Jody Powell (1943–2009)

5558. The Other Side of the Story, by Jody Powell (read 18 May 2018) This is a book written by the press secretary in the Jimmy Carter Administration, the author serving as such for all four years , 1977-1981. I had just read Arthur Schlesinger's Journal and was somewhat dismayed by Schlesinger's animus against Carter, so this was a good corrective. especially since I supported Carter from the time I met him in Iowa when he was running for President right through his presidency and ever since. In fact, when Carter came to Sioux City I gave Jody Powell a ride from the airport into town. This book is kind of a whiney book since the author feels the press was often wrong in its treatment of Carter and Powell in the book is bitter about that. Much that he says in the book makes sense, and he has an interesting discussion in regard to when lying is necessary, e.g., when a failure to deny something would result in loss of life or the like. Powell is bitter about the Ted Kennedy effort to wrest the 1980 Democratic nomination from President Carter and also the dirty tricks in the campaign leading up to the election. I found the book more interesting than I expected and felt it was worthwhile to read it even though the things discussed occurred so long ago. The author died in 2009 at the age of 65.. .… (mehr)