MATT RISEN HAS COME A LONG WAY from Marion, Ohio. After the turbulent, controversial election of 2000, the up-and-coming press secretary victoriously takes his place in an inscrutable White House of backstabbing careerism and cutthroat politics led by the straight-talking, conservative President William Kensington. Attracted to success and pressured by his superiors-including Stephen Shay, the brilliant, quick-tempered advisor who can tip the scales of an election like the butchers of old-Matt and his ambitions collide with love, family and ethics on a perilous journey of self-discovery in the shadow of terrorism, war, vendettas and a looming re-election. In the tradition of a roman a clef, political intrigue and breakneck storytelling combine to realistically redefine "conspiracy" and illustrate the danger of hate language in this novel that begins and ends with the same mantra: the campaign never stops. "The Butcher's Thumb is a thrilling, thought-provoking read. Haas renders the political intrigue of campaigning, American foreign policy, and the neo-con agenda with realism, nerve, and a sobering accuracy. This novel is the insider's viewpoint you've been waiting for." -Max Cleland, former United States Senator (D-Georgia) "Greg Haas knows political animals like a veterinarian knows their less devious critter-cousins. The Butcher's Thumb is a romp of wicked insight into the 21st-century political species clawing for control of our ship of state." -Mike Curtin, Associate Publisher Emeritus, The Columbus Dispatch "Greg Haas takes us where few authors can even try to go: the inner sanctums of high-level politics. An extremely entertaining novel that should be required reading for future politicos of all stripes who wish to avoid the errors of the past " -David Wilhelm, former Democratic National Committee Chairman