Background
Gary Hart was born on November 28, 1936, in Ottawa, Kansas, United States. His father was a farm equipment salesman. The family moved to Colorado several years later. At college, he shortened his family name from Hartpence to Hart.
( With a contemporary Western flavor and plenty of intrig...)
With a contemporary Western flavor and plenty of intrigue and suspense, Gary Hart's latest novel Durango brings readers into the world of the small southwest Colorado town as the close-knit community is rocked by scandal and controversy. As a drawn-out battle for water rights looms over the town, one of Durango's most eminent citizens, stoic former politician Daniel Sheridan, is implicated in a shocking transgression, forcing him to clear his name and resolve the contention that has weighed upon his hometown for decades. Drawing on the classic themes of loyalty, honor, redemption, and the land, Durango presents an unforgettable saga of the American west. Gary Hart has been and continues to be one of America's great public servants for almost four decades, from his role in the 1972 McGovern campaign to his years as a visionary senator, from his leadership on national security matters before and after 9/11 to his contributions as a respected statesman on various issues. He is the author of several books, including The Thunder and the Sunshine: Four Seasons in a Burnished Life, as well as two novels published under the pseudonym John Blackthorn. Hart lives in Denver, Colorado.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555916708/?tag=2022091-20
( An impassioned call to arms for Democrats to embrace th...)
An impassioned call to arms for Democrats to embrace the principles that made the party and the country great--a true moral vision for leadership at home and abroad In this powerful and provocative manifesto, a cri de coeur for Democrats who have grown increasingly frustrated with their party's leaders, former senator Gary Hart takes the Democrats to task for choosing caution and calculation in place of moral principles. That path, Hart says, will lead only to sorrow--for the party and for the country. The Courage of Our Convictions is Hart's call to action--a clear-eyed and plainspoken manifesto that urges a return to the principles bequeathed to the party by its great twentieth-century presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt's commitment to a single national community, where no American would be left behind; Harry S. Truman's internationalism, which preserved democracy after World War II and led eventually to the defeat of communism; John F. Kennedy's ideal of civic duty and service to the nation; and Lyndon B. Johnson's insistence on equality for all our citizens. As the midterm elections approach--and with the 2008 presidential election just over the horizon--Hart speaks directly and passionately to the many Democrats who seek a principled change of leadership in Washington. It is the wake-up call that so many Americans have been waiting for.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805081011/?tag=2022091-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684827514/?tag=2022091-20
(A nation defines itself by the kind of army it creates fo...)
A nation defines itself by the kind of army it creates for its protection. By that standard, America at the close of the twentieth century is large, powerful, and technologically sophisticated. But it is also muscle-bound, confused, wasteful, and desperately in search of a mission. In The Minuteman, former Senator Gary Hart proposes a provocative and radical restructuring of America's armed forces, asking the questions that have gone unanswered for too long: Why do we have 1.5 million men and women under arms with no major threat to our security? Why is our military budget at the same level as during the Cold War? Why are we spending more money for fewer weapons? Why are the best service personnel taking early retirement? Why is it taboo even to question the structure of our bloated military establishment? Drawing on his long experience as a leader in the field of military reform (including twelve years on the Senate Armed Services Committee), Hart proposes a return to the oldest principles of the republic, making an impassioned case for replacing the present Cold War military with a smaller standing army and a much larger, well-trained citizen reserve -- an "army of the people." The professional nucleus would be a rapid-response force responsible for dealing with immediate crises and low-intensity conflicts, while the larger army of citizen-soldiers would be called up when national interests required a larger, sustained military presence. From ancient times to the present, the heroes of democracy have consistently upheld two principles: that it is dangerous to maintain a large standing army in peacetime; and that free people have a civic duty to participate in their own defense. Contemporary America, by contrast, has sunk into "Eisenhower's Nightmare," beholden to a powerful military-industrial complex embracing the armed forces, military contractors, unions, Congress, and military communities economically dependent on military spending. The only way to break this cycle of dependence, Hart argues, is to restore a citizen military -- a true militia, like the one that defended Lexington and Concord. If we reject this path, he warns, we risk being truly ill-prepared for the challenges facing our nation in the century about to dawn.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451677081/?tag=2022091-20
( For almost four decades, from his role in the 1972 Geor...)
