In 1963 the Democrats faced a crisis as great as Watergate, but they were saved by the assignation of President Kennedy. Bobby Baker, the “child of the Senate” was under investigation for bribery, fraud, and numerous other felonies. The investigation ended when Lyndon Johnson became President as the nation was focused on the new President and his determination to make his mark on the Presidency.
In this excellent book, Baker traces his rise and fall from power, from the time he began as a Page in the Senate through the investigation and his troubles after he served his eighteen-month sentence. What were his crimes and why was no one else sentenced in conjunction with his actions? How did he manage to commit these crimes within the very halls of the U.S. Senate and yet no one else was made to pay the price? How was he able to deliver bribes, payoffs, be involved with insider trading, etc. and yet only he paid a price. The answer is simple, for as Senator said, “The Senate does not investigate Senators”.
Baker names individual Senators and their passions; drunkenness, money (one Senator died with $2,000,000-in 1960s dollars in his office safe), passion for women, insider trading, etc. all within the sacred halls of the Capital Building. While Baker started off as a simple Page, he learned which Senators liked which bottled waters at what time of day, which Senators could be found in which hidden office in time for a vote, how Senators would ask him (he was still in his 20s at the time) how the winds were blowing on various bills, how to make trade-offs for votes and more. When Lyndon Johnson was first elected to the Senate, he called in Baker and opened the conversation with the words, “Mr. Baker, I understand you know where the bodies are buried” so keen was he to learn how to survive and prosper in the Senate.
As a young man, Baker was easily seduced by the wealth, power and corruption in the Senate and tried to earn money so that he could be treated as an equal. Needing money, easy loans were arranged for him by Senators at favorable rates, but in return, instead of being the “go too” man for favors, he became indebted to those above him, and thus began his downfall.
In the end, Baker came to realize that he was expendable; his “friends”, the Senators themselves, washed their hands of him and even President Johnson did nothing to save Baker. It was a hard lesson to one who had flown so high. In the end, reforms were made in the Senate, although insider trading is still permissible and the raising of monies, payments, etc. were merely transferred to locations outside of the Capital Building. The same hidden rooms, drinking bouts, card games, chasing of other Senators secretaries, etc. continues. A mentor of mine, who knew politics well once was upset when politicians were caught taking brides, etc. As he said, “…there is so much money to be made legally in politics that those guys who get caught are just being pigs.”. New times, more money, the game goes on.
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