Saving Frank Casey

It is June 2004 and life is a mixed bag for Frank Casey, a corporate lawyer and legal aid volunteer. He regrets the mistakes he made in his marriage, misses his ex-wife, and sees no possibility of advancement within a corporate legal department that is run like a feudal kingdom. But, on the up side, he enjoys his many friends, and is on the cusp of a romantic relationship with a beautiful and brilliant lawyer colleague. Election Day 2004 approaches and Casey, an opponent of the Iraq war, becomes increasingly concerned about the Catholic Bishops and Protestant Religious Right steering votes to President Bush because of his opposition to Roe versus Wade, embryonic stem cell research, and same-sex marriage. To counter them, Casey establishes a web site that uses religious arguments to try to dissuade Christian voters from applying a pro-life and family values litmus test that would eliminate John Kerry from consideration. He is joined in the endeavor by: Rita Alvarez, a lesbian legal aid lawyer; Rita's partner Robbie Beck, a public relations and advertising wiz; Howard King, a black computer nerd; and Sister Karen Holm, a young nun toward whom Casey feels a troublesome attraction that he considers taboo. As a result of Beck's skill and grit, the web site generates theological, legal, and political controversy that impacts the presidential campaign and turns Casey's world upside down, shattering his career, religious life, and relationship with the woman he loves. In accordance with the author's instructions, the publisher will send the author's portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to United States Fund for UNICEF and Legal Services of New Jersey in equal shares.