About the Book
Written by a veteran lobbyist and devout Catholic, this book profiles ten individuals involved with politics who have exhibited extraordinary character throughout their careers. Focusing on in-depth interviews, the book provides a detailed analysis of character in all its manifestations.
The author has created an important and inspiring work for anyone seeking role models in modern politics. The author writes in an appealing style with an authoritative voice. Numerous references to classic political philosophers set the tone for the book and position it as a serious work. The book is clearly organized and highlights the actual words of the political players as they explain the various aspects of a strong character.
About the Author
I am a blessed man, husband to a loving wife of 42 years, and proud father of three UVA lawyers. All my children survived my parenting, married well, albeit to more lawyers, and graced our ever-expanding clan with 12 beautiful and talented grandchildren.
My career has not always been as idyllic as my family life. I have labored in the tough advocacy business, lobbying in Washington and in the states. The first half of my career included work representing tobacco. Through that time, like Diogenes, I wondered if an honest man could be found among the assertive legislators, lawyers and lobbyists who shape and prod what emerges from our Congress and our state legislatures. I even questioned whether, if Diogenes were successful, would I be among the "found"? My soul-searching found me falling back upon my Catholic upbringing and firmly committing, in spite of secular challenges, to "know, love, and serve God in this world." I preached the priorities of "God, family, country" to my children because I believed them myself. In the advocacy business, I would defend the right of all sides of any argument to be heard, but I would neither cross the line to murky conduct, nor personally yield to expediency. My growing conviction about the necessity of seeking the "greater good" and avoiding evil led me to meet others in politics that seemed to share this goal; it enabled me to make many sincere friends in the halls of power. My friendships with them have been, and continue to be, based on a shared pursuit of "God, family, country," coupled with the simple enjoyment of a good pal ... nothing more, nothing less.
As I transition from lobbying for commercial clients to advocating character building, I feel an urgency to pass on the "God, family, country" priorities to my grandchildren and to the rising generation of Americans. Keeping these three in focus allowed me to grow in virtue and keep a healthy balance in an arena fraught with temptations. I hope to share my approach with others who plan a career in politics. I intend to raise awareness among all who will listen about the importance of cultivating in their daily lives, something as old as Greece and Rome, the Aristotelian habit of good conduct called virtue. By again passing on the need for virtue, the capstone of our Judeo-Greco-Roman-Christian heritage, I hope to inspire the next generation of public servants to seek both the "greater good" and personal virtue.
Politics with Principle is my contribution toward raising virtue literacy in our country. It is proof-of-principle that virtue and politics need not, and must not, be severed from one another. I intend to assemble from this first step a comprehensive Character Building Project (http://www.characters-with-character.com/). Please visit the Web site and join my virtue literacy campaign.
Ten Interesting Characters: Their Lives
Great stories in both cinema and literature share the common trait of dynamic and vivid personalities thrown into difficult situations. Our ten characters have been thrown into the often-shallow and sometimes shark-infested waters of the American politics. They demonstrate that exceptional men and women in public life are that way, in large part, because of the principles and moral values they bring—and do not betray—in their public service careers. As their personal and political roles have evolved and emerged, each enriching the other, the ten have had a positive impact on the nation’s landscape. They have successfully navigated the seas of power between the shoals of what is right and proper and what is wrong and expedient. How they act when they get into these situations reveals their true character.
The cast of characters includes five Republicans and five Democrats. They have practiced politics as United States and State Senators; Ambassadors; an Admiral; lawyers; lobbyists, university president; National Party Chairman; Superintendent of a Service Academy; and the head of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. They hail from all parts of the country, from Massachusetts to California, from North Carolina to New Mexico to states of Maryland and Pennsylvania near by our nation’s capital.
The lives of these characters spans 40 years of American political history. Each has been a leader at some time during this period. All value working with others of differing ideologies. They strive not only to make government work more effectively, but also to build a better country. Good character has shaped everything about their lives. As you read about each character, note the associations they formed, the peers they chose, the mentors they sought and organizations they affiliated themselves, all of which helped to define their character. Observe the role of family in the development of their character. Study the wise choices they have made in their careers.
The characters in my book are: Honorable Anne K. Bingaman, Charles R. Black, Esq., Honorable Thomas J. Bliley, Honorable William M. Bulger, Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin, Ambassador Richard Carlson (Ret.), Paul F. Eckstein, Esq., Admiral Thomas C. Lynch (Ret.), Ambassador Charles T. Manatt (Ret.), Honorable Richard J. Santorum.
In examining these lives, readers can get answers to these questions:
- What motivated these characters?
- What drove them to their successes?
- What role did good character play?