Sun Myung Moon: It's Not a Conspiracy... Its True

This is the larger-than-life story of Reverend Moon, the billionaire Korean preacher behind the Washington Times, the heart of the GOP media machine... who jet-sets around the world with members of the Bush family... who literally claims to be the Second Coming... to whom D.C. insiders shamelessly pay homage. Years ago, Moon was widely considered a dangerous madman, like Jim Jones or L. Ron Hubbard. He inspired TV specials with names like "Escape From The Moonies." His group earned its notoriety by prying young people from families, persuading them to sell flowers to underwrite Moon's New York mansions and yacht, and marrying his subjects to strangers as a show of domination. Not only is he still around, but he is richer and more influential than ever. In 2004, journalist John Gorenfeld scooped the Washington press corps when he exposed a dinner party on Capitol Hill, in which members of Congress watched as Moon held a ritual coronation for himself as the "King of Peace." Wearing a majestic cape and coronet, the publisher declared himself the Messiah. The New York Times editors compared the event, sponsored by a U.S. senator, to an act of the Roman emperor Caligula.

That, as you might imagine, was just the tip of the iceberg.

Bad Moon Rising takes you into the underbelly of the Religious Right. Which is surprisingly, scandalously entwined with Moon and his business empire -- an untold chapter in American political history.

The grand absurdity is that Moon has become a major patron of conservative politics. And from his seat of respect, he is launching odd, multi-million dollar campaigns of his own to replace Jesus (whom he considers a failure), and attack the wall between church and state; his church, that is.

There's more. The Chicago Tribune has reported that he controls the U.S. sushi industry. He manufactures heavy industry, does business with Kim Jong-Il. And he now officially considers himself Emperor of the Universe, claiming the imagined endorsements of dead U.S. presidents.

Strange sex and violence, power and blasphemy... The author invites you on an arresting journey as he explores the skulduggery with which Moon insinuated himself into Washington's most moralistic circles, with a cast including the Bush family, Jerry Falwell, Left Behind author Tim LaHaye, Richard Nixon, an overseas gangster or two, and the men who built the Religious Right... with more than a little help from Moon.

Read about the state of American democracy in Bad Moon Rising, and you won't know whether to laugh or cry.