"The Almanac of Political Corruption, Scandals and Dirty Politics," by Kim Long (Delacorte Press, $24)
The problem with a book like this (and some would argue, with America) is that it is most certainly outdated by the time it hits the bookshelf. The most recent scandal in "Almanac" is Rep. Robert Ney of Ohio resigning on Nov. 4, 2006 (just beating out Florida's own Mark Foley by about a month), so there's no mention of a certain senator's adventures in the Minneapolis airport men's room.
That flaw aside, you can't go wrong with a book like this. You can pick it up and start reading anywhere and stop wherever you please.
Those whose memories of political scandals stretch only as far back as Watergate, Contragate or Monicagate will be surprised to find out that as long as there's been a United States, and even before, there have been crooked public officials who feasted at the public trough or made spectacles of themselves.
The writing style is flat; considering the subject matter. You'd wish Kim Long, a former syndicated newspaper columnist, would loosen up a bit. On the other hand, he is fair and even-handed; there's no extended Bill Clinton or Dubya bashing.
It's a useful compendium, especially if you're like me and remember reading about something called "The Teapot Dome Scandal" but can't remember what it was about. A pity it isn't more entertaining.
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