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acknowledgments Hillary Clinton reminded us that it takes a village to raise a child. I don’t pretend to be an expert on child rearing, but I can say that it took a village to make this memoir possible. There was, first of all, Bob Greenberger, a former diplomatic correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, who helped me organize and write an initial draft, which ultimately went through several revisions. Without his help and the discipline it imposed, I doubt the project would ever have gotten to first base. Second, there were Stephanie Golden, who worked her editorial magic on the manuscript, eliminating redundancies, tightening up the language, and in the process making it a much better read, and Jeanne Ferris, whose fastidious attention to detail enabled me to avoid a host of embarrassing errors. It was a collaboration I found most enjoyable, and I am very grateful to them. Third, a number of friends and former staffers read and commented either on the entire manuscript or on chapters dealing with issues they were involved in. They include Mort Abramowitz, Ken Adelman, Richard Bush, David Frank, Bob Hathaway, Mike Lewan, Irv Matus, Richard Pious, Stanley Roth, David Steinberg, Charlie Twining, and Steve Weissman . Their stylistic and substantive suggestions enabled me to correct errors and fill in blank spots I had overlooked. I am grateful to them all for helping me make this a better book. Fourth, my Brooklyn staff did an outstanding job handling constituent complaints and representing me at community meetings. Without their superb work helping me consolidate my political position in the district , I never would have been able to devote the time I did to foreign affairs . Peter Abbate,Adam Barnett, Mary Boyle, Shlomo Braun, Mary Jane Burt, Helene Coburne, Sandy Cooper, Steve Denker, Rena Diamond, Pat Ferris, Ruth Gilden, Dennis Holt, Josh Howard, Peter Kelley, Ben Lederman , Annette Lidawer, Ken Lowenstein, Laurie Mason, Rick Miller, Rosie Nebenhaus,Andrea Nordell,Al Padow,Jules Polonetsky,Eric Roth, 230 acknowledgments Jack Russak, Renee Sherman, Ruth Tannenbaum, Glen Thrush, Stephanie Twin, and Sylvia Wurf were more to me than just staffers. They became part of my extended family, and I consider myself privileged to have worked with them on behalf of my Brooklyn constituents. Fifth, there was my administrative and policy staff in Washington. I don’t think it an exaggeration to say that I was blessed with one of the most outstanding staffs on Capitol Hill. Little that I accomplished would have been possible without their assistance: Lynn Arnold, Bill Barnds, Mary Boyle, Stu Brahs, Richard Bush, Dawn Calabia, Johnnie Carson, Tor Cowan, Carol Ditta, David Dreier, Dan Ertel, Marvin Feur, David Frank, Ed Friedman, Audrey Gallagher, Vicki Halloran, Bob Hathaway, Mia Higgins, John Isaacs, David Lachmann, Bert Levin, Mike Lewan, Susan Lewis, Valerie Mims, Jeremy Rabinovitz, Pat Rivalgi, Phil Robertson , Stanley Roth, Eric Schwartz, Steve Silbiger, and Gene Sofer. They too became part of my extended family. Sixth, a number of my closest friends accompanied me on trips abroad (at their own expense). Their companionship made my journeys more pleasant, and I benefited greatly from their insights. They include Dr. Ross Brechner, Jay and Diana Goldin, Gary Grossman, Jules Kroll, Franz Leichter, Bernie Nussbaum, Sig Rolat, and Steve Shalom. Seventh, without the support and votes of my constituents in New York’s Thirteenth Congressional District, I would never have been elected to Congress and then reelected for eight subsequent terms.I deeply appreciate the confidence they reposed in me and consider myself privileged to have represented them in Congress. Last, but by no means least, without my wife, Nina, I never would have been elected to Congress in the first place, and without her love and support I couldn’t possibly have achieved whatever I did accomplish. Her shrewd insights into the people and leaders I encountered and her invariably sagacious advice were an enormous help in making sense of the varied situations I encountered at home and abroad. These encomiums notwithstanding, I alone am responsible both for this memoir and for the actions it describes. No one mentioned above is in any way accountable for what I’ve written or what I did while I was in Congress. ...

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