Arkansas Mischief: The Birth of a National Scandal

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It all seemed so uneventful: two couples on a double date, a hearty Southern meal of fried steak and turnip greens, jovial conversations about work, and the "casual" mention of a great business venture involving land on the White River. But these two couples were Bill and Hillary Clinton and their then-close friends Jim and Susan McDougal. The great business scheme was dubbed Whitewater, which snowballed into one of the great political scandals--or witch-hunts, depending on your point of view--of our time. Arkansas Mischief is the late Jim McDougal's autobiography, but inevitably the book will be devoured not for its strengths as a memoir but for its allegations of presidential misconduct. McDougal makes several new allegations against President Clinton, including one that he intended to fully pardon Susan McDougal for her Whitewater involvement, something the White House vigorously denies.

Is the book just a series of sensational untruths told by an embittered and disillusioned man? McDougal himself admits that he suffered from manic-depression, so can he be believed? The stories of political corruption are casually woven into the book's narrative and don't read like tabloid sleaze. Yet ultimately very few people know the actual truth, and the reader must draw his or her own conclusions. Regardless of the allegations' legitimacy, McDougal and his cowriter Curtis Wilkie have written an engaging and often witty memoir. A devoted Democrat from a young age, McDougal recalls how he "always thought every town should have one Republican, just as every town seemed to have one village idiot and one town drunk." The biography traces McDougal's rise as a Democratic campaigner and activist, opening our eyes to the unique and controversial workings of the Arkansas political scene of the past 50 years. Although McDougal died in prison before the release of his autobiography, Arkansas Mischief remains a lasting testament to an elusive yet endearing man whose revelations threatened to topple the president. --Naomi Gesinger

Book Description

An eye-opening account of the Arkansas years by President Clinton's legendary political and business mentor.

Until his recent death in federal prison, Jim McDougal was the irrepressible ghost of the Clintons' Arkansas past.

McDougal's knowledge of embarrassing real estate and banking deals, bribes, and obstructions of justice have long haunted the White House. Completed only days before his death and co-authored by veteran journalist Curtis Wilkie, Jim McDougal's vivid and irreverant self-portrait reveals the hidden intersections of politics and special interests in Arkansas and the betrayals that followed. It is the story of how ambitious men and women climbed out of rural obscurity and "how friendships break down and lives are ruined."

Mr. McDougal, an irascible and charming rogue to the end, never whines nor does he endeavor to exonerate himself. And, though image-shattering, there's no attempt to get Bill or Hillary Clinton, Jim Blair, Jim Guy Tucker, or the silenced Susan McDougal.

Arkansas Mischief is a Southern tragedy with lessons for us all.

Customer Reviews:

Swept Under the Rug.......2006-05-12

"Arkansas Mischief" was written Jim McDougal, the Clintons' Whitewater real-estate partner. The book was co-authored by a Boston Globe reporter.

In this book we find McDougal admitting, "I was put in a position where I might have to lie to protect the president," and in sworn testimony, "I told other lies."

Why would a reporter co-author want to be involved with the autobiography of an admitted liar? The only motive I can think of is to make sure that various stories and events were given the proper "spin" or were covered-up altogether.

The co-author gratuitously offers reasons to doubt McDougal. Footnotes also question whether the author's wife, Susan McDougal, had an affair with Bill Clinton as publicly claimed by McDougal.

But, there are some interesting tidbits that can be gleaned from this book: (1) Whitewater provided a conduit to funnel $2,000 per month to Hillary for services not rendered, and (2) Hillary illegally deducted loan payments made by the Whitewater corporation on the Clinton's personal tax returns.

McDougal, a real estate developer and savings & loan operator (who used his financial institution as a personal piggy bank), died at age 57 in federal prison after being convicted of multiple felonies in connection with obtaining loans and then applying the money to projects other than those covered in the loan applications.

