More from the Shameless Promotions Division: The Maximum Contribution

Rita and I had a nice road trip yesterday afternoon. The trees were a gorgeous palate of rusts, greens and golds; the air crisp. Our destination was the Crestview Hills' Border's Book Store to join Rick Robinson, and my top advisors, for one of his recent book signings.

In the interest of full-disclosure, Rick is my second semi-cousin 4 times removed, or something like that. His mother, my aunt... nothing that would hold up in court. We spent five years in the early 80s working in a branch of the Kentucky Jaycees sometimes called the "northern Kentucky mafia" with Steve Miller, Jeff & Ruth Eger, Gary Moore, Jim Parsons... Fun times; learning how to advance policy, speak in public and count votes.

He's signing this...

The Maximum Contribution

by Rick Robinson

ISBN 0929915690

224 pages, 6 x 9, hard cover

Retail Price $24.95

Rick's first effort is an insider's political thriller in the tradition of other slightly more famous politician/authors Newt Gingrich, Jimmy Carter, Benjamin Disraeli & Gary Hart.

Small town [Ludlow] Kentucky councilman, Richard Thompson gets hands-on
experience into the world of D.C. politics.

From heady ideals to sexual blackmail, it makes one wonder—when do they have time to govern? The fine line between fact and fiction quickly blurs and you may think you have picked up today’s headlines instead of one of the best new novels to break onto the political scene.Thompson has the chance of a lifetime when his political mentor dies in office and he becomes the nominee for a seat in the House.

With Washington’s premiere campaign consultants at the helm, Thompson is riding a well-oiled political machine to Election Day success. His victory is in sight when he stumbles upon an issue that places him in the cross-hairs of power-hungry politicians, corrupt lobbyists, gun-running union officials and an on-going FBI sting operation.

Rick was recently interviewed by Pat Crowley on his ICN 6 cable show.

And The Hill took notice of the book.

"Robinson swears the book is a work of fiction, not based on Bunning or any politician. What “real” people do exist in the book have all assumed fictitious roles with made-up names. “Names are changed to protect the guilty,” Robinson says...

Robinson paints a sinister Washington...

One night after dinner at The Palm followed by drinks at the hotel bar, Thompson wakes up with a red-headed stripper named Amber. He remembers none of it, but pictures are taken...

Robinson says he based the book on his 30 years working in politics. He worked for Bunning between 1987 and 1993 when the senator served in the House, handling the congressman’s banking issues on the Finance Committee. Robinson worked for several campaigns and ran for Congress in 1998 for the Ketucky-4 seat...

Robinson left Capitol Hill when President Clinton was sworn in. “The town wasn’t big enough for the both of us,” jokes Robinson...

Rick Robinson is "a paragon among Capitol Hill staffers and maybe the only person on Earth who both understands the civics book chapter on "How a Bill Becomes a Law" and knows how to get good seats at the Kentucky Derby," writes P.J. O'Rourke, author of Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government.

For a good time, try to get Rick to tell you the story of riding around DC in P. J. O'Rourke's 2-seater sports car with P J, and his girlfriend.

Look for The Maximum Contribution at your favorite bookstore or online at http://www.themaximumcontribution.com/ and/or Amazon.com.