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Les's Latest Blogs

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Dec.20.2011 - 11:30 pm
The Fatal Link Between Indefinite Military Detention & Obama's DNA
When Obama caved in on regulating “too-big-to-fail” banks, health care insurance reform, Guantanamo, the debt ceiling fiasco, Bush-Cheney tax cuts, et. al., he did it thinking he...
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Dec.14.2011 - 11:25 am
Pushing Through the Second Edit
I had told the agent that I expected to have the "second edit" of my first novel done by January. This was last August. Broken promises seem to come naturally to a recovering...
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Nov.30.2011 - 2:47 pm
No-Tax Pledgers Have Preemptively Broken the Oath of Office
Democrats and liberal candidates, take off the frigging gloves! When the Republicans running against us for Congress—or the presidency—pledge themselves to Grover Norquist’s “No-...
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Oct.02.2011 - 6:02 pm
US & China: Two Paths to the Future
I’ve been a “China hand” since 1978, when I wrote and pushed the first U.S.-PRC trade bill to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. I couldn’t have known it then but...
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Comments from Les

Dec.09.2011 - 10:15 pm
In response to: Behind the Book -- The Edits Return
(Bravo!)
I put the kudo in parenthises because we aren't supposed to admit to these feelings. Are we? Congratulations for making...
Dec.05.2011 - 10:02 pm
In response to: Oh, the satisfaction of reaching the end of the first draft!
Good to have Draft #1 done
But then, sigh, comes Draft #2 ...
Dec.05.2011 - 10:00 pm
In response to: Surrogate stumping for John Kerry in Wisconsin in 2004
One week before the 2004 election ...
... and Elizabeth Edwards (god bless her!) just came into the room and speaks next. I quickly sum up my remarks.
Oct.11.2011 - 7:43 pm
In response to: Rearing a Young Writer ...
My Granddaughter, Morgan, and me
Morgan (11) aspires to a writing life, too. Last year, one of her poems was published in a national anthology of poetry...

Writing

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Essay: "Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President," A Book Review
Essay: 'Up the Capitol Steps' review: Barbara Roberts and Her Arduous, Tenacious Climb to the Top

Audio & Video

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Image Gallery: Surrogate stumping for John Kerry in Wisconsin in 2004
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Image Gallery: Oh, the satisfaction of reaching the end of the first draft!
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Image Gallery: Rearing a Young Writer ...
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les-aucoin's picture
In order to write about life first you must live it. ”
—Ernest Hemmingway

About Les

Les AuCoin, a retired nine-term U.S. Congressman from Oregon, is an author, essayist, ex-newspaper columnist, and public radio commentator.  He was a co-author of the Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy, an anthology and is working on his first...
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Causes Les AuCoin Supports

ACLU, National Public Radio, our local food bank, NARAL, Southern Poverty Law Center, the Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, The Bozeman Symphony.

Les’s Favorite Books

I know Why The Cage Bird Sings, Plainsong, The Woman and the Ape, A Flag For Sunrise, Quest For Karla trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Smiley's People;...