This was a fun romp thru Arkansas politics........2003-06-10

It is only tempered by the shabby treatment that Jim McDougal received not only at the hands of his friend, Bill Clinton, but also long time political ally, Govenor Jim Guy Tucker, Clinton's sucessor. Govenor Tucker, like McDougal, went to jail. Clinton did not & went on to screw many others, figuratively & literally. Bill Clinton's charisma was such that long after it made any sense, McDougal, & especially his wife, Susan retained a great deal of personal affection for the president. Politically, being a "yellow dog" democrat, McDougal could do no less than support both the president & the govenor.
The political stories fronm an Arkansas insider are light & funny. Some universally true about politicas & others peculiar to Arkansas.
The legal morass that McDougal found himself & tries to explain make for rough going in places but these segments are brief. Any good ol' boy or political junkie will like this book. As to the veracity of this book, Mr. McDougal knew he was dying & in fact died before it's publication. Most people do not wish to leave this world with a lie. He had considerable help from Curtis Wilkie, a professional writer, which probably helped him keep it real. Lloyd James' narration made it seem as if it actually was the voice of Jim McDougal.

Author Wilkie produces important analysis of southern politi.......1999-04-20

Curtis Wilkie's name appears in smaller case type below that of Jim McDougal's on the cover, but there should be no doubt in any reader's mind that without Wilkie's dogged pursuit of the truth and his well-honed journalist's credentials this would be just another publisher's attempt to capitalize on the Clinton scandalmongering machine. Fortunately, Wilkie successfully navigates McDougal's obfuscations and produces a fascinating account of McDougal's sad life and role in one of the late-20th century's seminal political events. Required reading for anyone interested in southern-or national-politics.

Boring.......1999-04-16

A very dry, self glorifying effort at expanding his image, Jim McDougal's book is as boorish as the man himself perhaps was. We were saved his testimony in the Grand Jury, perhaps for the better. Truly an old boy who liked to make himself bigger than he really was.

Arkansas Follies: or Hillary Does Arkansas.......1998-07-14

Jim MacDougal has writen a fascinating account of politics, logrolling, and back scratching in a one party Southern state. MacDougal, a fierce populist, detested Hilary's insider trading and other shakey deals that enriched the worst lady during the Reagan/Bush 80s that she castigates for its greed. He also recounts how Clinton's loss in the 1980 Governor's race made him resolve never to lose again and to do whatever it took to win. Thus we had the 1996 election and its campaign finance lawbreaking, orchestrated by Clinton, and carried out by the DNC. After reading this book one is left with the impression that some indictments should have been issued by Ken Starr out of the Little Rock Grand Jury. I think the co-author should look into MacDougal's death. Some inmates at the prison have claimed that he was denied medicine. He died in solitary confinement, ending up there because he couldn't urinate on demand for a drug test. Another FOB has taken the dirt nap.

Mischief in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery

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Long on humor, short on surprises
Joan Hess has done it again!
The Maggody books are thoroughly enjoyable!
Dionne Warwick in Maggody?

Mischief in Maggody: An Ozarks Murder Mystery
Joan Hess
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312017928

Customer Reviews:

Long on humor, short on surprises.......2001-09-01

This is not your typical murder mystery. Although the victim, a moonshine making, ginseng picking, illegitimate baby producing mountain woman dies around chapter three, no one will realize that she is dead until about halfway through the book. The first half is taking up with the humorous goings on of the wacky inhabitants of Magoody who seem to include at least one example of every unflattering hillbilly stereotype in existence. When the mountain women goes a missing, her five wild children are dragged into town for their own good. The mystery is as much about who their fathers might be as who is responsible for the booby-trapped dope field that took their ma's life. In the end, or rather long before the end most readers will have figured out the answers to both of these questions. Fortunately, the mystery plays back seat to her large cast of crazed characters. If the authors raunchy sense of humor hits your funny bone you will be turning the pages faster and faster trying to find out what nutty thing will happen next.

Joan Hess has done it again!.......2000-12-31

Mystery and humor in one package. Great stuff. I hope she keeps writting about Maggody. -Sharice Lee-Author: "The Survivor's Guide."-

The Maggody books are thoroughly enjoyable!.......1998-08-24

I found the Maggody mysteries in a wonderful case of serendipity and now I can't get enough. They have me turning pages as fast as I can to find out what hilarious development is next. One of the few writers that make me laugh out loud, and frequently. Joan Hess has created characters that you would never admit to knowing, but secretly wish you had met. They are at the same time outrageous and very real.