For almost four decades, from his role in the 1972 George McGovern campaign to his years as a visionary senator, from his leadership on national security issues before and after 9/11 to his role in international environmental issues, Gary Hart has been one of America's great public servants. Through times of triumph and disappointment, Hart's dedication to the ideals of the founding fathers, particularly Thomas Jefferson, and his devotion to the American Republic never wavered. In this insightful, humble, and often humorous account of his political and public life, Hart shares the lessons he has learned in the last forty years, imparting to future generations the significance of public service and the role of America in the world. The Thunder and the Sunshine is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand where we have been as a country, and where we are heading in the twenty-first century. Gary Hart represented the state of Colorado in the US Senate from 1975 until 1987. He is currently scholar in residence at the University of Colorado, co-chair of the USRussia Commission, and vice chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. He was co-chair of the US Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, which predicted the terrorist attacks on America and proposed a sweeping overhaul of US national security structures and policies for the postCold War century and the age of terrorism.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555917399/?tag=2022091-20
( An informed discussion of the relationship of faith and...)
An informed discussion of the relationship of faith and politics by former U.S. Senator Gary Hart.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555915779/?tag=2022091-20
(Two U.S. senators lay bare the inner workings of Washingt...)
Two U.S. senators lay bare the inner workings of Washington in a thriller that follows Senator Thomas Chandler's search for the culprit and the motives for the assassination of the family of the U.S. Secretary of State
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380701227/?tag=2022091-20
(Former Senator Gary Harts The Republic of Conscience is ...)
Former Senator Gary Harts The Republic of Conscience is a meditation on the growing gap between the founding principles of the United States Constitution and our current political landscape. Going back as early as 400 BC, the idea of a true republic has been threatened by narrow, special interests taking precedence over the commonwealth. The United States Constitution was drafted to protect against such corruption, but as Gary Hart details in The Republic of Conscience, America is nowhere near the republic it set out to be almost 250 years ago, falling to the very misconduct it hoped to avoid. In his latest book, the former Colorado Senator and presidential contender describes the increasing gap between purpose and performance in America, emphasizing how the sense of national interest has become distorted and diluted over time. Focusing on the years after World War II, Hart tackles major American institutionsthe military, the CIA, Congressand outlines how these establishments have led the country away from its founding principles, not closer to them. Full of original and incisive analysis, The Republic of Conscience is Harts examination and remedy for the millions of Americans who feel jaded, confused, and disappointed by their current government. A testament to Harts political faith in the founding fathers, this book is one citizens attempt to recapture the Republic, and a timely reminder for the next July 4th holiday.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399175237/?tag=2022091-20
Gary Hart was born on November 28, 1936, in Ottawa, Kansas, United States. His father was a farm equipment salesman. The family moved to Colorado several years later. At college, he shortened his family name from Hartpence to Hart.
Throughout his youth, Gary Hart had considered the ministry as his life's vocation. He entered Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958. After graduation, he entered Yale Divinity School, where he planned an academic program in philosophy and religion. At Yale, he discovered there were alternatives of service, and his career goals changed with his entry into the world of politics. Though his interest in a religious career changed, he stayed at Yale to receive a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1961.
Hart's new objective was to study law. He entered Yale's School of Law and earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1964. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in politics from the University of Oxford in 2001 with a dissertation entitled The Restoration of the Republic.
Gary Hart began his career in Washington, District of Columbia, working as an attorney in the Department of Justice. Two years later he became a special assistant to Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and specialized in oil shale issues in the Western states. He left government service and moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1967. There he practiced law and taught natural resources law at the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder.
Hart got his first experience in politics when he was a student volunteer in the 1960 presidential campaign of Senator John F. Kennedy. He volunteered again in the 1968 presidential primaries to work for Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Senator George S. McGovern persuaded Hart to coordinate his 1972 presidential bid. Hart agreed to help McGovern by organizing a campaign structure in the Western states. He soon undertook the task of national campaign director. He helped create a coalition of liberals and anti-Vietnam War believers to support McGovern. Hart's major achievement in that campaign was to create a grassroots organization - an army of volunteers - which relied heavily on door-to-door visits, neighborhood canvassing, and raising small, individual campaign donations. McGovern lost the election in a Richard Nixon landslide, winning only about 38 percent of the popular vote nationwide and obtaining electoral votes only in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. The time had arrived, Hart felt, to run for office himself.
