The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House
Author: Barbara Olson
Publisher: Regnery Publishing, Inc. - November 2001

Bestselling conservative author Barbara Olsen tragically perished in the September 11th attacks on New York City and Washington. Here, in her final book, she revisits the trials and tribulations of the Clintons as they prepare to make their decidedly undignified exit from the White House after two terms in office.

Synopsis

New York Times best-selling author Barbara Olson, whose Hell to Pay laid bare the sordid political deals of Hillary Rodham Clinton, focused her razor sharp vision on the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office: the outrageous pardons to political cronies and friends, the looting of the White House, the executive orders that were sheer abuses of presidential power, the presidential library that is becoming a massive boondoggle of vanity more appropriate to a Third World dictator, and much more. This was how the Clintons chose to end their occupation of the White House, in a story whose reverberations are still shaking the political landscape.

Barbara Olson knew Washington politics from the inside -- with a depth of insight and fire-honed principled -- like few others. She was an attorney with the Justice Department, a Congressional investigator, and a general counsel in the United States Senate. She knew the law. She knew the Constitution. She knew how power is meant to be responsibly exercised. In The Final Days she shows how the Clintons climaxed eight years of sleaze with a spree of payoffs and self-indulgence unprecedented in its vulgarity and possible illegality.

>From the Publisher

New York Times best-selling author Barbara Olson, whose Hell to Pay laid bare the sordid political deals of Hillary Rodham Clinton, now turns her razor sharp vision on the Clintons' shocking excesses in their final days of office: the outrageous pardons to political cronies and friends, the looting of the White House, the executive orders that were sheer abuses of presidential power, the presidential library that is becoming a massive boondoggle of vanity more appropriate to a Third World dictator, and much more. This was how the Clintons chose to end their occupation of the White House, in a story whose reverberations are still shaking the political landscape.

Barbara Olson's book review - Final Days

>From Barnes and Noble Editors

Bestselling conservative author Barbara Olsen tragically perished in the September 11th attacks on New York City and Washington. Here, in her final book, she revisits the trials and tribulations of the Clintons as they prepare to make their decidedly undignified exit from the White House after two terms in office.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Gregg L. Newbury, a California Ditto-Head, January 22, 2002, Well Worth Reading

The Final Days is a well researched, fully foot-noted, and excellently written account of something that was hidden to the populace by main stream media for eight years. I was looking for the china that disappeared and vandalism to the offices as the movers hauled away the furniture, but Barbara was focused on much more important stuff. Like inappropriate pardons, abuse of power, and dishonesty from two hicks who should never have been in the White House. My only criticism, and it is a small nit, is that occasionally she lets her personal conservative views leak out inappropriately. A great book and well worth the read. We love you Barbara Olson; you performed a great service to this country; rest in peace.

Donald Mitchell, a management consultant from Boston, January 17, 2002. Avoid Wrong-Doing and the Appearance of Wrong-Doing!

I hope everyone who cares about democracy will read The Final Days. Reading this book is a poignant experience for several reasons. First, reading about the last days of the Clinton administration seems like thinking about the good old days compared to our current trauma with the terrorist attacks on September 11. Second, Ms. Olson, the book's author, died in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on that day that will live in infamy. Third, the issues she raises in this book no longer receive any significant attention . . . yet are probably a greater threat to our democracy than any group of terrorists ever can be. Democracies require honest leaders as well as leaders who appear to be honest. Regardless of what you think about former president Clinton and Senator Clinton, the latter standard was breached. Many people will feel that the former standard was also breached. What this book provides is a fairly detailed outline of the actions taken in the last few weeks during the Clinton presidency, and explores the actions for their meaning.

Although you will have read about almost all of these matters before, there's a cumulative sense of inappropriateness that is overwhelming when they are considered together. The president has the unlimited right under the Constitution to pardon anyone for any crime against the United States. There is no review of this right. The book details the 140 pardons and 36 sentence commutations that Mr. Clinton provided on his own authority in the waning days of his administration. Many of these went to those with access, political clout, and who had made political contributions and payments that benefited the Clintons. The most outrageous one was to a tax-fraud fugitive from justice. Big-time drug dealers were released. The president's brother, Roger, was pardoned. Susan McDougal, who was in prison for contempt for refusing to testify about the Clintons' involvement with Whitewater, was also pardoned.

