Why We Love The Dogs We Do

October 25, 2007 at 7:53 pm · Comments

 
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I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s Literary Pardon

June 25, 2007 at 10:28 pm · Comments

Does it pay to take a bullet for the Executive Branch?

Whether I. Lewis Libby sits in jail at all, no longer matters. His recent fame is enough to revive a flatlined literary career.  St. Martins Press reissued his one book, "The Apprentice: A Novel", published in 1996 during his 2005 indictment. Demand from booksellers led to a 25,000 copy reprint in paperback. At one point, used first editions of Libby’s book fetched as much as  $2,400 on Amazon.com despite the consensus that this was an uninspired freshman attempt at a thriller.  The novel is set in Japan with overtones of bestiality, pedophilia and rape to move the story forward.

When perjury becomes patriotism, and this brand of patriotism has a Presidential pardon attached, to be followed by cable news and talk show appearances upon his release, I can only imagine that a million dollar book deal and a tie-in cable program are in the offing. Add to that a writing partner and a literary pardon.

The dust jacket has already been written:

"…he has served the nation tirelessly and with great distinction… I have always considered him to be a man of the highest intellect, judgment and personal integrity…

-Vice President Dick Cheney

"I know Mr. Libby to be a patriot, a dedicated public servant, a strong family man, and a tireless, honorable, selfless human being. Our country is fortunate to have had his service."

-Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense

I was deeply impressed by his dedication, seriousness, patriotism and essential decency.

-Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State

…he has helped us successfully navigate through the end of the Cold War, and…  played a decisive role, after the terrorist attacks of 9-11, in the development of effective defenses for the country against a biological attack…

For more than four years, he drove himself day-after-day, often for twelve to fourteen hours per day, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, for no reason other than the enormous sense of responsibility he felt at having been placed in a position where he could make a major difference…

Mr. Libby has played an influential role… as an advisor to the Vice-President, in developing policy and strategy on a wide range of other issues, including responses to various terrorist threats, the North Korean nuclear issue, the problem of Yasir Arafat and the Middle East peace process, and the policy and strategy for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

-Paul Wolfowitz, former Deputy Secretary of Defense and former World Bank President

Scooter presented a personal interest in protecting the freedoms and rights of all Americans, men and women, of all races, religions and creeds… with a love of the Constitution… Scooter’s humane outlook on policy matters is consistent with the kind disposition he has towards people on the personal level.

-Douglas Feith, former Under-Secretary of Defense

We can look to Oliver North, on this the 20th anniversary of the Iran-Contra hearings.  North’s "patriotism" has sold half-a-million copies of his books to date.  North recently signed an eight-book deal with Christian house B&H Publishing Group. 

In the May issue of Publisher’s Weekly, Rachel Deahl writes:

The contract calls for North to do four fiction titles plus four nonfiction titles based on his Fox News Channel show, War Stories. North will co-write the novels with Austin Boyd, a former navy pilot and published author.

B&H previously published North’s fiction—his military-inspired titles include Mission Compromised, Jericho Sanction and The Assassins—and, according to the publisher, his books have sold nearly 500,000 copies.

Moving forward, the house plans to aggressively market the former lieutenant colonel, releasing a new fiction and nonfiction title from him annually over the next four years, starting in 2008. B&H publisher David R. Shepherd said that the house will "double team the North publishing plan," with groups from both the fiction and nonfiction sides working with him. North’s first book, from the planned War Stories tie-in series, is scheduled for April 2008.

 I heard an excellent essay on PBS’ Bill Moyers Journal this week. Moyers quotes,

So it may well be, as THE HARTFORD COURANT said editorially, that Mr Libby is “a nice guy, a loyal and devoted patriot…but none of that excuses perjury or obstruction of justice. If it did, truth wouldn’t matter much.”

Does truth matter at all when it can be spun into a fictionalized or dramatized autobiography ala O. J. Simpson, Jessica Lynch, James Frey and Oliver North. 

As for his writing career, despite Mr. Libby’s rising star meter among cable news and his apologists in the White House and GOP, no amount of PR can excuse an ill-conceived plot and cheap literary tricks. A presidential pardon for Libby erodes faith in American government. One more literary pardon, contributes to the decline of civilization.

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Posted by Christine Palma | Permalink |  Print This Post |
Filed under: Middle East, Politics, Publishing, Writing about Books, Writing about People