Brennan’s Blog

I had a road trip this week so I decided to get a book on CD to give me something to listen to while I drove. I picked up "My Life" by Bill Clinton. The book starts out when he is young and goes up to this year covering the key events in his life. I think listening to it is better than reading it because he reads the book himself. I also found several things to be pretty insightful...

One attribute about Bill Clinton which I wish I saw in more leaders is the ability he has to keep going even though he is being brutally attacked. He never folded given all of the major obstacles that were thrown in his way. He also had a way of speaking which reached out to so many people. He had a great charisma that others try to fake but are never able to get just right. It is unfortunate that his presidency has the dark cloud over it, but there seemed to be little that could be done to prevent it.

Some would say that this is his attempt at adjusting history to see things his way. I would argue that is only fair given that so many have tried to paint this man with many ugly colors. It would be good if the events that took place during his presidency were given a more balanced review so that we could learn from the mistakes that were made on both sides.

A few weeks ago while flipping channels I came across a documentary on Jimmy Carter and it explained that while he was president he juggled many issues. This caused the public to feel he was distracted and did not truly feel deeply about the issue he was addressing. But since he left public office he has continued to work for peace and to help those in poverty as a testament that his feelings were true and that he was focused. There is the saying about the fog of war, but it seems there is also a fog of politics when the spin starts to seem like the truth.

Near the end of the book he covered a childish jab against him in a weekend TV interview. He explained that he simply called this political opponent to discuss the comment. His opponent apologized because he did not mean what he had said and only did it because he was tired and was provoked in the interview. It was a mistake and he admitted it. This is small bit of truth about human nature and is a good example of how to handle the occasional hurtful email or voicemail that comes along. These sorts of things are so impersonal that it is easy to forget you are attacking someone personally. Following them up with a personal contact is the best way to resolve an issue and continue forward in a productive way, but too often a childish response is sent back only to continue the problem and make it worse.

After listening to a politician who has lived through things like the Civil Rights battles, the JFK assassination and other major world events I would to find more books on CD. I found the personal account to be an interesting and fresh look at history. And currently on the top of my wish list is Colin Powell. With his background in the military up through the Pentagon and Whitehouse I am sure that he has a perspective well worthwhile. He currently has a book out called "My American Journey," but I would like to hear what he has to say after his current round of service has ended. He is a man with a good deal of wisdom and much experience to share.