Charlton Heston Book:

Explosive and hard-hitting, The Death of Outrage is directed at a shameful chapter of American history. It is an urgent call for American citizens to repudiate the deep corruption of Bill Clinton, and the corrupting arguments made in his defense.

Description of The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals:
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

The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals Reviews:
Peels Away the Illusion and Doubletalk, Revealing a Sadly Bankrupt Presidency
2009-06-04 - When I initially saw this book, I thought it was probably just another finger-pointing, they said, he said, accusation-filled book about an already disgraced president. In this case, I was dead wrong. William Bennett's book, The Death of Outrage, is a masterful, carefully crafted dismantling of the half-truths, misdirected blame, deception, and outright lies that have protected President Bill Clinton and his administration. Bennett lays out the simple facts and historic accounts for the reader to see and digest. Over and over Bennett presents the facts and then asks the all important question, "Why is there so little outrage over this?"

In his introduction, Bennett admits he is a well-known critic of President Clinton. But he also admits that it hasn't always been that way. According to Bennett, he was impressed with some of then Governor Clinton's public policies and his work on education reform, and even appointed Hillary Clinton to an education commission. But over the years, Bennett says he began changing his opinion of Bill Clinton as more and more evidence of deep corruption mounted. The allegations of suborning perjury, making false and misleading statements under oath, and obstruction of justice, the truth of which were clear and undeniable. Had we returned to the era of Nixon-style politics?

Bennett builds a solid case for public outrage chapter by chapter. Each chapter covers and then uncovers another cloak of Clinton deception - Sex, Character, Politics, Investigations--Ken Starr, Law, and Judgment. Then Bennett adds his own conclusion and what he calls an Afterword, where he quickly brings the reader up to date on matters pertaining to Clinton's legal troubles. Then he adds a very interesting Postscript containing 10 important questions he wants the reader to consider concerning Bill Clinton and his presidency. He presents these as summary questions drawn from each of the six chapters. Together, they read like a checklist and ask the reader to consider whether these are acceptable traits and moral philosophy that describe the kind of person Americans should desire in their leadership. In a nutshell, Bennett summarizes his book into 10 essential questions!

As if what Bennett has already provided isn't enough, he concludes the book with an amazing appendix entitled, "The Nixon and Clinton Administration Scandals: A Comparison." This section in itself could be made into a pamphlet for those who still think that America's economic well-being is the most important measure of presidential performance, and not the honest character and integrity of our leaders.

Bennett's skilled research, analysis and superb writing style make it clear by the end of the book that President Clinton's troubles were not a result of a "vast, right-wing conspiracy," but the result of his own wrong doings.

If after reading what Clinton did to America and our American ideals there is no felt outrage, then what Bennett says is true--our justified outrage has been put to death by our cold, senseless indifference.


As Pertinent Now As It Ever Was
2009-04-10 - Reading this, some 11 years after the Lewinsky trial, helps to add a certain amount of context to the current (Obama) administration. With the resurgence of characters like Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and James Carville to the national political stage ... it is important to review the common political history of these figures and their roles in the current national political culture.

"The Death of Outrage" is as much about the habitual (some would say obsessive ... in Bill Clinton's case) abuse of power and hording of influence, regardless of ethics or morality, by national political figures and their talking heads. This book is a timely and refreshing review of the hypocrisy of those who have historically supported the special counsel law, only to refute it when their party was the subject of investigation. Secretary Bennett is fair in this assessment as well, pointing out the flip-flopping observable by both sides of the aisle depending on whether it was Nixon's impeachment hearings, Reagan's Iran-Contra investigation, or Clinton's abuse of power investigation.

The importance of this book is overwhelming. In an age dominated by agenda driven media (you can target any network news, CNN, Fox, they are all agenda driven), the ability to access information like this is critical to having a mature and balanced opinion on issues that affect our political culture and the leadership of this nation. This book dives into a subject that most citizens don't truly understand ... the special counsel law, and vindicates a man unjustly lambasted by a hostile presidential administration who specialized in the unwarranted subjugation of individuals' public images and the routine character assassination of those who dared question Bill Clinton's honesty and integrity.

For Clinton supporters and apologists, this book is a must read. Secretary Bennett is very fair in his presentation of the facts, and in his assessment of the quality of the individuals involved. Judge Starr was publicly crucified in the media by James Carville, Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, and others from inside the Clinton compound ... and the more we learn about Starr, the more we see the case as not just being a sex-obsessed tyrant on a rampage. We see a methodical and respected judge who was called in by the Attorney General (Janet Reno) to investigate evidence of criminal acts of perjury and coercion and the abuse of power. We see a man whose investigation was reduced in the media to a sexually explicit witch hunt, as that was the only way to diminish the acts of the sitting president in the public's view to little more than a personal matter.

This book bravely calls into question the tactics of a precise and mechanical machine of political influence and highlights corruption of the most insidious kind ... the kind that alleviates the powerful from responsibility.

Worth Reading
2007-03-24 - I originally read this book several years ago but thought it was worth reading again in view of the lying and moral assault that is going on today.

It's not bad. Bennett makes some good points if you apply them to the ideal and not the person. I loaned it to my mom who is a die-hard democrat. She thought it was comedy. There's just no accounting for some people.

This book is a little out of date, but I still enjoyed it!!
2005-01-15 - Bennett supports his arguments with a wealth of facts as opposed to many on both sides of the political spectrum who are basically into name calling. While I agree that many who thought Clinton's sexual escapades were a disgrace to the office of president, they were forgivable. The perjury, subborning of perjury, and obstruction of justice should have caused his removal from office. It appears to me that the only difference between Clinton and Nixon was that the Republican congressional leadership had enough gumption to call Nixon's hand where the Democrats didn't and the opponents didn't have the power to go it alone. And now it seems that many on the left are hoping for Hillary, thinking this is a way to get Bill another eight years. Way to go, Bennett, in spite of your also having human frailties. At least you can make a point and support it without sinking to filthy language like some of the reviewers of this book.

Buy it used for $0.01? It is a waste of your money.
2004-06-23 - In this era of narrowmindedness and conservative and reactionary clap-trap, this serves as a sterling example that if you fill a book with enough vitriol, someone will buy it. I long for a day when the two nations of the United States (The "right" wing and everybody else) will be healed. Perhaps this is just a resurfacing of an even older wound, namely the Civil War. The Republicans of the South (and elsewhere) continually defending the Confederate battle flag (note: it was only a battle flag, not the CSA national flag) and by proxy segregation and slavery. It is with bitter irony that a Republican freed the slaves, since now they are the party of the elite.

This book is like all the other Clinton bashing books, high on venom, low on truth. If you like that kind of book...well you can buy one for a penny used. For everyone else, save your penny; God knows you will have to save more than that to survive this Bush economy!