Dapper Dan Flood: The Controversial Life of a Congressional Power Broker
by William C. Kashatus
-
Daniel J. Flood was among the last of the old-time movers and shakers on Capitol Hill. A flamboyant vaudevillian who became a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, he was a sight on the House floor, sporting white linen suits, silk top hats, and dark, flowing capes. Flood presented his addresses and arguments with the overly precise and clipped accent of an old-fashioned stage actor, and he reveled in the attention he attracted for every performance.
At the same time, “Dapper Dan” understood the complexities of the old power politics and played the legislative game with sheer genius. He worked his will by employing the common practices that greased the wheels of the political process in the post-World War II era: persuasion, manipulation, arm-twisting, and grandiloquent oratory rarely matched by his congressional colleagues.
Between 1945 and 1980, Flood used his clout as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee to wield near-veto power over the $300 billion federal budget. Flood was instrumental in funding the Cold War as well as the “Great Society” social reforms of the 1960s. This consummate pork-barrel politician was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for sixteen terms. Eventually accused of improprieties in arranging federal contracts, Flood became the subject of sweeping investigations by the U.S. Attorney General and the House Ethics Committee.
Based on recently declassified FBI documents, court records, public papers, and contemporary newspaper accounts, as well as more than thirty interviews of Floods widow, congressional colleagues, and Capitol Hill staff, Dapper Dan Flood explodes the myths surrounding this controversial Pennsylvania congressman.
-
Penn State University Press
2010 | Hardcover, paperback
ISBN: 978-0-271-03618-2 (hardcover), 978-0-271-06755-1 (paperback)
Pages: 368
Illustrations: 41 b&w
Maps: 2
Price: $33.95 (hardcover), $24.95 (paperback)
-
“Kashatus’s account has all but made Dan Flood return to life. He chronicles the strengths and weaknesses of one of our nation’s most colorful — and powerful — congressmen. It is a fascinating story that should be read by those who wish to enrich their knowledge of our political system. As one who interacted frequently with Dan Flood, I can recommend Kashatus’s biography. His judgments on Flood are not always favorable, but they are always balanced and fair.” – Frank C. Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
“Dan Flood ranks among Pennsylvania’s leading twentieth-century public servants. A remarkable legislator and orator who had the unusual qualities of empathy and compassion for the struggling, Flood was deeply committed to the Eleventh Congressional District as well as to national Great Society policies, such as Medicare and Appalachian economic development. William Kashatus has done justice to Flood and his legacy. This biography is a must-read for those interested in politics, public policy, and history.” – Kenneth C. Wolensky, Historian, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
“Until I read Dapper Dan Flood, I never imagined that witnesses to historical events were reluctant to speak because they feared criminal prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice. It is a tribute to William Kashatus's perseverance that he soldiered on to chronicle the career of one of America's most ethically flexible twentieth-century politicians.” — Kenneth Heineman, Pennsylvania History
“Kashatus challenges the conventional wisdom that Flood was nothing more than a hack politician who spent his days in Congress doing little more than bringing home the bacon. Though the book attempts to reverse many previously held views about Flood, the author is successful in writing a balanced and thoroughly researched biography. Kashatus details Flood’s shortcomings, but also explains them in the context of the times. Dapper Dan Flood is rich in detail and provides keen insights into many of the national and international events that occurred during Flood’s long congressional career.” — G. Terry Madonna, H-Net Reviews