A tale of friendship and betrayal, pragmatism and idealism, infighting and spin, the novel opens on the eve of a crucial vote on an ultra-conservative Supreme Court nominee. Senator Ellen Fischer is handed explosive documents that will surely derail the nomination she opposes - if she takes them to the floor of the Senate the next day. Her key staff members are divided: one urges her to go public, since no nomination could withstand such revelations. Another is more cautious - there are other battles to be fought, and this information cannot be verified before the vote takes place. Making matters more complex, the source of the information is Greg Hunter, a journalist with right-wing credentials. Greg is also Ellen's former lover - and the best friend of her beloved husband, Josh, whose own political career was fatally, and suspiciously, cut short.<BR>Ellen faces an ethical and practical dilemma: Say nothing, and a dangerous judge will take a seat on the highest court in the land. Speak up, and Senator Fischer's own career may be irreparably jeopardized. In coming to her decision, Ellen is forced to confront truths not just about her present and her future, but also about the mysteries of her past.<BR>From student activism on the streets of Berkeley to intrigue deep in the hideaways under the Capitol, A Time to Run is the story of one woman's unexpected rise to political prominence and the difficult choices that come with it. Barbara Boxer, writing with Mary-Rose Hayes, reveals the inner workings of the corridors of power and creates a memorable portrait of what makes people - and our government - tick.