The Gimlet Eye

Take Off the Kid Gloves

ONE REASON Washingtonians were so thrilled by the suicide of Vincent Foster, President Clinton’s boyhood friend and deputy White House counsel, was that it confirmed their belief that Washington is a remorseless town, fatal to the faint of heart. The hometown paper pushed the theme relentlessly: a soft, sweet country lawyer tumbles into our cauldron of intrigue and succumbs in record time. You could almost hear the sighs of satisfaction.

About the Author

Andrew Ferguson

Andrew Ferguson, a former columnist for NR, is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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Take Off the Kid Gloves

ONE REASON Washingtonians were so thrilled by the suicide of Vincent Foster, President Clinton’s boyhood friend and deputy White House counsel, was that it confirmed their belief that Washington is a remorseless town, fatal to the faint of heart. The hometown paper pushed the theme relentlessly: a soft, sweet country lawyer tumbles into our cauldron of intrigue and succumbs in record time. You could almost hear the sighs of satisfaction.