Synopses & Reviews
A veteran journalist reveals that the real President Bush is not the man depicted by the mainstream media
More than seventy-five books attacking George W. Bush have been published so far. Now, finally, there's a book that sets the record straight against a backdrop of media bias. And it's not by a conservative idealogue but by an award-winning independent reporter who set out to find the real President Bush behind the two-dimensional public image.
Ronald Kessler was granted unique access to the West Wing and interviewed the key players of the Bush administration from Condoleezza Rice to Karl Rove to the president himself. Kessler also interviewed Bush's close friends, college roommates, and former aides.
His surprising conclusion: George W. Bush isn't the most articulate or scholarly president in history, but he scores very high on the factors that count most: character and leadership. President Bush has a more clearly defined moral instinct, management style, and self-awareness than any other recent president.
And without question, President Bush is the driving force behind his administration, not the pawn of anyone else. In an age when politicians notoriously hem and haw while trying to please everyone, he makes deft decisions very quickly. He is bolstered by his strong Christian faith and the resolve he gained after giving up alcohol.
For many swing voters, this election will boil down to a matter of character. Kessler's unconventional book filled with news hooks about life in the West Wing will help them understand the real George W. Bush. And for readers who already support the president, A Matter of Character is the book they've been waiting for.
Synopsis
Granted rare access to the West Wing and interviews with key White House personnel, a veteran journalist and best-selling author reveals that President George W. Bush is not the man depicted by the mainstream media. President Bush is fundamentally driven by a moral instinct and self-awareness very different from his recent predecessors in the White House.
About the Author
Ronald Kessler, an investigative journalist, is the bestselling author of fourteen nonfiction books, including Inside the White House, The Bureau, and The CIA at War. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, he has won sixteen journalism awards including two George Polk awards, one for national reporting and one for community service.
Table of Contents
Contents PROLOGUE 1
1. NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL 5
2. THE SKYS THE LIMIT 13
3. A PRACTICAL MIND 23
4. DIPPING SNUFF 34
5. OIL HUSTLING 40
6. THE NOMAD 46
7. DICK AND JANE 56
8. WE MADE IT 70
9. POTOMAC FEVER 80
10. WHY JOHNNY STILL CANT READ 91
11. A TRIP ON AIR FORCE ONE 104
12. SPITE 114
13. EAT, SLEEP, AND BE MERRY 129
14. SARASOTA 136
15. I HEAR YOU! 149
16. SNEAK AND PEAK 163
17. AN AGENT FOR CHANGE 171
18. MR. BUSH OKAY! 186
19. SIXTEEN WORDS 193
20. BUSHIE 206
21. MALLEABLE FACTS 219
22. A LEAK 242
23. BAGHDAD 256
24. LIBERAL : S, CONSERVATIVE MEANS 265 25. THE CEO PRESIDENT 274
NOTES 291
BIBLIOGRAPHY 297
INDEX 299
A section of photographs follows page 146.