Journalist & Author
Sidney Blumenthal
Notes from Evan Smith
"Sidney Blumenthal, a former assistant to President Bill Clinton, has recently written a book about his time in the Clinton White House, The Clinton Wars.
Most famous for his loyalty to the Clintons, Blumenthal received strong criticism of his book from journalists, Republicans, as well as many of the Clinton aides he mentions.
Blumenthal began his career as a journalist and worked for the New Yorker magazine, The Washington Post, New Republic and Vanity Fair. In 1997, Blumenthal left journalism to join the White House Communications team. He first met the Clinton's during a Renaissance Weekend in the 1980s.
Blumenthal, who grew up in Chicago, had strong interest in politics evan as a child. He became a "runner" for a Democratic precinct captain when he was 12 and went door-to-door to get out the vote, according to a recent BBC News profile.
After graduating from Brandeis University in 1969, Blumenthal became a national political correspondent for The New Republic from 1983 to 1985 and then served as senior editor from 1990-1992.
In addition, he was a member of the national staff of The Washington Post from 1985 to 1989 and was Washington editor of The New Yorker from 1992 to 1997.
Following the Monica Lewinsky affair, Blumenthal joined the first lady and other Clinton supporters in defending the president. He quickly labled Independet Counsel Ken Starr's investigation and the allegations against the president as "a right-wing conspiracy."
Blumenthal was also suspected by many Washington journalists as being reponsible for a leak to the online magazine, Salon, about U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde engaging in an extramarital affair.
Blumenthal became one of three witnesses in the impeachment trial against Bill Clinton. Blumenthal’s books include The Permanent Campaign: Inside the World of Elite Political Operatives (1980); The Rise of the Counter-Establishment: From Conservative Ideology to Political Power (1986); Our Long National Daydream: A Political Pageant of the Reagan Era (1988); Pledging Allegiance: The Last Campaign of the Cold War (1990); and The Reagan Legacy, of which he was co-editor.
He has been a commentator on NBC's Today show." - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 7.17.03
