Murphy defends $100,000 advance

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, D-PA, last night defended the $100,000 advance he received for his now-released memoir, “Taking the Hill,” telling audience members gathered at the National Constitution Center “I wish it was a whole lot more.”

Murphy kicked off a weeklong series of public appearances promoting his book before a polite audience of about 150, comprised mostly of anti-war activists and students of moderator Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky’s government class.

The Constitution Center had hoped to charge a $15 admission for the event, but the fee was waived after a lack of public interest.

Margolies-Mezvinsky, herself an author and one-term member of the House of Representatives, asked Murphy about the controversy surrounding his six-figure advance during a tightly choreographed, 90 minute session.

“I wish it was a whole lot more,” Murphy responded, claiming his publishing deal with politically-connected literary agent Esther Newberg was “a pretty standard deal.”

Extensive research by the Majority Accountability Project (www.majorityap.com) found Murphy’s deal was anything but standard. First, House members are expressly prohibited from accepting royalty advances, a rule Murphy skirted by making his deal with Newberg shortly before taking the oath of office.

Also, the size of Murphy’s advance is ten- to one-hundred times the size of that normally garnered by first time authors, and most Congressional authors earn only a fraction of what the Pennsylvania Democrat garnered before even printing a single page.

Murphy claimed his hefty advance was necessary to “keep the publisher honest.”

“It makes sure the book gets out there and gets in people’s hands,” he said.

But Murphy’s view is not shared by his agent, further calling into question the freshman Democrat’s contention that his was a standard deal.

“If a book comes in and the publisher doesn't like it, nothing forces him to get behind it - not the size of the advance, not the size of the guaranteed budget,” Newberg once told the New York Times.

The only review of the book has come from Philadelphia Magazine, which panned Murphy’s effort. Murphy “may one day have a good book in him,” they said, before adding “that day isn’t here yet.”

While Murphy said little Monday night to generate headlines, one comment is sure to raise eyebrows.

The Bucks County Democrat responded to a question on torture of suspected terrorists. Murphy, who opposes torture, was particularly dismissive of his critics and those who support the practice.

“Where’s your Bronze Star? What’d you do?” Murphy said he responds to those with whom he disagrees.

Murphy earned a Bronze Star while serving in Iraq as an Army lawyer. He was cited for his work in rebuilding the Iraqi court system.