“I’M INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROJECT, OR AT LEAST WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF IT. I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE ON IT.

6/18/10

Yesterday, most of the media and “leaders” of our two major political parties wrung their hands and otherwise expressed outrage and vituperation at Representative Joe Barton’s (R., TX) characterization of the demands that British Petroleum come up with $20 billion escrow fund, to be ladled out by the same types who do such a good job with your tax money, as a “shakedown.” But these same CYA practicing estimables seem to have completely ignored comments made the day before by Representative Tom Price (R., GA), who characterized the Obama’s demand for money not only as a shakedown but, more colorfully and correctly, as a “Chicago-style political shakedown.”

It is indeed unfortunate that so much attention has been focused on Mr. Barton’s comments while Mr. Price’s comments have been more or less ignored. Why? Because Mr. Price’s comments present yours truly with a golden opportunity to promote my books.

Those of you who really want to understand the nature of “Chicago-style shakedown politics” but don’t want to wade through some turbid tome by some outsider who hasn’t the faintest idea of how things work in this town would do well to read the following two books:

The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics, available at Amazon.com, theirishbookclub.com, independent bookstores throughout the Chicago area (most notably Anderson’s in Naperville, Bookie’s in Beverly, 57th Street Books in Hyde Park, Columbia College Book Store on Michigan Avenue, Book Stall in Winnetka, Townhouse Books in St. Charles), and by order anywhere books are sold.

The Chairman’s Challenge, A Continuing Novel of Big City Politics, which will be available later this summer, perhaps even more widely than The Chairman. Readers of the Insightful Pontificator will be among the first to know when this (perhaps even better than the original) book will be available.

Thanks.