Dionne Warwick in Maggody?.......1998-04-19

When a psychic and some hippies move to Maggody Arly once again finds her hands full. With their beloved Boone Creek under peril the locals decide to take matters into their own hands. Everyone and no one is a suspect when Arly takes the case. The people of Maggody must be getting nervous cause ever since Arly came back to town, murder seems to have become the towns most popular hobby

Arkansas Mischief The Birth of a National Scandal

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Arkansas Mischief The Birth of a National Scandal
mcDougal Jim & Wilkie Curtis
Manufacturer: John Macrae Book (Henry Holt & Co)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LCEO90

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Arkansas Mischief The Birth of a National Scandal
Jim (Curtis Wilkie) McDougal
Manufacturer: Henry Holt Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZVWQE

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Arkansas, Mischief
Jim McDougal , and Curtis Wilkie
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0786113197

Arkansas Mischief: The Birth of a National Scandal (Unabridged)

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Arkansas Mischief: The Birth of a National Scandal (Unabridged)
Wilkie, Jim, Curtis McDougal
Manufacturer: audible.com
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Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000FMRY9I

Book Description

This book, coming with four DVDs, presents epochal works of 16 of the most influential software pioneers. Seminal historical papers, going back as far as to the 1950s, are complemented by new papers especially written by the software pioneers for inclusion in this book and by short biographical notes. The volume is based on a conference where the pioneers met and presented their assessment of the past, new ideas, and visions for the future. The volume editors coherently integrated the historical contributions with current aspects and future perspectives. The four DVDs included are an important supplement to the book providing more than 12 hours of video documentation. Besides a representative overview drawing together the highlights of the presentations, the video recording of each pioneer's talk together with the transparencies used is included. Together, the book and the four DVDs constitute a unique and major contribution to the history of software engineering.

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Great Book -- Useless DVDs.......2004-04-21

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
The DVDs that accompany the book can be read ONLY with the Windows software on the discs. Beyond the introductory music and the table of contents, nothing else can be viewed on a non-Windows PC or a DVD player. I suggest that the DVDs be treated as an extra only valuable to those with Windows boxes. I found this most unfortunate and makes the DVDs useless to me.

Book Description

Capturing where we are today through a tour of yesterday's achievements and helping us better understand the evolution of computing technology, this book recounts the experiences of those who formed and functioned in the "Pioneering Era." In the Beginning: Recollections of Software Pioneers records the stories of computing's past enabling today's professionals to improve on the realities of yesterday.

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This digital document is an article from Los Angeles Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on March 27, 2006. The length of the article is 473 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Computer bone scan breaks lull at medical firm.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(CompuMed Inc. changes its name to telemedicine pioneer)
Author: Deborah Crowe
Publication: Los Angeles Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 27, 2006
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Volume: 28 Issue: 13 Page: 11(1)

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Countdown to the 25th anniversary (June 2006) issue: recognizing industry pioneers with Lifetime Achievement Awards.(Publisher's Outlook)(Telemarketing ... article from: Customer Interaction Solutions

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Countdown to the 25th anniversary (June 2006) issue: recognizing industry pioneers with Lifetime Achievement Awards.(Publisher's Outlook)(Telemarketing ... article from: Customer Interaction Solutions
Nadji Tehrani
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This digital document is an article from Customer Interaction Solutions, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 2445 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Countdown to the 25th anniversary (June 2006) issue: recognizing industry pioneers with Lifetime Achievement Awards.(Publisher's Outlook)(Telemarketing magazine)
Author: Nadji Tehrani
Publication: Customer Interaction Solutions (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 24 Issue: 11 Page: 2(4)

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EASY CD CREATOR BUNDLED WITH PIONEER DVD-R/RW DRIVE.(Roxio's easy CD Creator 5.0 Basic and Pioneer Electronics DVR-A05 DVD-R/RW): An article from: CD Computing News

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EASY CD CREATOR BUNDLED WITH PIONEER DVD-R/RW DRIVE.(Roxio's easy CD Creator 5.0 Basic and Pioneer Electronics DVR-A05 DVD-R/RW): An article from: CD Computing News

