Jewish Book Fair
Eye Of The Hurricane
Book Fair's opening night speaker, White House adviser Sidney Blumenthal,
puts the stormy Clinton years into perspective.
SHARON LUCKERMAN
Staff Writer
S
idney Blumenthal and I grew
up in the same Chicago neigh-
borhood. We went to the same
public high school and our
mothers were best friends. In the
1960s, Sidney went to Brandeis
University near Boston, and I eventual-
ly headed West.
Although my mother updated me
from time to time on Sidney and his
siblings Marcia and Eddie, we haven't
seen each other since high school.
What amazed me reading
Blumenthal's new book The Clinton
Wars — an account of his years
(August 1997-January 2001) serving as
a senior adviser to President Bill
Clinton — is that the progressive
ideals of the 1960s that first permeated
our conversations in high school were
still at the core of Blumenthal's work
in the White House.
Blumenthal is opening speaker for
the 10-day annual Jewish Book Fair at
8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the
Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield. A patron's reception pre-
cedes his talk at 6:30 p.m.
While many in his generation have
grown cynical and disap-
pointed with the coun-
try's political process and
unethical business prac-
tices, Blumenthal, who
was in the center of
what he describes as a
right-wing attack on the
president and on
democracy, always kept
his eye on the prize, as
did the man he served.
Blumenthal writes:
"From Jefferson to
Jackson, from Lincoln to
Theodore Roosevelt,
from Franklin D. Roosevelt to John F.
Kennedy, from Kennedy to Bill
Clinton, the progressive presidents
have met the challenges of new eras by
widening the scope of democracy.
Their opponents have charged, against
them all, that their actions were scan-
dalous and their innovations illegiti-
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2003
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mate. But the people
have made their own
judgments."
In The Clinton Wars,
Blumenthal, a journal-
ist for 27 years, traces
President Clinton's
attempt to move his
progressive agenda for-
ward — and the right
wing's efforts to stop
him — even before he
became president.
Blumenthal sheds
light on incidents like
the Whitewater scandal
by quoting a conversa-
tion between Clinton
and Republican Sen.
Alan Simpson of
Wyoming. Clinton
Left to right:: White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, White House Chief of Staff Mack
confronted the senator,
McClarty, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, President Bill. Clinton, Senior Adviser to the
saying, "You know
President Sidney Blumenthal and National Security Adviser Sandy Berger. This photograph was
there's nothing wrong
that Hilary and I did in taken in Brasilia, Brazil, at the Planalto Palace, Oct. 14, 1997.
Whitewater."
The senator, who was
kind of upstart newspaper at the time, difficult presidential decisions, the
retiring, replied, "We all know there's
Boston After Dark, and its permuta-
greatest prosperity the country ever
nothing there. It was just politics. And
tions, the Boston Phoenix and the Real had with the most opportunity it ever
it just got out of hand."
Paper, he learned a "politically
had. Poverty was reduced by 25 per-
The book also recounts Clinton's
engaged" journalism.
cent in the Clinton years. Millions of
achievements, including rescuing a
Before joining the Clinton adminis- people were lifted out of poverty — he
war-torn Bosnia and
tration, Blumenthal wrote for the
literally sent tens of millions to college
passing legislation in a
New Republic, the Washington Post and and university on new scholarships
hostile Congress.
the New Yorker. He also authored sev-
provided as a result of his policies.
Blumenthal was the
eral books, including The Permanent
We had the cleanest air and water we
only presidential aide
Campaign, The Rise of the Counter-
ever had; more public land put under
ever to be a witness in a
Establishment and Pledging Allegiance:
federal protection than at any other
Senate impeachment
The Last Campaign of the Cold War.
time since Theodore Roosevelt. I could
trial.
After leaving the White House, he
go on and on.
Close to first lady
wrote the book and produced the film
In foreign policy, after the Cold War
Hillary Clinton and the
Max, about Hider and anti-Semitism.
ended, President Clinton articulated a
president, Blumenthal
Blumenthal lives in Washington,
clear analysis of the modern world, its
recounts true tales of
D.C., with his wife, Jackie, who was
possibilities and threats, from the glob-
the West Wing — from
director of the White House Fellows
al economy to terrorism.
"turbo-charged" strategy program under Clinton. They have
We actually fought two wars on
sessions to large and
two sons.
behalf of Muslim peoples: in Bosnia
small insights into the
In an interview last month,
and Kosovo. And in doing so, he not
president. For instance, the president
Blumenthal reflects on subjects rang-
only strengthened the Western Alliance,
included on his Oval Office desk busts
ing from President Clinton's legacy to
but gave it a new purpose in Europe.
of three statesmen he admired: FDR,
his own Jewish upbringing and his
According to international opinion
JFK and one non-American, the late
recent visit to Israel.
polls, the prestige of the United States
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.
was never greater than under President
Blumenthal began his journalistic
JN: What are President Clinton's most Clinton.
career at age 20, after graduating from important contributions?
There's also a political legacy of
Brandeis in 1969. Working for a new
SB: President Clinton created, through
EYE on page 70