Table of Contents
Foreword Ken Burns 9
Twain Prize Winners on the Twain Prize 12
Preamble 17
Introduction: Delirious in the Oval Office 21
Chapter 1 Everybody Ready, Except Cappy 27
Chapter 2 Apparently Fairly Bright 31
Chapter 3 As Goober Goes, So Goes the Station 35
Chapter 4 Blind Leading the Blind 41
Chapter 5 An Unidentified Aide 46
Chapter 6 The Soufflé Never Rises 54
Chapter 7 The Goldman Age 58
Chapter 8 Senator, You're No Lloyd Bentsen 62
Chapter 9 Landslide Daschle 67
Chapter 10 Follies, Legislative and Rabbinical 72
Chapter 11 Do It for Dallas 77
Chapter 12 Waiting for Perot 82
Chapter 13 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Daschle 86
Chapter 14 The Mark Twain Prize 91
Chapter 15 Winters Is Coming/Carl's Hour 100
Chapter 16 We Can Still Be Funny 106
Chapter 17 Broadcasting Legends of Broadcasting 112
Chapter 18 Hopes Dasched 120
Chapter 19 A Texan and Two New Yorkers 123
Chapter 20 Tragedy After Tragedy in Comedy 130
Chapter 21 Twain in the Tweens 136
Chapter 22 The One That Got Away 147
Chapter 23 Carol Burnett and the Car Boy 151
Chapter 24 The Coup of Bill Murray 160
Chapter 25 The King of Late Night and the Queen of Sitcoms 173
Chapter 26 Chappelle's Prize 184
Chapter 27 The Gershwin Prize 188
Chapter 28 In Performance at the White House 200
Chapter 29 Navy Seal of Approval 209
Chapter 30 Afterthoughts 213
Appendix A Why Washington Needs a Laugh 217
Appendix B A Brief History of American Comedy 222
Appendix C Pure Vanity 231
Acknowledgments 236
Name Drop Directory 244
