We've had several presidents whose personalities were a primary sell. Think both Roosevelts, Eisenhower, Kennedy and -- Democrats, hold your breath -- Ronald Reagan. If you listen to or read, Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan by Del Quentin Wilber, you'll begin to get it.
Happy New Year, darlings. All of you reading this piece have something in common: you survived 2010. Not everyone was so lucky, and a lot of people, as always, took the off-ramp from Life.
Brian Haig raises the lid on Washington politics and corruption and lets us see the slimy underside. It isn't a pretty picture but it sure does make for fascinating reading.
The White House tapes reveal Haig as the ultimate sycophant, urging Nixon to smite the enemy in Vietnam, unleash the bombs, stand tough against the Soviets, and, not incidentally, to keep Kissinger in his place.