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This digital document is an article from CD Computing News, published by Worldwide Videotex on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 4763 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: EASY CD CREATOR BUNDLED WITH PIONEER DVD-R/RW DRIVE.(Roxio's easy CD Creator 5.0 Basic and Pioneer Electronics DVR-A05 DVD-R/RW)
Publication: CD Computing News (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Worldwide Videotex
Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Page: NA

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Empresas. (Polo, Primordiale Nuit, Pioneer, Ballantine's, Sol Melia, Givenchy, Mas Tinell, Navison Software, La Perla, Pointsoft y LCD Audiovisuales, introducen ... new products): An article from: Epoca

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Empresas. (Polo, Primordiale Nuit, Pioneer, Ballantine's, Sol Melia, Givenchy, Mas Tinell, Navison Software, La Perla, Pointsoft y LCD Audiovisuales, introducen ... new products): An article from: Epoca

Manufacturer: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
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ASIN: B00097RY4E
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This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on December 8, 1997. The length of the article is 1323 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Empresas. (Polo, Primordiale Nuit, Pioneer, Ballantine's, Sol Melia, Givenchy, Mas Tinell, Navison Software, La Perla, Pointsoft y LCD Audiovisuales, introducen nuevos productos)(TT: Companies) (TA: Polo, Primordiale Nuit, Pioneer, Ballantine's, Sol Melia, Givenchy, Mas Tinell, Navison Software, La Perla, Pointsoft, and LCD Audiovisuales, introducing new products)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 8, 1997
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Issue: n667 Page: p110(2)

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Explorer technology links school & home. (Hardware Review) (Pioneer New Media Technologies' Pioneer Explorer laserdisc system) (Evaluation): An article ... (Technological Horizons In Education)

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Explorer technology links school & home. (Hardware Review) (Pioneer New Media Technologies' Pioneer Explorer laserdisc system) (Evaluation): An article ... (Technological Horizons In Education)

Manufacturer: T.H.E. Journal, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education), published by T.H.E. Journal, LLC on October 1, 1994. The length of the article is 857 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Student performance increases when there an emphasis on learning in the home. Pioneer New Media Technologies' $1,395 Pioneer LaserDisc Explorer package brings interactive videodisc for the first time into the home. This technology has long been used in the classroom. The system is a combination videodisc audio CD player with barcode capability, and a selection of educational videodiscs. The impressive Guidebook contains several activities and exercises that go with the discs. The system is meant to integrate into a home entertainment system. The bar code capability is a key feature, and lets consumers interact with the videodiscs. The LaserBarcode reader can run in either wired or wireless mode. The nine discs cover a broad range of subjects.

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Title: Explorer technology links school & home. (Hardware Review) (Pioneer New Media Technologies' Pioneer Explorer laserdisc system) (Evaluation)
Publication: T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education) (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1994
Publisher: T.H.E. Journal, LLC
Volume: v22 Issue: n3 Page: p71(1)

Article Type: Evaluation, Product/Service Evaluation

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The future of parks and recreation: Robbie Bach, Power Session speaker and pioneer of the digital entertainment industry reveals how technology will change ... An article from: Parks & Recreation

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The future of parks and recreation: Robbie Bach, Power Session speaker and pioneer of the digital entertainment industry reveals how technology will change ... An article from: Parks & Recreation
Gale Reference Team
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Release Date: 2006-10-12

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This digital document is an article from Parks & Recreation, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2006. The length of the article is 774 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: The future of parks and recreation: Robbie Bach, Power Session speaker and pioneer of the digital entertainment industry reveals how technology will change the field.(Interview)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Parks & Recreation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2006
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Volume: 41 Issue: 9 Page: 56(2)

Article Type: Interview

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Glenn R. Jones: cable pioneer envisions worldwide university. (Executive Edge).: An article from: ColoradoBiz

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Glenn R. Jones: cable pioneer envisions worldwide university. (Executive Edge).: An article from: ColoradoBiz
Lynn Bronikowski
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Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FZ0MK
Release Date: 2005-08-09

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This digital document is an article from ColoradoBiz, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 619 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Glenn R. Jones: cable pioneer envisions worldwide university. (Executive Edge).
Author: Lynn Bronikowski
Publication: ColoradoBiz (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Page: 63(1)

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