![]() First edition | |
Author | Lisa Baron |
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Language | English |
Genre | Memoir |
Publisher | Citadel Press |
Publication date | 2011 |
Publication place | United States |
Life of the Party: A Political Press Tart Bares All is a 2011 memoir by Lisa Baron describing her time as a spokesperson for Ralph Reed.
Lisa (Baron) Shore is a former spokesperson for Ralph Reed, who did not share many of his political views; even though the people she worked for were fundamentalist Christian, she was Jewish. [1]
Content about her work with Reed makes up the majority of the book. [2] She stated that the book reveals previously secret information, including Reed's view of the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal and Baron's sexual life; [1] it describes an encounter with Ari Fleischer. [3] The book also chronicles her political work with Christine Todd Whitman; [4] Baron made negative statements about Whitman, including some Stephen Lowman of the Washington Post stated "violate this website’s standards of decency." [2] Kirkus Reviews stated that the sexual encounters "seem almost quaint" since there was a "long list of prominent conservatives who have been caught doing much worse". [1]
As of 2009 [update] the author was married to Jimmy Baron, a host of a radio program. [5]
Foster Kamer of Gawker stated that the "great" book, described as one of several "political tell-alls", "is the Republican version of Primary Colors and Coyote Ugly meeting in the middle." [6]
Kirkus Reviews described the book as "A misguided focus on sex and booze overshadows the moments of insight and inspiration." [1] It criticized the focus on social life over day-to-day life in politics. [1]
Michelle Goldberg, an opinion columnist for The New York Times , characterized the book as "a self-portrait of a cynical, fame-hungry narcissist". [7] On December 3, 2018, The New York Times published a response by Baron. [8]