Books show 'dark side' of Hillary Clinton

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) -- Two new books about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., give a sometimes unflattering portrait of the presidential candidate and former first lady.

Previous unfavorable books have been published by conservative ideologues, but "A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton" is by Carl Bernstein, who broke the Watergate story with Bob Woodward, and "Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton," is by Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr. of The New York Times, The Washington Post reports.

The books examine everything from the way Clinton dealt with her husband's infidelities to the failure of her healthcare reform initiative.

"I find her to be among the most self-righteous people I've ever known in my life," Bob Boorstin, who worked with Clinton on healthcare, told Bernstein. "And it's her great flaw, it's what killed healthcare."

Clinton reportedly collaborated in efforts to cover up her husband's affairs, the books report, and rejected a divorce because she did not think she could give her daughter the life she deserved as a single mother.

Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Clinton's presidential campaign, told MSNBC the books contain nothing new.

"So far the news here is that there isn't much news," said Wolfson. "The American people have made up their minds about this stuff."