A Look At Bob Woodward's "The Choice"

By Bruce Morton/CNN

WASHINGTON (June 24) -- In November, voters will make the choice -- the choice between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. That's also the name of Watergate reporter Bob Woodward's new book.

Woodward writes about a president cursing "the Washington crowd" and worried about "traitors on my staff." He is a president who turned to "Charlie," a codeword for advice from sometime Republican consultant Dick Morris.

To a worried Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, Clinton said, "You have to filter out half of what Dick says. He can get wacky." But, says Clinton, "I want him in."

Woodward writes of Clinton calling party chairman Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) at 12:30 a.m. Dodd recognized the distinctive sound of playing cards being shuffled and slowly turned. Jesus, Dodd thought, at least he ought to be able to get Clinton's full attention at that hour.

He writes of a worried Dole, following New Hampshire primary returns with press secretary Nelson Warfield. "Looks like we could be third," Warfield said.

"If we're third, we're finished," Dole said. Elizabeth Dole said gently, "Bob, after all you've done...if the voters want to turn their backs on you, it doesn't matter...You're head and shoulders above them all." Dole, Woodward writes, didn't even turn around.

Woodward reports telling Dole that Clinton disliked him for calling for an independent counsel on Whitewater, on the day Clinton's mother died.

Dole: "I told him it was tough to lose your mother. I told him I still find myself trying to call my mother."

"He broke down," Woodward writes. "Tears came to his eyes." And later, when Dole found he had called for the special counsel that day, he wrote Clinton a letter of regret. Clinton told Woodward he would have "some confidence" in Dole as president. The other GOP hopefuls? "Nitwits," according to Clinton.

Then, there's the headlines about Hillary and Eleanor. Mrs. Clinton on Monday mentioned Mrs. Roosevelt at a Nashville meeting. She joked the former first lady approved of the work the meeting participants were doing.

"Shortly before I arrived, I had one of my conversations with Mrs. Roosevelt and she thinks this is a terrific idea, because you know, we've been worrying about families and children for a very long time in America," Mrs. Clinton said, to laughter from the audience.

Woodward describes imaginary conversations, Mrs. Clinton trying to imagine what Mrs. Roosevelt might have thought or done about something, brainstorming, not seances. Jean Houston is the woman who suggested this.

"This is the least psychic person around, and so am I," Houston said. "I don't have a psychic bone in my body."

The first lady also issued a statement, saying, "It was a brainstorming session for my book, not a spiritual event. In fact, in previous speeches, I had used the device of an imaginary conversation with Mrs. Roosevelt as a way of discussing what Mrs. Roosevewlt would think about the problems of contemporary society. Imagine my surprise when what I had been doing in front of large audiences was now being reported as a sensational revelation....I have no spiritual advisers or any other alternative to my deeply held Methodist faith...."

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

A Look At Bob Woodward's "The Choice"

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