Kirstin Gore On The Clinton White House?

Over the weekend, I finished Kristin Gore's new book, Sammy's House.


It's fiction, it's not a roman a clef, but hey, when one of Al Gore's daughters writes a book about a president with an embarassing secret, a herotic, loyal-but-realistic vice president, a dramatic scene where the president denies the charges against him, with the vice president standing stoically behind him, a White House in crisis, talk of impeachment proceedings -- it ain't beanbag.

At one point, vice president Robert Gray (RG for short) asks the protagonist, Sammy, "what would you do if you were me?" "Your partner, your boss, lies to world. And there's no going back. The damage is done. He doesn't give a crap about your reputation, your sacrifices, about your plans for the future. He only cares about himself. And he's willing to jeopardize everything we've worked for ... for... what?"

At the end, after the president resigns -- yes, this embarassing president had the guts to resign, Gore writes: "The traits for which RG had been previously criticized were now coveted. He was steady and honest and thouhgtful. He wasn't a showman, he didn't do tricks."

The President's wife Fiona "had a reputation for being fiercely loyal to her husband and aggressively protective of his interests." Among her inner circle, her "paranoia was legendary, though her staff did everything they could to prevent ousiders from getting wind of it."

There's also a continuing subplot involving New York Times reporter "Chick Wallrey," who "described everything the administration did in the darkest and most cynical terms." She is "short and rotund, with dyed black hair and raccoon eyes courtesy of heavy eyeliner." The press office posits that Wallrey is "deeply unhappy in her personal life" and "bitter towards everyone." I think I have an idea who this is supposed to describe, but I don't want to libel anyone.

There's a Drudge Report-like Internet rag sheet -- LyingWye.