In the President's Secret Service

[Uncle Ivan]

This is a must read for anyone who wants to find out how these people really are behind the scenes.

JFK was reckless and a womanizer;

Nixon was a weird cat and his wife was an alkie;

Carter was a neurotic micromanager, and he and his wife were pretty low class;

Reagan was warm but had a smart-aleck side, with a control freak for a wife;

Bush 41 was nice but hyperactive, wife was also nice but would cut people off for an offense against the family;

The Clintons and Gores are more in detail:

Clinton was chronically late, but gregarious and drove the Service crazy for veering off schedule - especially around crowds.  Hillary was everything she's reported to be: a hateful, devil woman.  Gore was arrogant towards staff but had his odd quirks.

Bush 42 was two different people, with a nice wife and two wild party girl daughters;

Plus it mentions the Obamas and Bidens, as well as how McCain really is when a camera isn't on him.

As well it brings up the odd characters associated with presidents: David Eisenhower (complete airhead), Tom Ridge (extreme cheapskate), John Snow (affair), and so on.

None of this, however, begins to compare to the drunk, womanizing walking sheer insanity that was LBJ.  The stories in the book about him almost defy belief.

It's a fascinating read.  The other half of the book illustrates the lapses in security through the years, and talks about how political decisions (often with screenings) put the protectees in danger. 

Must read, I think.

[Uncle Ivan]

Link to review:

http://www.northstarnational.com/2009/10/14/secret-service-agent-opens-window-private-lives-presidents/

[Uncle Ivan]

Few lines from the book I ran across:

Lyndon Johnson

"Johnson would come on the plane and the minute he got out of sight of the crowds, he would stand in the doorway and grin from ear to ear and say, 'You dumb sons of bitches. I piss on all of you,' " recalls Robert M. MacMillan, an Air Force One steward.

Jimmy Carter

At a press conference, Carter denied reports that White House aides had to ask him for permission to use the tennis courts. In fact, even when he was traveling on Air Force One, Carter insisted that aides ask him for permission.

Charles Palmer, chief of the Air Force One stewards, said Carter seemed to relish the power. At times, Carter would delay his response, smugly saying, "I'll let them know," Palmer says. "Other times he would look at me and smile and say, 'Tell them yes.' I felt that he felt it was a big deal."

Ronald Reagan

When the news broke that Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart was having an affair with Donna Rice, ... an aide blocked the closing elevator doors to tell Reagan about Hart.

"Boys will be boys," Reagan said, according to former agent Ted Hresko.

When the door of the elevator shut, Reagan said to Hresko, "But boys will not be president."

[The Reality is back...]

LBJ was known to his spanish love slaves as...El BJ.- SNL

[SandLizard04]

How much does this book cost?

[Uncle Ivan]

It's still hardcover as far as I know, so it's probably in the mid $20 range.

It's been at the local library for a couple months now and I finally checked it out the other day.

Other note I missed:

Gerald Ford was a respectful, decent man, but was an incredible cheapskate.

It's chock full of dirt, to be honest.