One Nation Under Sex

Ben Franklin saved the American revolution by seducing French women. An early American sex scandal set the nation on the path to the Civil War. A gay love affair between James Buchanan and Senator William King aided the secession movement. The sex lives of Americas most powerful leaders have been so whitewashed by historians that people think George Washington and Abe Lincoln were made of marble, not flesh and blood. Here, notorious Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and historian David Eisenbach reflect on the sexual mores of eras past and present, and the evolving role of the press as truth seekers and opinion makers, and discuss how America can reform its politics and begin addressing the real problems that threaten our nation.