Phyllis Finton Johnston

PHYLLIS FINTON ANDERSON

Although I wrote this book about then-Governor Bill Clinton in 1983 under my former name of Phyllis Finton Johnston, my name is now Phyllis Finton Anderson. Being a strict history of Clinton's accomplishments, his defeat after his first two-year term as Governor, and his subsequent re-election, the book contains chapters on the most important policy decisions he made in those first two years in which a very young Clinton tried to do a little too much with very good intentions. "Policy over politics" could be a subtitle for this book if the title was shorter! He later became much more savvy about merging policy and politics, as his history bears out.

I also wrote a chapter in the University of Arkansas Press book "The Clinton's of Arkansas." This book is full of anecdotal stories about the Clintons from those who knew them best.

I went on to serve in the White House as Communications Director for the Clinton/Gore Reinventing Government Initiative and was an enthusiastic strategic planning maven when it came to communications strategy. It was a thrill and a pleasure to work for Clinton for 18 years - my personal goals were surpassed during those years!