12/21/2023 0 Comments Dapper defenseIt is a fascinating story that should be read by those who wish to enrich their knowledge of our political system. He chronicles the strengths and weaknesses of one of our nation’s most colorful-and powerful-congressmen. This fascinating book sheds light on a vanished era in Congress-when the nation’s business was done under the cover of darkness by those with seniority who knew the system and used it to their own ends.” -Joseph Rish, King’s College “Bill Kashatus’s account has all but made Dan Flood return to life. Wolensky, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission “Bill Kashatus has written the first comprehensive biography of Dan Flood, northeastern Pennsylvania’s colorful and legendary congressman. This biography is a must-read for those interested in politics, public policy, and history.” -Kenneth C. William Kashatus has done justice to Flood and his legacy. A remarkable legislator and orator who had the unusual qualities of empathy and compassion for the struggling, Flood was deeply committed to the Eleventh Congressional District as well as to national Great Society policies, such as Medicare and Appalachian economic development. “Dan Flood ranks among Pennsylvania’s leading twentieth-century public servants. Attorney General and the House Ethics Committee.īased on recently declassified FBI documents, court records, public papers, and contemporary newspaper accounts, as well as more than thirty interviews of Flood’s widow, congressional colleagues, and Capitol Hill staff, Dapper Dan Flood explodes the myths surrounding this controversial Pennsylvania congressman. Eventually accused of improprieties in arranging federal contracts, Flood became the subject of sweeping investigations by the U.S. House of Representatives for sixteen terms. This consummate pork-barrel politician was elected to the U.S. Flood was instrumental in funding the Cold War as well as the “Great Society” social reforms of the 1960s. He worked his will by employing the common practices that greased the wheels of the political process in the post–World War II era: persuasion, manipulation, arm-twisting, and grandiloquent oratory rarely matched by his congressional colleagues.īetween 19, Flood used his clout as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee to wield near-veto power over the $300 billion federal budget. Flood presented his addresses and arguments with the overly precise and clipped accent of an old-fashioned stage actor, and he reveled in the attention he attracted for every performance.Īt the same time, “Dapper Dan” understood the complexities of the old power politics and played the legislative game with sheer genius. A flamboyant vaudevillian who became a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, he was a sight on the House floor, sporting white linen suits, silk top hats, and dark, flowing capes. Flood was among the last of the old-time movers and shakers on Capitol Hill.
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