Archive

The Unguarded Bill Clinton

Former Clinton speechwriter Ted Widmer says there’s never been a presidential portrait as intimate as Taylor Branch’s new book—and we’ll never get a download like this about the second Bush administration.

articles/2009/10/05/the-unguarded-bill-clinton/windmere-clinton-tapes_54039_hdaywj
Charles Dharapak / AP Photo
articles/2009/10/05/the-unguarded-bill-clinton/windmere-clinton-tapes_54039_iwebue

Political-literary friendships go back a long way in our history. Alexander Hamilton prettied up George Washington’s public messages. Nathaniel Hawthorne penned the campaign biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce—perhaps the only boring thing he ever wrote.

This won't last long. One year of fearless reporting for only $35 $25.

Don't miss this subscriber exclusive article. 

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.