Title

Profiles in character : hubris and heroism in the U.S. Senate, 1789-1990

Description

Taking the position that some of the lesser-known or unknown U.S. senators deserve renown more than some of the better-known ones, each chronological chapter contrasts the lives of two senators. Included are: Rufus King, James Monroe, Thomas Hart Benton, John C. Calhoun, William Pitt Fessenden, Charles Sumner, George Frisbie Hoar, John Sherman, Henry Cabot Lodge, Thomas J. Walsh, William E. Borah, George W. Norris, Robert A. Taft, Arthur H. Vandenberg, Hubert H. Humphrey, and Strom Thurmond.

Identifier

590289

1563249375

Creator

Hernon, Joseph M

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

1997

Program air date: February 15, 1998

Publisher

M.E. Sharpe

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes on front endpapers: Lecky's quote on character p 164. Searching 1800 Senate careers, 50,000 pages of reading, independent voting patterns. American Statesmen Series. Henry Cabot Lodge, Alexander Hamilton, Daniel Webster, Theodore R., Thomas H. Benton. Dec 17-11 a.m. Thurmond- 1964 speech-foundation document for Republicans (p 163). Cult of secrecy on national security-presidential abuse (p 181). Whole country is mad about something Vandenberg p 177. Senate-hardly a forum for virtue. Men of colossal fortune but questionable character becomes objects of admiration- p 164. Norris and Borah on money in politics p 148. Borah-affairs p 141. Teapot Dome-Lipmann p 135. John Sherman p 115--a pathetic figure at the end of his career. In 1882-17 Senators worth more than 600 million (p 107). Thomas Hart Benton-body scrubbed horse hair brush p 57. 1900s dual character. Senate becomes an oligarchy. Architect of Nixon's electoral strategy was Sen. Strom T. p 163. On the Contents pages, Lamb checks some of the book section and adds the state by some senator's names. At the end of the contents, Lamb writes: "end of Imperial presidency"; national age of hubris; individual character. Notes on back endpapers: Evergreen Cemetery, Portland. Samuel Fessenden--his father. Ted Sorensen Fellow of JFK Library Foundation, 91-92. Notes/Underlinings: "p 202 Joseph Martin Hernon, Ted Sorensen fellow JFK Library 'arrogant abuse of history' an Irish Historian, U. Mass Amherst, native Washingtonian, as a student worked: House, Senate, Library of C. Democratic National Committee. 9 biological chapters, 16 individual. Notes and underlinings Lamb marks accomplishments, biographical details, pre/post Senate careers/aspirations.

Subject

"United States. Congress. Senate--History."

"Legislators--United States--History."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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