Senator for Sale: An Unauthorized Biography of Senator Bob Dole [Hardcover]

Stanley G. Hilton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0788190490 | ISBN-13: 978-0788190490 | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

In this remarkable biography, published when Dole was running for president, Hilton paints a disturbing portrait of former Sen. Bob Dole. Using his personal experiences as an aide to the Senator, he offers a number of surprising revelations, such as: Dole's brokering for power & catering to a host of special-interest groups, such as the tobacco industry; his numerous violations of election laws; his career-long habit of flip-flopping on virtually every major national issue; & his role as the architect of the two largest tax hikes in U.S. history. Exposes Dole's colossal political money machine, & compares Dole to his hero Richard Nixon, & traces his career.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hilton, former Senate counsel and aide to Dole in 1979-80, has written a book so vitriolic that it will shock even Dole's foes. Dole suffered an arm wound during WWII, and because of the poor army medical treatment he also lost a kidney during his rehabilitation. He recovered, finished college and earned a law degree while a member of the Kansas legislature. Elected to Congress in 1960 and to the Senate in 1968, he became chairman of the Republican National Committee during Watergate and was known as Nixon's "hatchet man." As the Republican vice presidential candidate in 1976, he helped seal President Ford's defeat by waging a disastrous campaign ("I went for the jugular-my own," admitted Dole). After losing inept campaigns for the presidential nomination in both 1980 and 1988, Dole settled into the job of senate Republican leader. The author alleges shakedowns of lobbyists and numerous shady financial dealings; scrutinizes what he claims are Dole's overly friendly relationships with corporations; accuses the senator of "cozying up to Saddam Hussein" before the Gulf War and slashing U.S. aid to Israel when organized American Jewry failed to contribute to his presidential run in 1988. If Dole's reputation for meanness is warranted, Hilton seems to have gotten a little too close to his subject. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Hilton, a former aide to Senator Dole, leaves no stone unturned in this timely, thorough biography of the man who would be president. His narrative of the senator's life makes for interesting reading; the hardships of Dole's Depression-era childhood, the anguish of a World War II stint, during which he received an injury that left him with a withered right arm and little use of his left, his aggressive, explosive political history, and two unsuccessful bids for the presidency are topics covered here that will have appeal to general readers as well as political buffs. Hilton not only captures Dole's biographical background, but he also discusses Dole's penchant for accepting financial gifts and his indecisiveness and inability to take a firm stand on any issue, generally riding the tide of popular opinion on such issues as affirmative action, welfare, and taxes. While these charges aren't particularly surprising (public sentiment holds that most politicians are equally guilty), Hilton's portrayal of Dole's ruthlessness, lust for power, and intolerance of opposition is darkly foreboding. Hilton also draws parallels between Dole and Richard Nixon (Dole's political idol) and provides a thought-provoking look at what a Dole presidency would be like. Kathleen Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Diane Pub Co (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0788190490
• ISBN-13: 978-0788190490
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,442,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read for open minded voters, September 6, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Senator for Sale: An Unauthorized Biography of Senator Bob Dole (Paperback)

Senator for Sale is a must read in the next two months. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who says/believes that Bob Dole has the "character issue" advantage over Bill Clinton! The book shows, with sufficient documentation, the Bob Dole will sell his vote to the highest bidder -- often making people VERY RICH in the process.

Did you know that long before the Whitewater people went to court, one of the Doles closest business partners was convicted and did jail time -- for illegal activities directly associated with the Doles? Why hasn't the "liberal media" picked up on this?

On the down side, Hilton is a lawyer who writes like a college sophomore... not exactly the heights of prose! It also hardly touches on Dole's personal life -- another area where Dole hardly has an advantage on the "character issue."

Nevertheless, I still recommend Senator of Sale

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for open minded voters, September 6, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Senator for Sale: An Unauthorized Biography of Senator Bob Dole (Hardcover)

Senator for Sale is a must read in the next two months. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who says/believes that Bob Dole has the "character issue" advantage over Bill Clinton! The book shows, with sufficient documentation, the Bob Dole will sell his vote to the highest bidder -- often making people VERY RICH in the process.

Did you know that long before the Whitewater people went to court, one of the Doles closest business partners was convicted and did jail time for illegal activities directly associated with the Doles? Why havn't the "liberal media" picked up on this?

On the down side, Hilton is a lawyer who writes like a college sophomore... not exactly the heights of prose! It also hardly touches on Dole's personal life -- another area where Dole hardly has an advantage on the "character issue."

Nevertheless, I still recommend Senator of Sale

15 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not That Smart of a Book, April 18, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Senator for Sale: An Unauthorized Biography of Senator Bob Dole (Hardcover)

Looks like the anti - Dole forces have found their Kitty Kelly in this "Unauthorized" tabloid look at good old Bob. The book follows the normal pattern for these type of books: start out in he early years with some unsubstantiated nastiness about his personal life or ex wife, move up to "shady" political deals as he crawls his way up the Washington power ladder, and then end the book with the run down of pork spending and speakers fees. All this plus a bunch of good old Bob Dole straight talking quotes.

For the Dole fan like me this book is nothing more then a smear campaign book meant to hurt the candidate and make the author some money. If you do not like Dole, this will be a rip roaring good time for you. Overall, the book is about what you except - lowest common denominator trash written for the person with a lower then average IQ.