Scandal: How "Gotcha" Politics Is Destroying America

Lanny Davis

Mar 2015 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

For more than four decades, polarized politics in America has been driven by a vicious scandal machine comprised of partisan politicians, extremists on the left and right, and a sensationalist media energized by bringing public officials down. In this sorely needed book Lanny Davis, who has been in the belly of the beast as Special Counsel to the Clinton White House, explains--starting with historical scandals like Alexander Hamilton's extramarital affairs and moving on to the unsurpassable Watergate and beyond--how we reached this sorry state. Davis tells us how this poisonous atmosphere is damaging not just politics but American society as a whole. Davis also offers hope by revealing how a coalition of centrist politicians focusing on core policies that appeal to the frustrated electorate marooned in the middle can pull us back from the brink.

About the author

Lanny Davis served as Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996-98. In 2005, President Bush appointed Mr. Davis to serve on the five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Davis has appeared on The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes, MSNBC, CNN, and his writings have appeared in The New York Times. He is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and author of Truth to Tell (1999).