Leo T. reviewed on 12/28/2019 + 1775 more book reviews

I obtained this through the kindness of PBS comrade Fred Weiss of Hackettstown, New Jersey, wanting it for the shelf at the old soldiers' home. Ms. Mitchell was recently mentioned in passing for her successful antics at presidential press conferences. Being not very tall, she would worm her way forward, and could stand in front of the TV cameras without blocking their view while she got in a question. She reported from D.C. during the 1970s and retired after GB2's first term. "Washington had been the incubator for so many political movements, struggles that changed the way we live, work, and vote."
Ms. Mitchell shares with readers many inside anecdotes. For example, when the First Gulf War unexpectedly broke out, only CNN had feet on the ground and maintained a telephonic connection that was nearly exclusive as lines went down during the first seventeen hours. "Knowing that the White House would have to notify congressional leaders, I called them all, repeatedly. Speaker of the House Tom Foley was out, I later learned, buying shirts at Brooks Brothers when he got the White House call. With a striking lack of creativity, the prearranged code Jim Baker used to alert Senator Jesse Helms and others not on secure telephones was, 'The balloon is up.'"
Photo section, index.

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