An Unlikely Candidate: Reflections on My Run for Congress. Arthur Sr. Lieber

      Thanks to my wife, Gloria Bilchik, who encouraged me without pressure to enter this race if no other Democrat did. Gloria was also a terrific “coach” during the campaign, helping me learn to be more succinct and clear.

      Thanks to Gloria’s mother, Mildred Shur, who with words that I will not repeat here gave me the ultimate incentive to run.

      Thanks to Madonna Gauding for also encouraging me from the beginning and having a good sixth sense as to when I was really into it and when I was tepid about my involvement. Madonna has been an outstanding editor and advisor on writing a book.

      Thanks to Bobbi Clemons who has one of the most remarkably intuitive and analytical brains for making computer hardware and software meet the requirements of the job. She was a jack of all trades, crunching data and canvassing throughout the district.

      Thanks to my good friend Andy Rothschild for identifying a number of inconsistencies in grammar as well as spelling and usage mistakes. His corrections are invaluable. Additional thanks to Gloria’s sister, Renee Shur, who had the arduous task of being the final proofreader.

      Thanks to Allison Reed for her fine research on the New Deal and Great Society which gave me the factual background to be very comfortable in advocating a progressive agenda.

      Thanks to all the fine vendors with whom I worked, particularly Bill, Becky, and Rick at Minuteman Press in St. Charles who not only did outstanding work but who also were more ears on the ground in St. Charles County.

      Thanks to the college and high-school students who engaged in the campaign. While I appreciate what they did for the campaign, it is more important to me that it was a learning experience for them as well.

      Thanks to Carol Miller Lieber, who partnered with me in starting a new school, who helped me not to become a “Limousine Liberal,” and who may have taught me the most valuable three words in trying to connect actions with words: “practice the process.” It’s the best antidote I’ve found to hypocrisy.

      Thanks to my brother, Robert Lieber, who taught me the unlikely combination of patience and persistence.

      Thanks to my attorney in St. Louis, Arlene Zarembka, who kept me on track throughout the campaign with a variety of compliance issues. Thanks also to my former Crossroads student, Carisa Henze, who offered a host of fine ideas and provided me with legal advice when I met with the FEC in Washington.

      Thanks to my long-time friend Rocco Landesman who offered me encouragement throughout the process. His sardonic wit put everything in context. Thanks also to long-time friend Fred Goldberg with whom I had countless conversations about “care quotient” while in high school.

      Thanks to friend Dan Weinberg who challenged many of the assumptions of my campaign and made me give second and third thoughts to elements of my strategy.

      Thanks to Stacy Mergenthal, Rachel Burns, Sue Evans, Carole and Paul Bannes, and the whole St. Charles County crew who brought grounded thinking and great humor to the entire process.

      Thanks to my late grandmother, Lucille Milner, who published a book in 1954 called The Education of an American Liberal. I hope that I have done honor to her commitment to social justice and economic fairness.

      Thanks to Jon Stewart and Michael Moore whose work gave me confidence that there is traction to my ideas.

      Thanks to some outstanding therapists in the St. Louis area who helped me through difficult times and gave me the confidence that an introvert could navigate his way through the political process.

      Introduction

      I Got My Butt Kicked, But . . .