The mainstream media are quick to pounce when conservative politicians or public figures fail to live up to the ideals they profess. But the hypocritical behavior of prominent liberals gets a free pass from the same media.

A new book, Do As I Say (Not As I Do), by Peter Schweizer, is an attempt to right that imbalance. Despite being ignored by the mainstream media, the book has ranked as high as number six on Amazon’s best seller list.

Readers of the book will be stunned at the pervasiveness of liberal hypocrisy. As Schweizer sums it up: “The reality is that liberals like to preach in moral platitudes. They like to condemn ordinary Americans and Republicans for a whole host of things—racism, lack of concern for the poor, polluting the environment, and greed. But when it comes to applying those same standards to themselves, liberals are found to be shockingly guilty of hypocrisy.”

Following is a sampling of the facts the book reveals about prominent liberals:

Ted Kennedy’s name has been synonymous with liberalism for over a generation. As a Senator he has supported the left-wing position on every major issue, and self-righteously questioned the motives of those who disagreed with him.

Kennedy has consistently voted for higher taxes and against tax relief. He preaches against “loopholes for the rich.” He charges that repeal of the estate (death) tax, which is a great burden to many farms and family businesses, would “benefit millionaires.”

But the Kennedys don’t like to pay taxes themselves. They have sheltered the family fortune in a series of trusts, one of which is set up in Fiji. When Joe Kennedy died in the 1960s, his estate was estimated to be worth up to $500 million (well over a billion in current dollars). Yet the family paid only $134,330 in estate taxes, less than one-half of one percent of the value of the family fortune.

Kennedy’s financial disclosure forms show that today much of his wealth is invested in tax-exempt municipal bonds.

Sen. Kennedy claims to be a strong environmentalist. He has sharply criticized the oil industry and has repeatedly sponsored legislation to encourage development of wind, solar, hydrogen, and other alternative energy sources.

But Kennedy doesn’t want the alternative energy projects in his backyard. In 2003 a group of investors announced plans to build wind turbines off Cape Cod. The windmills were designed to replace a polluting coal-fired electrical plant in the area. Both the Army Corps of Engineers and major environmental groups endorsed the project.

The wind turbines would be located a few miles from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, in one of the family’s favorite sailing and yachting areas. Sen. Kennedy strongly opposed the project, and unsuccessfully tried to pass legislation to have it stopped.

The Kennedy family owns three oil drilling companies: Arctic Oil, Kenoil, and Mokeen Oil. Over the years it has made tens of millions of dollars in profits off these oil interests.

Decrying “excessive profits by oil companies,” Kennedy led a successful drive to eliminate the 22 percent oil depletion allowance, a tax break he said amounted to “welfare for oil companies.”

But the fine print in Kennedy’s bill allowed certain “small” oil companies, including those owned by the Senator’s family, to keep their depletion allowance. In the twenty-plus years since the legislation was passed, the Kennedy oil companies have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in oil depletion allowance.

Kennedy has consistently voted against the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. If he had his way, private gun ownership would be outlawed or severely restricted.

In 1986 Kennedy bodyguard Chuck Stein was arrested in the U.S. Capitol building for carrying an unregistered handgun, two machine guns, and 146 rounds of ammunition. Kennedy attempted to have the charges dropped.

Like Kennedy, Democrat House leader Nancy Pelosi has supported the liberal position on every major issue. She continually attacks Republicans as being the “party of the rich”, but is among the wealthiest members of Congress herself, with a net worth of over $50 million.

“The environment is not an issue, it’s an ethic, it’s a value,” Pelosi proclaims. She and her husband are major partners in an exclusive golf course that charges $250,000 for memberships. The Santa Clara Planning Commission cited the course for flagrant, long-standing violations of environmental standards.

Pelosi is an active supporter of labor unions, including the United Farm Workers and the AFL-CIO’s Hotel and Restaurant Employees. She castigates Republicans as being anti-union.

Pelosi’s holdings include a Napa Valley vineyard worth $20 million. Its farm workers are non-union. She is part-owner of the Hotel Auberge du Soleil, where the cheapest room is $450 per night. The hotel’s 250 employees are non-union.

Filmmaker Michael Moore claims to be a plain, working-class “average Joe,” but is actually a multi-millionaire. He says he owns no stock and denounces defense contractors as “war profiteers.” Yet he has an extensive portfolio, including stock in Halliburton and Boeing.

Moore, maker of the anti-gun film Bowling for Columbine, opposes private gun ownership. But like Ted Kennedy, he has a bodyguard who was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon.

Ralph Nader claims he makes $25,000 per year, lives in a cheap rooming house, and owns little property. In fact he is a wealthy man who lives in a $2 million house that is in his sister’s name.

Schweizer’s book reveals dozens more examples of liberal hypocrisy. Besides those mentioned above, it includes chapters on Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, George Soros, Barbara Streisand, Gloria Steinem, and Noam Chomsky.