Northwest Passages: Kenton Bird

Bird and Pierce offer the first major study of Tom Foley’s political career in this penetrating look at a unique and transformative congressional leader who focused on making Congress work by bringing politicians from both sides of the aisle together. Foley’s tenure spanned the crucial years of transition between this bipartisan ideology of governance and the politics of the twenty-first century, between the leadership styles of Democrats Jim Wright and Tip O’Neil and that of Republican Gingrich. Foley’s defeat in 1994 ended this remarkable career of leading from the middle and marked a seismic transition in the landscape of American politics.

Section:Gallery

Sun., Sept. 8, 2024

Author R. Kenton Bird, on left has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
R. Kenton Bird, and John C. Pierce’s book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” on sale at during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on left, has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on left has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on right, and former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden, wait to be introduced during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion. Bird, with co-writer John C, Pierce wrote the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle.”

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on left, has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on left has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, on left has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Author R. Kenton Bird, has a conversation with former Spokesman-Review Olympia Bureau Chief Jim Camden about the book “Tom Foley: Man in the Middle” he co wrote with John C. Pierce, during a Northwest Passages event held Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in the Chronicle Pavilion.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review