By Julie Sulunga

LOGAN -- Columnist Jack Anderson gave USU a behind-closed-doors, just-the-facts view of Washington.

"Politicians are proud, egocentric people who would give an arm or leg before they gave up their reputations," Anderson said.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer spoke to a crowded room in Utah State University's Taggart Student Center Ballroom on Sept. 22 as part of the communication department's Media & Society Lecture Series.

Anderson soon will release his autobiography, Peace, War and Politics.

It will depict his 50-plus years in the nation's capital, where he produces a syndicated newspaper column, "Washington Merry-Go-Round." He has managed to stay in Washington for all these years and maintained his journalistic ideals, but he has suffered.

"Doctors tell me it's Parkinson's (disease)," he said, referring to his occasional and uncontrollable shaking. "I suspect it's 52 years in Washington."

Anderson let his audience in on some inside facts. The century's greatest danger, which almost led to World War III, occurred right in America's back yard of Cuba. What was not widely known about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was how close the Americans and Soviets came to a shooting war.

John F. Kennedy, who was the president at the time, ordered all military on red alert. He gave the Soviets an ultimatum to withdraw the missiles and trusted his instincts in not attacking before they had decided on what they were going to do. Because of his intuition, patience and thinking things through, America was able to avoid a deadly World War III, Anderson said.

He feels that the press has abused some of the greatest presidents, such as one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Upon arriving in Washington for his inauguration, he checked into a rooming house, dressed plainly and walked to his swearing-in.

"The point of this story is that after inaugural address, Jefferson went up to his room without dinner," Anderson said. "He understood he was a servant to the people."

Anderson closed with advice to take part in the democratic process and to understand what our country is all about. Half of all college students don't understand this country or the history and government behind it, he said.

"What they don't value," Anderson said. "They won't fight to protect."

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