Starr: A Reassessment

by Benjamin Wittes

Book Overview

How is Kenneth Starr's extraordinary term as independent counsel to be understood? Was he a partisan warrior out to get the Clintons, or a saviour of the Republic? An unstoppable menace, an unethical... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300092520
• ISBN13: 9780300092523
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Intelligent, thorough analysis transcends politics.

Benjamin Wittes' contribution to current writing about political figures is that he neither demonizes nor ionizes Mr. Starr. Instead, the author strives to put this important episode in the post-Watergate history into a non-partisan perspective. In this reader's opinion, the author succeeds in reaching the author's self-proclaimed objective. This reader, however, disagrees with the author's conclusion that Mr. Starr simply holds to a strict constructionist view of the independent counsel law and Mr. Starr was not, in part or chiefly, led by his political orientation to orchestrate and lead the aggressive, comprehensive, publicity-seeking investigation that he and his staff doggedly and conscientiously pursued. Even thought his reader in the end disagreed with the author's fundamental conclusion, this reader applauds the objective viewpoint adopted by the author and hopes more authors will attempt to assume this dispassionate viewpoint in future writings about political discourse. More writings like Mr. Wittes may shift current political rhetoric to a higher plane of true political discourse. Kudos, Mr. Wittes!

Useful and Illuminating

"Starr: A Reassessment" is an extraordinary illumination of a complex personality. Wittes' thesis that Starr saw his investigation as a "truth commission" rather than as pursuit of prosecutorial justice paints a portrait of the man which is far more consistent with his pre-appointment reputation than the caricatures, both pro and con, which emerged during the course of his investigation. While Wittes' account may redeem Starr, the person, Wittes leaves little doubt that Starr was "simply the wrong man for the job" and that his management of the Independent Counsel's office was deficient and detrimental to the country. Despite the superb analysis and sourcing, however, Wittes' conclusions ultimately rest on his judgement of Starr's credibility during his extensive interviews with Starr. As much as I respect, and would like to accept, Wittes' judgment, I have trouble doing so for many of the same reasons I had trouble accepting Clinton's original denials. They are logical on the surface and you want to believe them, but they do not seem plausible. Starr's rationale, like Clinton's, suggests either fabrication, extreme spinning or incompetence. The key to Wittes' thesis is in the first chapter where he analyzes the Independent Counsel statue and Starr's interpretation of it. Wittes convincingly demonstrates that the statute on its face, even without reference to the legislative history, does not support Starr's interpretation. The legislative history strips any and all doubt. Finally, no other independent prosecutor or student of the act shared anything close to Starr's interpretation. Starr may be an intellect who is certain of his views, even if no one else shares them, but I do not believe he is so stubborn or dense as to have honestly and intellectually concluded that - and then acted upon - his construction of the Act was correct, and everybody else's wrong.After reading Wittes' book, I conclude that Starr knew exactly what he was doing. He despised the Clintons and he despised the Independent Counsel Statute. He was in the unique position to destroy both and he set about to do so with considerable success.

so that's what this was all about

This book not only clearly describes many of the key activities of Ken Starr, but also provides a coherent theory for what motivated him. I learned a tremendous amount about his behavior, and (even more important) gained a sense of closure in the process.