Peter Benchley worked as a speech writer from March 1967 to January 1969 for President Lyndon Johnson, one of our most flamboyant national leaders, giving him the opportunity to observe the workings of national bureaucracies at first hand. Even after an absence of seventeen years, the scene and the characters vying for power and influence remained fresh in his mind. Distrust of public officials — the attitude of most Americans — may be justified for the most part, but much that happens in the capital is a source of comedy for the detached observer. Regardless of the administration, Washington always presents inexhaustible material for the satirist. Most Americans welcome a chance to know what working in the government complex is like and to have a few laughs at its expense. To what extent is official Washington really working in the interests of the people? The quest for power...