He entered the 1974 Senate race in Colorado. He began his campaign as an underdog against the incumbent two-term Republican senator Peter H. Dominick. Hart ran as a new voice in politics and relied on his grassroots network of supporters. He won with over 57 percent of the vote statewide. In 1980 Hart ran for a second term. He barely won the office with a majority of less than 20, 000 votes out of nearly 1. 2 million cast. In the Senate Hart liked to think, ask questions, shape ideas about long range strategies, and do his homework. He was considered an intellectual force and a loner rather than a persuader or wheeler-dealer. He served on the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and the Budget Committee. On environmental policy, Hart considered himself a conservationist rather than an environmentalist. He wanted natural resources to be guarded by the government, but believed that they should be developed. He supported the need for nuclear energy, but pushed for safety precautions and solutions to the problem of nuclear waste disposal. Hart also promoted the development of solar energy. America's military policy became a special interest of Hart's. The senator wanted to redirect the country's defense strategy. Hart's emphasis was to shift conventional warfare to maneuver warfare. In naval operations, for example, Hart wanted a shift from huge aircraft carriers to a more mobile fleet of smaller, less costly ships. He supported a nuclear weapons freeze, nuclear test bans, and arms limitation. His interest in America's military defense can best be illustrated by a dramatic personal move. At the age of 44, never having served in the armed forces, he joined the Naval Reserve.
Hart sought the presidential nomination in the 1984 primaries. Again, he seemed the underdog, for 1983 polls showed him to be near the rear of a group of prospective candidates. Underfinanced, he relied on his traditional grassroot volunteers strategy. The 1984 campaign slogan was "New Ideas, New Generation. " Hart's new ideas were to avoid traditional means of treating problems. Instead of a choice between conservatism and liberalism, he wanted to create a third option and focused on trying to convince the public that the real choice is between the past and the future. He attempted to reinforce the Democratic Party's image of social concerns, while repudiating its emphasis on big government and governmental regulation of business. Hart spoke for individual rights and a respect for free enterprise and economic productivity.
He claimed independence from party leaders and special interests. His appeals were directed to the emerging group of young, upwardly mobile professionals ("yumpies" or "yuppies, " as the terms were popularized at the time) - a new generation of educated men and women born after World War II. Almost overnight his long-shot candidacy vaulted from the back of an eight-candidate race to the forefront after unexpected victories in the New Hampshire primary and the Iowa party caucuses. Riding a wave of momentum, he captured party delegates in New England and other states during February and March 1984. The fast pace of success could not keep up with the need for organization in many states. His momentum was lost to a well-organized campaign and support from labor and other interest groups for former Vice-President Walter F. Mondale. Hart floundered in the South and found little electoral support in the urban, industrialized areas. At the Democratic nominating convention, Hart lost to Mondale by 1, 200. 5 delegate votes to 2, 191 votes. In 1986 Hart did not seek a third term in the Senate. He continued to advance his issues and causes, and in 1987 he began another campaign for the presidency. Hart's campaign was hampered by rumors of his womanizing, so Hart openly challenged the press to follow him. Shortly thereafter, reporters from the Miami Herald photographed Hart with 29-year-old model/actress Donna Rice. It was revealed that the pair had vactioned together, and Hart withdrew from the race. The former senator resumed his law practice and hosted a radio talk show in his home state of Colorado. Many of his political supporters urged him to "get back into politics," by running for his former senatorial seat.
Since retiring from the Senate, he has emerged as a consultant on national security, and continues to speak on a wide range of issues, including the environment and homeland security.
In 2006, Hart accepted an endowed professorship at the University of Colorado at Denver. He has been a visiting lecturer at Oxford University, Yale University, and the University of California. He is the chair of the United States State Department's International Security Advisory Council, the chair of the United States Defense Department's Threat Advisory Council, and Chair of the American Security Project. He was a vice-chair of the Advisory Council for the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, co-chair of the United States - Russia Commission, Chairman of the Council for a Livable World, and President of Global Green, the United States affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev's environmental foundation. Most notably, he was a co-chair of the United States Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, known as the Hart-Rudman Commission, which predicted terrorist attacks on America before 9/11. In October 2014, President Barack Obama along with Secretary of State John Kerry named Hart as the new United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.
( An impassioned call to arms for Democrats to embrace th...)
( For almost four decades, from his role in the 1972 Geor...)
( With a contemporary Western flavor and plenty of intrig...)
(Former Senator Gary Harts The Republic of Conscience is ...)
( An informed discussion of the relationship of faith and...)
(A nation defines itself by the kind of army it creates fo...)
(Two U.S. senators lay bare the inner workings of Washingt...)
Gary Hart is an honorary fellow of the Literary and Historical Society of University College Dublin.
In 1958 Gary Hart married Oletha Lee Ludwig. They had two children, Andrea and John.
