Pact: Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and the Rivalry That Defined a Generation

by Steven M. Gillon

Book Overview

Most Americans saw President Bill Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich as staunch foes--"the polar extremes of Pennsylvania Avenue." But as Steven Gillon reveals in The Pact, these powerful adversaries formed a secret alliance in 1997, a pact that would have rocked the political landscape, had it not foundered in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal.

A fascinating look at politics American-style, The Pact offers a riveting account of two of America's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195322789
• ISBN13: 9780195322781
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

the Pact

this is another 5 stars for me. again i heard about it on cspan. An eye opener, well written, exept for all the mistakes the kindle edition sometime makes, like words running together. I also think this writer is very fair when judging chericters, pretty much says the facts, you decides the rest. This is my second review, please be patient, also English is my second language, allow for some errors

Missed Opportunity?

I have a bit of a secret. I am a liberal Democrat with a soft spot for Newt Gingrich. Hearing Gingrich talk and reading his work has always fascinated me. I do not agree with all of his conclusions or prescriptions, but have always been impressed by his intelligence and political skill. Regarding the former, he has an incredible mind for policy and history, can think broadly about complex problems, and is always generating new ideas (even if they are ones I disagree with). Regarding the latter, his long view of returning Republicans to power and building a GOP farm team was a brilliant strategy that paid huge dividends for his party. Part of my admiration in Gingrich may be because I was not politically active until I entered college in 1999, so I missed the day to day political warfare that Gingrich was at the forefront of. What I know of those days comes from history and books like The Pact. The Pact traces the careers of two figures with more in common than one would think when approaching the material, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich. Although the book uses the period immediately following the 1996 presidential election and preceding the Lewinsky scandal as its hook, it is really a quick biography of these two figures from their early political careers, through their collision in 1994, to their brief attempt to do big things before impeachment crowded out their hopes. The author may be a bit too optimistic on what these two big brains could have done had impeachment not gotten in the way. The book demonstrates that Gingrich's partisanship often overshadowed his desire to get something done when it came to the Clinton White House, for example during the budget negotiations that led to two government shutdowns. And Clinton too was often held captive by the demands of his own political base. Even without impeachment, these two barriers may have prevented the major deals on Social Security and other issues the book almost takes for granted would have occurred. Bill Clinton, like Gingrich, also had an incredible mind and political sense. But where Gingrich's political skills were broadly applied to a movement, Clinton's were more about his personal elections and survival. But they were both leaders who seemed to implicitly understand the coming challenges of the 21st century. Clinton's attempts to tackle healthcare, energy, and some limited gay rights in his first time appear more prescient with each passing year. I think most Americans have a general sense that Bill Clinton's presidency was a missed opportunity due to his own personal failing and the partisan divide. The Pact puts a little substance on that broad sketch of history. But it is just a little substance. If you have already read extensively about the period or these two figures, you may not find the book that enlightening. Although the author conducted extensive interviews to complete the work, many of the stories are ones I had read before. But if you have not r

A Great Piece of Journalism

Couldn't put it down - Bit of a puff piece for Bill - But I'm sort of a Newt guy - Extremely well documented - How did Erskine Bowles lose an election - D -

Who Knew?!

Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich working together?! Despite the fact that these two political heavyweights have made careers out of bashing one another, this book shows that once upon a time they worked together on a secret alliance that might have fixed Social Security. Once the Lewisnsky scandal broke, Gingrich felt like he had to distance himself from Clinton and everything fell apart. The author uses a lot of first-hand resources (letters and interviews) to help tell this fascinating story.