In the middle of a contentious election season, it might be the perfect time to look back, to try to figure out how we got here. In “The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism,” best-selling author and Equal Time guest Joe Conason investigates how lofty rhetoric can sometimes hide money-making motives. Who benefits, who is left to pay the bill and how does anyone get away with it?

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