Karl Rove, [George W. Bush]'s strategist, is a "villain. And ... a clumsy one at that." Ed Gillespie, another close aide, was "a speechwriter's worst kind of boss: a lacklustre writer who thought he was a good one." The White House was "infatuated with decisiveness, dismissive of deliberation." It was full of idiots who thought it might be a good idea to liken Bush to Thomas Jefferson. [Matt Latimer] settles scores with people no one has heard of, such as the allegedly slothful press office at the Pentagon.

No one cares about Latimer's grudges, but many are intrigued by the rude things he says he heard the president say. Bush apparently said that Barack Obama was unqualified and "has no clue." Of Joe Biden, he said: "If bull - was currency, (he) would be a billionaire." Staff at the White House hated John McCain, writes Latimer, but were euphoric when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. Not Bush, however. "This woman is being put into a position she is not even remotely prepared for," he said. "She hasn't spent one day on the national level. Neither has her family. Let's wait and see how she looks five days out."

Latimer's account is furiously disputed. Dana Perino, Bush's former press secretary, says his quotes "don't ring true." William McGurn, his chief speechwriter, speculates that Latimer is angry because he lost his office in the West Wing to someone more important.