FASINATING AND INDEPH LOOK INTO THE DARK AND CRIMINAL WORLD OF HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON BY THE ONE MAN WHO WAS THERE AND WITNESSED IT ALL:DICK MORRIS WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SO FASINATING IS HE TELLS YOU ALOT OF THE THINGS THAT BILL AND HILLARY LEFT OUT OF THERE OWN AUTO BIOGRAFYS. AFTER READING THIS BOOK YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT HOW HILLARY IS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH AND WHAT SHE WILL DO IN 2008. IF YOUR INTRESTED IN POLITICS OR JUST ENJOY FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENIAL RACES THEAN DICK MORRIS`S BOOK 'REWRITING HISTORY' IS A MUST READ FOR YOU.
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Posted May 11, 2004
I was intrigued to read more about the real Hillary Clinton and I came away very surprised. I was particularly surprised to find out that Dick Morris is a very fine writer. I really enjoyed this book. This book reveals things about Hillary Clinton that would cause one to give pause before supporting her for president or vice president. Surprising well written and very informative.
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Posted May 4, 2004
Morris does it again with his hilarious style (the cover is the funniest thing I have ever seen) as he puts his stern eye on the very false Hillary. As a former Clinton advisor he knows what hes talking about and he completly blows her memoir of lies back to Arkansas. Great read and very funny.
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Posted May 5, 2004
I found the book to be entertaining and very well researched. Not since Ann Coulter's previous two books have I seen so many footnotes to back up all the points and statements he makes. And Mr. Morris writes without Coulter's invective nature. As he has stated while on the talk show circuit, many people have written books on Hillary Clinton, but he's been the only 'insider' thus far. This is a very good read for anyone who wants to really know the next Democratic nominee for President.
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Posted May 13, 2004
I enjoyed this book,it is an inside look into the malipulations of a very cunning woman.who better than Morris to know the ills of this woman.everyone should read
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Posted May 5, 2004
This book can be taken two ways: A person that wants to make a quick buck off of raking the coals over one of the most popular first ladies of recent years or a person that is revealing the Mr. Hyde side of the Dr. Jekyll Hillary. I, personally, have always believed Hillary to be an ambitious lady willing to stop at nothing for power. One has to remember no further back than when Bill ran for President the first time and she was the happy, loving Mrs. Bill Clinton who suddenly transformed into Hillary Rodham Clinton upon his election. Despite my agreement with the author that she is marketing an artificial image for personal gain, I found this book to reach the limits of the Clinton bashing in an effort to make money. I recommend that the readers take heed to the message of the book without taking the actual scriptures too serious.
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