Senator Pressler: An Independent Mission to Save Our Democracy

In 2013 the film American Hustle was released. Its 1979 ABSCAM-inspired plot created renewed public interest in Larry Pressler the South Dakota senator who was the only public official to turn down the illegal FBI bribe. He immediately reported the incident to the FBI. When Senator Pressler was told Walter Cronkite referred to him on the evening news as a hero he stated I do not consider myself a hero... what have we come to if turning down a bribe is heroic? Capitalizing on the publics renewed interest Pressler who was disillusioned by the partisan two-party system chose to get back in the ring. It had been eighteen years since he left office but with an open Senate seat in 2014 Pressler felt a calling urging him to run. Despite serving his twenty-two years in office as a Republican Pressler ran this time as an Independent-he was tired of the partisan bickering in Washington and was unwilling to submit to either partys special interests. This book tells the journey of this unexpected candidacy and instills hope that with some much-needed effort we can achieve a political renaissance. About the Author Senator Larry Pressler is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1975-1979) and the U.S. Senate (1979-1997). He is a Rhodes Scholar a Harvard Law School graduate a Vietnam combat veteran a Fulbright professor and a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.