商品詳細

Earle C. Clements (1896-1985) was a Kentucky governor, US senator, and political kingmaker who formed a liberal Democratic faction that governed a fundamentally conservative state for most of the middle of the twentieth century. As governor, he established a rural road program that continues today, created the State Police, greatly expanded state parks, began desegregation of higher education, and made many other progressive reforms. As assistant Democratic leader of the Senate, he was Lyndon B. Johnson's "strong right arm" and a bridge between Northern and Southern Democrats. As president of the Tobacco Institute, he persuaded cigarette manufacturers to stop television advertising as a way to thwart greater federal regulation._x000D_ In Kentucky Giant, Al Cross follows highs and lows of Clements's career, beginning in the Union County Courthouse in Morganfield as sheriff, county clerk, and county judge; Clements's rivalry and ultimate friendship with A.B. "Happy" Chandler; and his bitter break with his protege, Bert T. Combs. Through years of policy and political battles, Clements earned admiration as a pragmatic and commanding figure whose decisions left a permanent mark on Kentucky and national affairs. Kentucky Giant is not just a political timeline, but an empowering story about a man who sought to bring social and economic change.