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The Life of Senator Al Simpson
University of Oklahoma Press
August 2012
On Sale: August 18, 2012
472 pages ISBN: 0806143207 EAN: 9780806143200 Kindle: B005WLQ844 Paperback / e-Book (reprint)
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Non-Fiction Biography
Shortly before Wyoming’s Alan K. Simpson was elected
majority whip of the United States Senate, he decided to
keep a journal. “I am going to make notes when I get home
in the evening, as to what happened during each day.” Now
the senator’s longtime chief of staff, Donald Loren Hardy,
has drawn extensively on Simpson’s personal papers and
nineteen-volume diary to write this unvarnished account of a
storied life and political career. Simpson gave full
authorial control to Hardy, telling him, “Don, just tell
the truth, the whole truth, as you always have. Leave teeth,
hair, and eyeballs on the floor, if that results from
telling the truth.” Taking Simpson at his word, Hardy shows
readers a thrill-seeking teenager in Cody and a tireless
politician who has thoroughly enjoyed his work. Full of
entertaining tales and moments of historical significance,
Shooting from the Lip offers a privileged and
revealing backstage view of late-twentieth century American
politics. Hardy’s richly anecdotal account reveals the
roles Simpson played during such critical events as the
Iran-Contra scandal and Clarence Thomas’s confirmation
hearings. It divulges the senator’s candid views of seven
American presidents and scores of other national and world
luminaries. Simpson is a politician unfettered by
partisanship. Among President George H. W. Bush’s closest
compatriots, he was also a close friend and admirer of
Senator Ted Kennedy and was never afraid to publicly
challenge the positions or tactics of fellow lawmakers,
Democratic and Republican alike. Simpson’s ability to
use truth and humor as both “sword and shield,” combined
with his years of experience and issue mastery, has led to
an impressive post-Senate career. In 2010, for example, he
co-chaired President Barack Obama’s Commission on Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform. Shooting from the Lip
portrays a statesman punching sacred cows, challenging the
media, and grappling with some of the nation’s most
difficult challenges.
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