Table of Contents
Foreword David Axelrod xiii
Introduction xv
Guest Opinion
America Offers Opportunity to Those Who Work 3
2002-2007
High Fidelity: Daily News Columnist Gets Up Close and Personal with Castro 7
A Politically Incorrect Extravaganza 12
Kobe? He's Not One of Us 15
Gay Numbers and 9/11 18
The Sins of the Father … and Mother 21
That Apology?-It's Bunk 23
Rebuild 'Em! 26
Want Ratings? Bring Back the Beauty 28
Conspiracy: The Oklahoma City-September 11 Connection 30
Suspensions: A Wake-up Call for Parents 34
C'mon, Mr. President, Show Us the Evidence 37
Two Good Reasons to Oppose Tort Reform 40
I'll Miss the Merry Prankster 44
Summer and Smoke: My Gay Epiphany 48
Robbing Dr. Barnes's Grave 51
Maureen Faulkner, Still on the Job 54
One Voice for Katz 57
Dreaming of a Non-white Christmas 61
Tough Questions from Tough Guy on 9/11 Commission 63
How to Get Quasimodo a Date 70
A Brush with Greatness, Thanks to a Little Truancy and Some Connections 73
Jim Beasley, the Peoples Lawyer 76
Dreaming of a White (House) Christmas 79
Cos Case: It's Kobe All over Again 81
Air-Travel Screening Stupidity-Times 4 86
Postcard from Gladwyne 89
Good with a Pen, as well as a Football 92
Small Gesture for a Real American Hero 95
Duke Case: Revenge of the Nerds 98
Setting the Record Straight 101
A Dog Named Winston 104
Roger Waters: The Pinko in Floyd 109
The Garden of Eternal Vigilance 116
Manhunt for Osama Dropping on U.S. Agenda? 119
Should Free Speech Allow Holocaust Denial 122
2007-2011
Guilty as Charged: I Don't Support Imus's Firing 131
The War Comes Home 135
Unexpected Memorial Day Lesson from Decorated Marine 138
The World according to Bruno 142
An Immigrant's Dream Still Means Something 145
Proof a Son's Head Is Far from Dismal Adult Events 149
A Navy SEAL'S Gut-Wrenching Tale of Survival 152
"Anti-Semitic" Label Curbs Talk about Israel 155
The Face of September 11, 2001 159
How Rush Became the King of Talk 162
Why Rudy Wasn't in Iowa on Tuesday 166
Specter Practices-and Endorses-Civility 169
Mr. Chrome Dome Gets Fuzzy 172
Obama Sees Route to Righteousness 175
How I Got the Bird 178
Russert-Brand Discourse vs. Cable Carnival Shoutfest 181
Requiem for an Era 184
McCain Fails the Big Five Tests 186
Their Stanley Cup Runneth Over 189
My Dinner with Pervez 192
Jack Kemp's Winning Game Plan 196
Checking in with Smokin' Joe to Thank Him for His Dignity 198
1-800-Political-Venom 201
Sorry, but for Me, the Party Is Over 204
Yard Sale 101 208
The Power of Pin Money 212
Farewell My DN Friends 216
2011-2016
Investment Giant on Living Well-and Madoff 221
A Lesson in Gumption, and Its Rewards 225
Can You Imagine How Christie's Son Feels? 227
"Mormon Issue" Still Handicaps Romney 230
9/11 Generation Is Highlight of Speeches 233
It's Time to Break the Mold on Talk Radio 236
Lessons from the Cheap Seats 240
Bursting a Class Bubble 242
A Shattered Spirit 245
Warren's Shaky History 248
Zeppelin Communication Breakdown 251
The Teacher Who Opened a Mind 254
Unpaid but Richly Rewarding 257
Pennsbury Grad Makes a Splash in D.C. 261
Nightmare on Health Site 265
Secret Facet of Westboro Case 268
SATs Don't Always Mark a Successful Path 272
Worthy Subject of Protest May Target Workers 275
Mystery Tip that Broke Sandusky Case 279
Recalling Gary Hart, Debating News Policy 283
Overreaction in C.B. West Hazing Case 287
Cat Stevens's Politics 290
Go Old School on Drinking? 296
My Dinner with Roger Stone 301
Family Farmer Whose Labors Never End 305
A Subject's Portrait of the Artist 308
Take Note, Candidates, of Reagan's Words 313
In Philly, Sinatra and Sid Mark Play On 316
Trump's Candidacy Is Right out of Seinfeld 321
A Must in Life; Try, Try Again 324
My Heimlich Maneuvering 329
The Right Spot for the Rizzo Statue? Right Where It Is 333
Civility Wins if "Comments" Unplugged 337
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah: Larry Kane, Fab Historian 340
Births to Illnesses, Our Life with Grace 345
Trump Not My Fan, but Quite a Loyal Follower 348
A Changing of the Guard in Gladwyne 352
2017
In 2017, Getting to Know the Other Half 357
Acknowledgments 363
