The Best of Times: The Boom and Bust Years of America before and after Everything Changed; Johnson, Haynes

The third theme, "Scandal Times," is the one to which [Haynes Johnson] devotes the most space and energy. The heart of it is the sex scandal involving President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Johnson stresses two aspects. The first is the degree to which Clinton tried to avoid airing his affair in public. The second deals with the impeachment trial and its outcome. Johnson agrees with many other thoughtful observers and the majority of Americans who were able to distinguish clearly between Clinton's personal behavior and his effective political leadership. Whatever success Clinton may have had as a president was severely circumscribed by his acts and by the energy that he devoted to defending himself. It was the stuff of a great tragedy.