'' Herding Cats : A Life in Politics '' is a book written by U.S. Senator Trent Lott , a Republican from Mississippi . Published by HarperCollins Publishers , Inc. on August 23 , 2005 , the book spans 320 pages . The major points of the book are Lott 's childhood in Grenada and Pascagoula , Mississippi , including his struggles with his alcoholic father ; his election to Congress ; his years in the House of Representatives during the Nixon , Carter , and Reagan administrations ( including his service as Minority Whip in that body ) ; and his service in the Senate , especially his service as Majority Leader during the Clinton and Bush Administrations . He recounts the formative events of his youth and the stories from his political life . From his decision to support Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan in the 1976 Republican primary to his working partnership with Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle during the Clinton impeachment and the September 11 attacks in 2001 , Lott traces the inner workings of congressional life
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Herding Cats: A Life in Politics