The Conscience of a Liberal

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, thanks to Robin Wells, my wife and frequent coauthor. She was deeply involved in every stage of this project: formulating ideas, doing the research, and drafting the chapters. It’s really her book as much as mine.

Thanks also to two historians. Sean Wilentz read an early draft in detail, correcting many of my misconceptions and setting me on the right path. Rick Perlstein talked over some of the basic ideas with me, and let me see an early draft of his terrific forthcoming book Nixonland, which vastly improved my understanding of the crucial transition period in postwar political economy.

Thanks also to Drake McFeely of Norton, who both helped the writing and remained preternaturally calm as we made the final dash for the finish line.

Finally, although nobody at the New York Times was directly involved in this book, I would like to say a word of thanks to those at the Times—especially Gail Collins, the editorial-page editor from 2001 through 2006, who stood by me at a time when there was enormous pressure for critics of the Bush administration to mute their voices.