The Truth of the Matter: My Life in and Out of Politics by Bert LanceMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don't know anything about the truth of Lance's supposed pre-government financial malfeasance, but Lance's story here is it was a smear campaign to keep from using his position running the OMB to becoming the Fed Chairman. Maybe. After all, all counts against him and any supposed conspirators were either dropper or resulted in "not guilty".
I found this book interesting as a political memoir, specifically about the post-Nixon arc of the Democratic Party. Lance was there with pal Jimmy Carter from Georgia government to the presidency. It is very interesting the little things gleaned from his proximity: Carter's stingy meal offerings for working lunches and the distance between the two that inevitably developed when the team moved to the national level.
As interesting, and probably more importantly, is Lance's review of the post-Nixon arc of the Democratic Party from his privileged insider view. The proven malfeasance of the Nixon presidency proved entree for outside Jimmy, rejuvenated the "Solid South" as a foursquare DNC foundation. But, once there, Jimmy's overtly outsider status and irking decisiveness for uncomfortable and even radical changes brought the machine and ultimately popular opinion, dooming his first term to be a gateway to the Reagan Era. Lance discusses the weaknesses and faults of the Mondale and Dukakis runs with special attention to the rise of Jesse Jackson.
Even back when Lance had his woes, he decried the national media and an all-too intense glare of investigatory "talk show trial" of character that is so easily fuel for career-limiting character assassination.
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