You may also remember that Puerto Rican terrorists were part of the group, just before the New York senate election (where there are 2 million Puerto Ricans). Many of these pardons and sentence commutations were not reviewed or recommended by the Department of Justice in the normal legal process. You get the idea of how all this appears. At one point, Senator Clinton's brother was even accepting payments to represent those seeking pardons. He reportedly agreed to return the money after this became public, but Ms. Olson was not able to find a record that this occurred.

The Final Days also describes the way that Senator Clinton maneuvered the timing of her book advance so that she would not be subject to the Senate's ethics rules, and receive $8 million. What was new to me was that there was concerted fund-raising to get furniture for the Clintons' new house in Chappaqua, New York. Furniture and art from the White House were also sent there, apparently including some that belong to the United States. Senator Clinton's new office will cost the taxpayers twice what Senator Schumer's office does in the same neighborhood because Senator Clinton took twice as much space. You probably remember that the president's new office near Carnegie Hall was going to cost so much that he decided to move into less expensive space in Harlem, after a major uproar in the press.

In The Final Days, you will also learn about last minute judicial appointments (something many presidents have done), creating new commissions and making appointments to them, 4000 pages of new government regulations, and creating 5.6 million acres of new national monuments. The details of the president's plea bargaining over his lying in the Paula Jones case deposition are also included here. Ms. Olson also questions the $500 million spent on foreign travel by the Clintons, using the president's trip to Vietnam as an example of how relatively unimportant these visits often were. Cumulatively, one year out of the eight that the president spent in office was involved in foreign travel.

As a way to put these actions in context, Ms. Olson quotes liberally from what political figures and press commentators had to say. In some cases, she only had to quote Democrats to make her point. The pattern that emerges is that the Clintons would stick their necks out to gain an advantage. If no one complained, fine. If someone did and there was a political backlash, they would slowly backpedal. For example, Senator Clinton complained about the Puerto Rican terrorists being pardoned. The defense would often be a legalistic one, that would probably be appropriate, if extreme, for a private citizen. The book's weakness is that the author has a flair for dropping extreme rhetoric into her descriptions that exceed the details that she presents.

'Think of a suburban swap meet combined with an open house at a bail bondsman's office.' 'Liberal-left progressive politics meets traditional corruption resulting in a synthesis of boundless arrogance and entitlements.' These characterizations were really unnecessary because quotes from the Clintons themselves could have provided all of the rhetoric anyone needed for this book. As the former president said about his choice of a new office in Harlem after the protest about the expense of a mid-town site, 'That's why I went to Harlem . . . Because I think I am the first black president.' Where do your actions cast doubt on your motives and honesty? How can you both be honest . . . and appear to be so as well? Donald Mitchell, co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution and The Irresistible Growth Enterprise

Mike Lowry, January 10, 2002,
What Were We Thinking?

The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House makes it clear to all but the most partisan of Clinton supporters that for eight years America 'accepted' what should have never been tolerated in a democracy. Sadly, the author may have indirectly killed as a result of eight years of Clinton political corruption. As the insiders of the Clinton administration begin to publish their books, this book may be overshadowed with even more details of this sordid Clinton administration but until then this is must reading by all who seek to understand this dark and embarassing chapter in American history.

The Nolster - December 26, 2001,
Two thumbs up!

A well-researched, well-thought, and well-written account of the past administration's deep corruption. Some have attacked Olson for spreading propaganda. Yet, not once do these assaults attack a single specific point stated in this book (the sources for which are meticulously documented in the book's endnotes). These attacks against Barbara Olson are always personal rather than against her arguments. Further, the attackers claim (again, without any proof) that the book was published only with the hopes of profiteering from sympathetic consumers. That's a strong enough endorsement for me!

Dennis Sams, a bird lover, December 19, 2001,
Two for the price of one: Clintonian hypocrisy exposed!

Since Barne and Noble did not use my last review of this excellent book--or at least I haven't seen it posted on their web site yet--in spite of the fact that I bought the book from Barnes and Noble-- I decided to write another, shorter review. 'The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House' is an important and timely work. As the distaff side of this duo moves steadily toward her ultimate ambition of serving in the White House we need to be reminded--again and again--how dishonest, double dealing slick and meandacious--what total frauds--the Clintons-both of them are. And Barbara Olson shows the Clinton just they way they--no holds barred. It is tragic to reflect that this brave and noble spirit--Barbara Olson--was taken from us by cowards who killed innocent people and struck like theives in the night and that the detestable Hillary remains, but such is life. I highly recomment this book to anyone interested in a search for the truth and who appreciates good writing about an important subject we should all care about. What subject is that? Why the nature of our public officals and the type of people we elect to public office.