DNC

This nugget was buried in an otherwise pointless essay by Maureen Dowd whining about how hard it is to mock Obama.

Op-Ed Columnist - May We Mock, Barack? - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

The Wall Street Journal reported that the planners for Obama’s convention have hired the first-ever Director of Greening, the environmental activist Andrea Robinson. She in turn hired an Official Carbon Adviser to “measure the greenhouse-gas emissions of every placard, every plane trip, every appetizer prepared and every coffee cup tossed.”

The “lean ‘n’ green” catering guidelines, The Journal said, bar fried food and instruct that, “on the theory that nutritious food is more vibrant, each meal should include ‘at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white.’ (Garnishes don’t count.) At least 70% of the ingredients should be organic or grown locally, to minimize emissions from fuel during transportation.”

Peter Osnos was Obama’s first publisher at Times Books, for Dreams From My Father.  He writes:

Now comes the part in which Obama showed a steely side and displayed an element of character which, while completely legal and entirely within his rights as a writer, makes me uneasy  …

After his victory, Obama, on the advice of friends I have been told, decided to replace Dystel as his agent with Robert Barnett, the formidable Washington lawyer who has represented the Clintons and a host of other major Washington political figures and writers. Whereas agents take a flat percentage of all the clients’ earnings—usually 15 percent these days—Barnett charges by the hour, which means that the bill is substantially smaller as a portion of the proceeds on big deals. Dystel, a feisty sort, was furious. I have no idea about the details of interaction between Barnett, Dystel, and Obama, but I would bet it was not warm and fuzzy.

Between Election Day 2004 and his swearing in as a Senator, Obama signed a two-book deal with Crown for “seven figures” (probably somewhere in the vicinity of $1.5–$2.0 million). By signing the contract before taking office, which Hillary Clinton also did on her book deal, Obama does not fall under various requirements for disclosure and reporting that applies to members of Congress. …'

OMG.  When a publisher thinks you’re unethical, you’re not just smokin’, you’re on fire!

Terry McAuliffe, Fundraising Client: “Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee chairman and fundraiser extraordinaire, is raking in some serious money for himself: He has signed a seven-figure advance with St. Martin’s Press for his inside look at Democratic politics.

The book — tentatively titled ‘Bring It On!’ — is McAuliffe’s exuberant, in-your-face take on 25 years with the Democrats, starting with Jimmy Carter’s failed presidential reelection campaign and ending as DNC chairman, a position he held from 2001 until February. The deal was based on a three-page proposal that launched a bidding war among five publishers for ‘great, funny, inside stories that no one else has heard,’ McAuliffe said yesterday in his trademark low-key manner.

Like what? He wouldn’t tell us, of course. We’ll have to shell out to read behind-the-scene tales about Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and big-bucks Democratic donors.”
Snoozefest.