Blinded by the Right The Conscience of an Ex Conservative

In a powerful and deeply personal memoir in the tradition of Arthur Koestler's The God That Failed, David Brock, the original right-wing scandal reporter, chronicles his rise to the pinnacle of the conservative movement and his painful break with it.

David Brock pilloried Anita Hill in a bestseller. His reporting in The American Spectator as part of the infamous "Arkansas Project" triggered the course of events that led to the historic impeachment trial of President Clinton. Brock was at the center of the right-wing dirty tricks operation of the Gingrich era — and a true believer — until he could no longer deny that the political force he was advancing was built on little more than lies, hate, and hypocrisy.

In Blinded By the Right, Brock, who came out of the closet at the height of his conservative renown, tells his riveting story from the beginning, giving us the first insider's view of what Hillary Rodham Clinton called "the vast right-wing conspiracy." Whether dealing with the right-wing press, the richly endowed think tanks, Republican political operatives, or the Paula Jones case, Brock names names from Clarence Thomas on down, uncovers hidden links, and demonstrates how the Republican Right's zeal for power created the poisonous political climate that culminated in George W. Bush's election.

Now in paperback and with a new afterword by the author, Blinded By the Right is a classic political memoir of our times.

"Not only does he name names (yes, Virginia, there was a right-wing conspiracy), but...he also offers readers an insider's look at the motivations of those behind the scenes. Equally compelling is Brock's personal story....[T]his book, which makes plain just how much the Clinton-haters hated, is a genuine eye-opener." Ilene Cooper, Booklist

"[A]n astounding account of fin-de-siecle Washington politics." Hendrik Hertzberg, The New Yorker

"[E]verything we thought about these bozos in the vast right-wing conspiracy turns out to be true and then some." Eric Alterman, The Nation

"[A] key document for historians seeking to understand the ethos of the incoherent '90s." Frank Rich, The New York Times

"A fascinating look into the murky world of the politics of personal destruction." USA Today

"If you're looking for proof of corruption and immoral behavior among the nation's most famous conservatives — read this book." Bill Press, CNN

"Although readers may doubt the sincerity of Brock's latest conversion, the book offers a revealing inside look at the conservative media and provides a careful chronicling of the investigations of the Clintons." Library Journal

In a powerful and deeply personal memoir in the tradition of Arthur Koestlers The God That Failed, David Brock, the original right-wing scandal reporter, chronicles his rise to the pinnacle of the conservative movement and his painful break with it.

David Brock pilloried Anita Hill in a bestseller. His reporting in The American Spectator as part of the infamous “Arkansas Project” triggered the course of events that led to the historic impeachment trial of President Clinton. Brock was at the center of the right-wing dirty tricks operation of the Gingrich era-and a true believer-until he could no longer deny that the political force he was advancing was built on little more than lies, hate, and hypocrisy.

In Blinded By the Right, Brock, who came out of the closet at the height of his conservative renown, tells his riveting story from the beginning, giving us the first insiders view of what Hillary Rodham Clinton called “the vast right-wing conspiracy.” Whether dealing with the right-wing press, the richly endowed think tanks, Republican political operatives, or the Paula Jones case, Brock names names from Clarence Thomas on down, uncovers hidden links, and demonstrates how the Republican Rights zeal for power created the poisonous political climate that culminated in George W. Bushs election.

Now in paperback and with a new afterword by the author, Blinded By the Right is a classic political memoir of our times.

David Brock, a writer in Washington, D.C., is the author of The Real Anita Hill and The Seduction of Hillary Rodham. He has written for Esquire, New York, Rolling Stone, Talk, and the New York Times and Washington Post op-ed pages. He appears regularly on television talk shows, and his work has been featured on National Public Radio.

ch. 1. Themaking of a conservative --ch. 2. Thethird generation --ch. 3.Leninists of the right --ch. 4. "Acounter-intelligentsia" --ch. 5. Thereal Anita Hill --ch. 6.Holy war --ch. 7.Troopergate --ch. 8.Out of the closet --ch. 9. "Awoman named Paula"--ch. 10. TheArkansas Project --ch. 11. Thebest and the rightist --ch. 12.Strange lies --ch. 13. Theseduction of Hillary Rodham --ch. 14. TheGary Aldrich Affair --ch. 15.Breaking ranks --ch. 16.Monica, Sidney, and me.