IT SHOULD BE A REALLY INTERESTING READ

Late this morning I came across WFTS-TV 28's weekly current affairs programme Flashpoint, and after a brief interview with freshman Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D - Tampa) host Brendan McLaughlin's main guest was Palm Beach Post Tallahassee bureau chief Shirish V. Date. He is now covering his fifth gubernatorial administration for the Post, but the appearance was to promote his new book Jeb: The Next Bush. It is an unauthorized biography of the former governor, whom Date is convinced will eventually make a run for the White House...if not next year, then in 2012.

Apparantly Mr. Date was not on Jeb's list of reporters to confide in, and he did not offer an interview for the book. In addition to his own experiences covering Bush for eight years for the Post, Date depended primarily on interviews with a variety of people and public records including many of the former governor's e-mails.

It was a great interview, and after watching it I decided that I need to get a copy for my own reading pleasure. If you want to purchase a copy at $17.79 via Amazon.com, click here. It's not his first book. Date has also written the Bob Graham biography Quiet Passion, among several other well-received novels.

Flashpoint is usually a good programme, and is the only locally originated current affairs/interview programme on Tampa Bay commercial television. For those not familiar, it airs at 11:30 AM Sunday mornings following The Chris Matthews Show.