WASHINGTON – It has become a mantra from hard-core Democratic Party activists that the 2000 presidential election was "stolen."

The claim has been renewed in the aftermath of the 2010 midterm election as Democrats were pushed out of power in the House with no one to blame but themselves.

But there is a definitive history of this election, written by a woman literally at the "Center of the Storm." Her name is Katherine Harris, and she was the secretary of state in Florida and had an inside glimpse at the controversy that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, ultimately handing George W. Bush the presidency.

"It's amazing how fast even recent history can be forgotten and distorted," said Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND and the founder of WND Books, which published "Center of the Storm" as its first title back in 2002. "Because of all the disinformation about there, I wanted to bring this book back and make it available for Americans on this 10th anniversary of the constitutional crisis that was manufactured in 2000 so everyone would have access to the unvarnished truth."

Harris went on to be elected to the House of Representatives and a member of leadership in the Republican caucus.

And she's the author of a new work about those experiences for WND Books – called, of course, "Center of the Storm."

But that's not all. Now, having been elected to the House only a month ago, the Sarasota, Fla., Republican has been tapped by House Republican leadership to serve as assistant majority whip.

The announcement was made at yesterday's freshman orientation for new House members.

In "Center of the Storm," one of dozens of books published by WND Books, Harris combines news-making disclosures and practical lessons in a "how-I-did-it" and "you-can-too" guide for holding up amid controversy and coming out on top.

The battle for the White House following the election of Nov. 7, 2000, was one of the biggest political controversies in U.S. history. As the Florida recount unfolded in a maze of bizarre events, Harris was faced with the challenge of a lifetime. What enabled her to maintain her integrity, poise, stick to her guns and hold true to her principles? In "Center of the Storm," she tells all.

Harris is a former IBM marketing executive and vice president of a commercial real estate firm. She served as Florida's 23rd secretary of state and became a freshman member of the 108th U.S. Congress. Harris co-chaired President George W. Bush's presidential campaign in Florida. Prior to her own election as secretary of state, she served in the Florida Senate for four years. A lifelong supporter of the arts, Harris earned degrees from Agnes Scott College and Harvard University.

"This book is an important piece of history," says Farah. "If the distortion of that history bugs you, you will want to read this book from cover to cover and arm yourself with the facts."

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Nov. 30, 2010