One answer is that the towns elected officials thought that the project served a public purpose and that the various subsidies and favors were worth the price. But they may or may not have thought this.

He's nice enough not to want to be associated with a nasty remark but not nice enough not to make it. Lacking the courage of one's nastiness does not make one nice.

The definition of a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.

Journalistic conventions make it hard for reporters to deal with a big, complicated lie.

Americans don't want leadership. They want alchemy.

In those days, the late 1970s, one of the leading politicians was a soon-to-be uncle by marriage of Arnold Schwarzenegger, named Ted Kennedy.

Anything that keeps a politician humble is healthy for democracy.