Free Republic

The investigations surrounding Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s “Healthy Holly” books aren’t the first time a politician has run afoul of public opinion (and possibly the legal system) because of a book. 1. 1983: Emanuel Savas’ “Privatizing the Public Sector” (Reagan admin) 2. 1988: Jim Wright’s “Reflections of a Public Man” (Texas dem) 3. 1997: Newt Gingrich’s book deal (Georgia) 4. 2004: Patty Rowland’s “Marvelous Max: The Mansion Mouse” (Connecticut dem) 5. 2015: David Petraeus’ biography (military)

From 1987 to 1989 a fellow named Jim Wright was Speaker of the House of Representatives. Wright had produced a book, ‘Reflections of a Public Man’ and it had sold quite a few copies even though it was nothing more than a compilation of political speeches he had performed over the years. Unfortunately for Speaker Wright, even though he had sold quite a few copies, he sold those quite a few copies to a very small group of people who all had business before congress that he was in a position to influence. In other words it was a scam,...

Tragically, all we’ve fought for in Iraq, all that 4,500 American lives were shed to gain, is on the cusp, potentially, of vanishing. - Mitt Romney, “Ideas Summit,” 6/13/2014 All we fought for in Iraq. All we fought for in Iraq is on the cusp of vanishing. That’s what Mitt Romney says. We fought for. We fought for. We. Oh, so it’s we now, is it, Mitt? We. I must have missed you over there, but it was a busy place. We. The guy who helped set up “pro-draft” rallies and yet somehow managed to avoid service in Vietnam is...

[Poetry and flowery garbage edited out]...My point in reminding us of these lingering wounds of war that refuse to be healed is to ask that we take reasoned care to protect ourselves from the ultimate affliction of war -- that we should let it make us so insensitive to verbal venom that Americans begin, self-destructively, to hate and mistrust one another. That happened to us, tragically, in the bitterly prolonged Vietnam conflict. Americans mistrusted, protested, hated and insulted other Americans for simply disagreeing with them. [Coop note: Who did that, Jimmy?] Today, our self-appointed jihadist enemies could do the United...

Southwest willing to deal, CEO says By TREBOR BANSTETTER and DAVID WETHE STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITERS DALLAS — Southwest Airlines’ top executive insisted Wednesday that his airline is willing to compromise on efforts to lift the Wright Amendment and accused rival American Airlines of trying to hinder negotiations. Gary Kelly, chief executive of Dallas-based Southwest, said he has offered three proposals to the mayors of Fort Worth and Dallas on the Wright issue. He also said Southwest has offered to give up some of its gates at Dallas Love Field in exchange for lifting the Wright restrictions, which allow flights from...

SACRAMENTO — “So you’re a reporter,” the salesman said as we sat in the little room. He was just trying to break the silence as we waited for his boss to come back and tell me that my offer for their overpriced car was too low. “What’s it like down there at the Capitol,” he asked. “Is it just all corruption?” That was several weeks ago. But I thought about the salesman when I read about Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham pleading guilty to taking at least $2.4 million in bribes. Probably no one is more representative of middle America than...