I have been questioned by both readers and reviewers about my decision to to begin Odyssey of a Derelict Gunslinger with a recap of the bogus scandal titled “Whitewater.” A simple answer is that Chapter One of my book accurately portrays what is happening today in America—diversionary politics filled with toxic rhetoric, rumors, suspicion and disinformation.

 The mainstream news media continues to display the same shortcomings that gave momentum to the Whitewater debacle, an inquiry that spanned seven years, cost taxpayers $70-million, caused congressional gridlock and accomplished nothing more than leaving the public wondering whether blow job is one word, two words or hypenated.

Worse, the premise of the Whitewater investigation was based on an err0r-filled story in the New York Times about Bill Clinton’s investment in a minor Arkansas real estate development. The story was mostly ignored until the suicide of White House lawyer Vincent Foster, a longtime pal of the Clintons. Thus began speculation that his death was tied to the real estate deal. As I write in the book, CNN dispatched me to Arkansas to uncover the real story and then expressed unhappiness about the results of my investigation.     

My assignment to join the ever-expanding horde of journalists traipsing around Little Rock in pursuit of Pulitzer Prizes and Peabody awards seemed a waste of time. Investigative reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and other major news organizations had been digging away ever since Vince Foster left without saying goodbye. I would be gathering left-over crumbs. After all, Times and Post investigative journalists are supposed to be the best in the business.

Therefore, I was astonished to learn that a trove of official documents disputed Whitewater allegations reported in the nation’s leading newspapers. Equally remarkable, many reporters―network television correspondents in particular―were nothing more than recyclers of articles in the Times and Post. Desperate for the tiniest bit of new information to supplement their plagiarism, reporters were resorted to rumor-mongering.

It seemed to me that both television and print journalists displayed an appalling ignorance of the basics of real estate partnerships, law firm distributions of profits and functions of state government. Reporters often characterized Whitewater as too complicated for “Joe six pack”―”Joe the plumber” in 2008 parlance. Amazingly, most correspondents assigned to the story didn’t take time to understand the transactions. That required leaving Little Rock’s Capital Hotel bar―a gathering place where muckraker wannabes corroborated each other by repeating the latest rumors. Sure, I’m being judgmental. But facts support the judgment.

Anyone interested in knowing those facts need only to buy my book. Suffice to say I reached different conclusions that my reporter brethren. And I was eventually proven correct. Not that anyone cared. In fact, a high CNN honcho was so thoroughly pissed that I didn’t nail the President, he nearly blocked my Emmy-nominated story from airing. When it finally got its 30 minutes of exposure, the story had zero impact—except for me being labeled a Clinton apologist. 

When the Independent Counsel’s investigation of the real estate transactions and related issues ultimately failed to bear fruit as I predicted in my exposé, partisan prosecutors decided to engage in a few years of voyeurism. Major news organizations failed to question the relevance and expense of the investigation. Instead, they became cheerleaders for the voyeurs. For me, it was an early revelation about the direction of journalism. Don’t let facts get in the way of a good story. Reporter skepticism was replaced by cynicism. 

The stink of Whitewater abuses lingers. Nowadays, politicians are guilty. Even when proven innocent. In many ways, the election of Barack Obama is a replay of  Whitewater. Journalists sit on their duffs while rumors and wild allegations gain credibility. The huge difference between then and now is the use of the Internet as a rumor mill. Viral e-mail floods computers across the world, giving morons like the birthers credibility. Many recipients are simply too lazy to question allegations—an effort that only requires reading newspapers and magazines. Commentators like Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck exploit the same laziness of people who are willing to accept their propaganda as gospel.

Remarkably, many voices heard during Whitewater era are again having an influence on politics. Most notorious are the propagandists at Citizens United—the organization responsible for the notorious Willie Horton fear campaign more than two decades ago. It helped undermine the Presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis by suggesting he would set black rapists free from prison to prey on white women. Given such dispicable tactics, it is ironic that Citizens United was at the vortex of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign funding that paves the way for big corporations to buy and own candidates elected to public office.

So far, Obama has been able to avoid the kind of investigations that haunted the Clinton years. But that is not because of a lack of effort by political opponents. Until the congressional elections in November, I doubt there will be little, if any, let up in the diversions and lock-step partisanship that has bogged down his agenda. I wouldn’t bet on changed attitudes, but he and the American people might get a break after November.

Meantime, I hope the President keeps the door to the Oval Office open when interns enter.

My memoir, Odyssey of a Derelict Gunslinger, is available at amazon.com and independent bookstores. It offers much more than $19.99 worth of laughs. It is an account of my illustrious (I choose the adjectives) career.