-Caveat Lector-
A Coup Attempt in Washington? : A European Mirror on the 1998-1999
Constitutional Crisis
by Peter H. Merkl
List Price: $35.00
Our Price: $35.00
Used Price: $17.50
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
Hardcover - (January 2001) 304 pages
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial Reviews
>From Booklist
With all the late-2000 chatter about how our "who-won-it?" presidential
election was viewed overseas, few commentators drew the obvious parallel: the
overseas perspective on the 1998-1999 impeachment imbroglio. Merkl, an
emeritus professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, examines
Europe's view of that controversy, which the author considers our "most
serious constitutional crisis . . . since the Civil War." Merkl sketches the
European media's reaction to GOP attacks on Clinton from 1993 to 1997 and to
legal and legislative processes ("the coup attempt") from the Supreme Court's
decision that the Paula Jones suit could proceed to House passage of articles
of impeachment and the Senate's failure to convict. He parses European
commentary on "sex, lies, and audiotape" and joins the European critique of
the U.S. "media conspiracy" that made tabloid tidbits the lead story while
ignoring serious constitutional issues, important nonscandal stories, and the
rest of the world's appalled reaction to the U.S. feeding frenzy. Merkl
closes with a thoughtful analysis of the long-term damage the long, bitter
impeachment drama may have done to the U.S. Constitution. Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
>From Library Journal
Hypocrisy, partisan attacks by right-wing conservatives, and a questionable
sexual harassment case is how members of the European media viewed President
Clinton's impeachment trial, according to Merkl, editor of The Federal
Republic of Germany at Fifty and professor emeritus at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Merkl draws on Jeffrey Toobin's A Vast Conspiracy
(Random, 1999) to portray Clinton as no hero but more honorable than his
attackers, especially Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. The Europeans quoted
here make good points about their American media counterparts and the
impeachment process, which they view as much different from a Prime
Minister's being legally removed by Parliament. In America, they note, the
move by the House of Representatives to remove a twice popularly elected
president from office for charges less than treason and high crimes and
misdemeanors was tantamount to an attempted illegal coup. Unfortunately,
Merkl is frequently as strident as those he faults, and his good arguments
are made emotionally and repetitively. Recommended for larger public
libraries; other libraries may purchase as interest warrants.
Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
This is an exploration, with hundreds of appropriate quotes from French,
British, German, Italian, and other newspapers, on how differently European
journalists interpreted our attempt to impeach and remove our twice-elected
president. This is not an effort to defend President Clinton. Contrary to
what our media told us, Europeans did not just snicker about our attitude to
sex scandals-they did little of that-but they critically and knowledgeably
examined our obvious abuses of American legal procedures and concepts (e.g.
perjury) and relevant constitutional clauses. They saw this as a five-year
vendetta culminating in a quasi-constitutional coup attempt, not just the
pursuit of a scandal, and believed an important part of our media was
involved in the "vast rightwing conspiracy" to overthrow Clinton. Finally,
and again unlike our media, they thought that this action damaged our
constitutional system and would have destroyed it had the coup succeeded.
About the Author
Peter H. Merkl is Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Santa
Barbara. He has published numerous books and articles on politics. His most
recent book is The Federal Republic of Germany at Fifty (1999). /ñOp´ p
/+§ @Click Here: <A
HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312238312/ref=pd_sim_books/107-3
081482-5741330">Amazon.com: buying info: A Coup Attempt in Wash…</A>
-----
A book the American public needs to read, January 17, 2001
Reviewer: H. Barrett from Eugene, OR
"A Coup Attempt in Washington?" fills in many of the gaps left by media
coverage in this country. eed, it appears that the European journalists were
frequently more diligent in their investigative reporting than their American
counterparts.
Information that was readily available to reporters and news commentators was
not revealed, including the little-known fact that what the Founding Fathers
had written in the original draft of the Constitution was crimes and
misdemeanors against the State. The Founding Fathers would certainly have
been aghast at the public flaying of a U.S. president for private sexual acts
or the lies involving them.
The point the Europeans made was that not only did the punishment not fit the
crime but that, in the process, we were throwing the baby out with the bath
water. That the Constitution itself was in peril. And that there had been a
wholesale violation of the separation of powers in the Constitution.
The author conveys with extraordinary clarity and passion what we already
know and bears repeating: that democracy is so valuable, so precious, and it
so defines us, that we must be its true guardians.
-----
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
All My Relations.
Omnia Bona Bonis,
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
