Fritz Mondale Book Request (Please Read)

Self | October 27, 2002 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

One of things I often do is flip idly through books at the library. Okay, call me a bookworm gathering bits of useless information. However, one of the bits of information that seems to stick out in my mind was something in a book written by a close personal friend of the Hubert Humphrey after his death. I remember that the author, who was also a doctor, had a whole chapter in the book in which he puts Walter Mondale over the coals for betraying Hubert Humphrey. I believe it had to do with either the 1992 or 1996 election in which Humphrey begged Mondale for his support but Mondale refused to lift a finger to help Humphrey despite the fact that Humphrey was the one who was instrumental in getting Mondale into politics.

I did some searching on the web and it turns out that this book is called The Triumph and the Tragedy of the Humphrey I Knew by Edgar Berman. I tried to find this book on the local Broward County online library catalog but, unfortunately, the system is currently down. More than likely this book should be available in Minnesota libraries so could you MN Freepers check it out of the library if you see it (many large libraries now open on Sundays)? When you see the chapter I am referring to, please post the details here.

[PJ-Comix]

I don't remember the exact details of Mondale's betrayal of Humphrey but I do remember that the author, Edgar Berman, really excoriated Mondale bigtime.

PLEASE FIND THIS BOOK!!!

[PJ-Comix]

FYI. It's probably tough to find this book now but I'm sure it is available in MN libraries. I do remember that the author who was a personal friend of Humphrey was incredible critical of Mondale for his betrayal of Humphrey. If I remember correctly, he said that Humphrey was such a nice guy that he wouldn't be critical of Mondale but that since Humphrey had died (book written in 1979) the author wanted to set the record straight. Hopefully someone out there can find this book and post here the details.

p.s. Remember, this book wasn't written by an "evil" Republican. It was written by a liberal Demmycrat and close personal friend of Hubert Humphrey.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

If Mondale betrayed Hubert, he learned the trade from reading LBJ.

[PJ-Comix]

If Mondale betrayed Hubert, he learned the trade from reading LBJ.

What made me take note of this book was how harshly the author (personal friend of Hubert Humphrey) criticized Mondale. Maybe my memory is off (I sometimes scan dozens of books per library trip) but I don't think so. Somebody out there, PLEASE find this book and post details here. Thanx in advance.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

It might well be a chapter in the recent pair of LBJ books published in the last 12 months. I read a summary of one of them that traced LBJ's less than honest support of HHH in '68. If LBJ hadn't been in Washington, Hubert would've been a one termer.

[Jessamine]

Minnesotans - I found a few used copies available cheap at Amazon... It's just a matter of acquiring them in time to do some good with them.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/0399123148/all/ref=sr_pb_a/103-4180216-9420654

[PJ-Comix]

It might well be a chapter in the recent pair of LBJ books published in the last 12 months.

No, no. I do remember reading (actually scanning portions of it) it a number of years ago. I also remembered that the author was a close personal friend of Humphrey's AND a doctor. After doing an online search, this is the only book that fits that category.

Somebody out there PLEASE find this book. The criticism of Walter Mondale's betrayal of Humphrey was red hot.

[PJ-Comix]

Minnesotans - I found a few used copies available cheap at Amazon... It's just a matter of acquiring them in time to do some good with them.

Wouldn't it be quicker to just check out a copy at the local library? You won't be sorry. The criticism of Mondale by the author (and personal friend of Humphrey) was stunning.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A friend of the family (our dentist) when we lived in Minnesota once said you had to be born in Iowa to be a Republican in Minnesota.

[montrose]

If HHH begged anyone for anything in 1992 it was at a seance. He died in 1978!

Sriously, I don't think that an effective conservative strategy is to advise Democrats that Mondale isn't liberal enough.

Republicans should provide a vision for the future, not couch our arguments in the symbols of the past, particularly politicians dead for 30 years. Mondale is alive and ticking, and if we can't argue that his current ideas are not suitable for taking the United States forward, to get us moving again, then perhaps he deserves to win.

Granted, it's an anomalous situation in Minnesota, as at this late stage the Democrats are forced to put someone on the ballot with massive name recognition, and so are consigned to bringing out the old guard. But Fritz looks to be in reasonable health, and a party with Strom Thurmond in it hardly can complain about age or even mentality acuity as prerequisites for office! If someone has some good ideas on how to attack Mondale's fitness I'm all ears, but if I recall he has been comporting himself fairly well under the radar the past decade or so as an ambassador and advocate of GATT/WTO. My read is that this seat stays Democrat, but then again, it was looking that way anyway with Wellstone. Perhaps we should concentrate on other races, as this one is fraught with peril.

[TomB]

As luck would have it, I just got the HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon". In the episode dealing with the Apollo 1 fire, they deal specifically with Mondale trying to sabotage Apollo. He comes off looking very bad.

I'd like to see that replayed before the election.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Not necessarily true. I've got some good friends, who were born and raised in Minneapolis who are big-time GOP contributors.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

In trying to do some research to help you (and this thread :-) out, I came across this interesting obit for Berman's wife, Phoebie. Seems Berman really was a physician who just happened to write books.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Hubert Humphrey Bio

Biographies

Edgar Berman, Hubert: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Humphrey I Knew, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1979

[PJ-Comix]

As luck would have it, I just got the HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon". In the episode dealing with the Apollo 1 fire, they deal specifically with Mondale trying to sabotage Apollo. He comes off looking very bad.

Wow! Did they mention Mondale by name? Please post details here. I wonder if this series is available at the library? And speaking of libraries, could AT LEAST ONE of you MN Freepers check to see if this book is in your local library? If so, please check it out and post details here. Thanx in advance.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

No doubt his comments were in jest. Or, they were in reaction to one of the less than stellar candidates that MN GOPers put up for statewide election.

[PJ-Comix]

If HHH begged anyone for anything in 1992 it was at a seance. He died in 1978!

Sorry. It was a typo. I meant 1972. Anyway, if I remember correctly Mondale's betrayal of Humphrey happened in either 1972 or 1976. Remember, Humphrey was Mondale's political mentor and when it came time for Mondale to show his appreciation for Humphrey's help, he turned his back on him. Anyway, that is what I remember from the book. So someone out there PLEASE check out this book and post details here. Thanx.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

This book is available here as well - cheap :-). Hardcover/new = $7.95, Hardcover/used = $4.95

[PJ-Comix]

Sriously, I don't think that an effective conservative strategy is to advise Democrats that Mondale isn't liberal enough.

This isn't about whether or not Mondale is liberal enough. This is about his character. Humphrey was Mondale's political mentor and when it came time for Mondale to help Humphrey, he gave Humphrey the cold shoulder. Details should be in this book.

[PJ-Comix]

Who cares if this book is available for purchase online? We need to find out the details NOW. All that needs to be done is for an enterprising MN Freeper to go over to his library and check it out. Then post details here.

p.s. Better check carefully. I only scanned that book and it is possible that the betrayal was by Eugene McCarthy but that somehow doesn't make sense. As I said, I was quickly flipping thruough a number of books (as I often do at the library) and this was one of many. I need confirmation on this.