Politicians Are People, Too

Across the span of his 35-year career reporting on local, state, and national politics, USA TODAY White House correspondent Richard Benedetto has interviewed and closely watched a wide variety of politicians and public servants. This memoir and personal reflection considers the coverage and treatment of politics and politicians by today's media and offers suggestions for improvement. Benedetto argues that despite the often-cynical news coverage, most politicians are good people who, like all human beings, have strengths and weaknesses. He believes politicians deserve to be praised when they do well, as much as criticized when they fail. celebrates and offers personal insights on many of the thousands of public figures Benedetto has encountered—an eclectic list of politicians, public servants, and even a few celebrities, including George Wallace, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Dan Quayle, Mario Cuomo, Gary Hart, Paul Newman, Spiro Agnew, George W. Bush, Henry Cisneros, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Ted Williams.