Welcome to the site of The Wicked Wine of Democracy
A Memoir of a Political Junkie 1948-1995.
| Thanks for visiting the website of The Wicked Wine of Democracy. If you have not read the memoir, please enjoy the reviews, quotes, and context provided from this website. If you have read it, feel free to share your feedback on our comment's page. This memoir is a must read for those who like politics and good storytelling. We hope you enjoy. |
About the Memoir
| The Wicked Wine of Democracy is an honest account from "one of the boys" whose career spans over forty years of political involvement. Mr. Miller's memoir was published in 2008 by the University of Washington Press in an effort to add to history through an honest account. Mr. Miller's unique access, a result of many friendships, allowed him to witness firsthand significant exchanges that took place at the highest levels of democracy, back when it was fun. The stories provide unique and untold context to many chapters of American democracy that have made history and that continue to have a significant impact on today.
Mr. Miller's account allows outsiders an insider's look into some of the most significant players who shaped the United States leading up to, during, and after the American Camelot. The stories and quotes allow the reader to experience the irreverent brilliance behind the billboard image of a candidate that would likely be problematic in the age of the 24-hour news cycle and viral videos. While the quotes selected for this preview are often insightful and interesting, they are in many ways irrelevant without the context provided by The Wicked Wine of Democracy. As such, they should be viewed with caution and as a primer to the real story. |
Contents of the Memoir
Foreword / Shelby Scates Preface Acknowledgments Chapters: 1. A Political Junkie; 2. Something Special - Dick Neuberger; 3. Maggie and the Tiger; 4. Frosty; 5. Prox; 6. Winning Big; 7. Revenge in Kentucky; 8. Hawaiian Odysseys; 9. A State That Time Forgot; 10. Outside on the Inside; 11. The Campaign and Aftermath; 12. A Lobbyist Is a Lobbyist Is a Lobbyist; 13. No Vestal Virgin in the Whorehouse; 14. The Spotted Owl and Other Varmints; 15. Mike's "Fish Bowl"; 16. Pirates of Pork; 17. Strike! Strike! Strike! 18. Battle of the "Black Hats"; 19. The Wicked Wine of the Democratic Process; and 20. Reflections. A Word about Sources Index |
Quotes from the Memoir
You won't likely find these outside of The Wicked Wine of Democracy.
1950's
Sen. Warren G. Magnuson after being accused of liking Cadillacs, high-ball glasses and the rustle of lovely ladies by the opposition:
Hell, who doesn't like these things? We're going to use this ourselves. Let's pass them out at our meetings. I'll say, 'Those of you who don't approve can leave, and I'll talk to the rest of you.' -pg. 42
1959
Sen. John F. Kennedy to Byron White after attending the Colorado Democratic Convention in Durango:
Byron, if I get one-half delegate out of this, I'll kiss your ass in the lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel at high noon. -pg. 139
1950's
Victor A. Johnston, Chief of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, speaking to his Democratic counterpart, Joseph S. Miller:
I never use hearsay or innuendo. If it's not on the record, I won't touch it. And I won't use anything personal. What they drink and who they screw is their business. -pg. 113
1959
Bobby Kennedy, Campaign Manager to Presidential Candidate John F. Kennedy, on Joseph S. Miller:
That son-of-a-bitch called me a horse's ass. Nobody does that to me and gets away with it. -pg. 134
1960
Gov. Gaylord Nelson to Joseph S. Miller on 1960 DNC keynote speaker Sen. Frank Church's performance:
So that's your great orator out of the West? Hell, I've made better speeches in Wisconsin barrooms when I can barely stand up. -pg. 145
2008
Joseph S. Miller on money in politics today:
Forgive me, as a disenchanted lobbyist, for dwelling long on money's role as I have seen it. It is the paramount problem in government today, costing the nation the services of many outstanding people who refuse to submit to the cynical cheapness of fundraising. -pg. 248