'The Presidents' Gatekeepers' review: Fascinating stories, sub-par journalism

Best are the anecdotes, and in that regard, the Republicans win, with gems from Ken Duberstein (Reagan), Joshua Bolten (George W. Bush) and especially James Baker (George H.W. Bush, Reagan), who emerges as the star here -- or at least wise elder, while the program does tag him as the most effective former chief of staff.

But while watching, you may also have a nagging suspicion that some facts have been gilded or withheld -- these men are masters at information manipulation, after all. That could have been remedied by the occasional third-party appraisal, in the form of an independent scholar or journalist, if only to give balance, context or counter-spin. Instead, all these presidents' men largely insist, unchallenged, that there is very little their former bosses did that was not in the best interests of the nation or world. Viewers, and history, might have other ideas. Best to wait (and you never have to wait long) for the story that reveals character with crystal-clear and sometimes chilling clarity.

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