Congresses, Senates, & Legislative Bodies Books - Page 3

Obama Unmasked: Did Slick Hollywood Handlers Create the Perfect Candidate?

Floyd Brown, Lee Troxler

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Must Read before the 2008 Presidential election 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is filled with facts about Obamas' connections to the unworthy ones. Obama fans won't want to read but need to. One of the more interesting things in the book is about the October Surprise that a billionaire named Soros manages to pull off prior to any election he wants his chosen ones to win,like Obama. Great read and easy to read.Makes your furious at what goes on in politics and Obama is not the first.

Read Before Voting 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Well-researched and documented. "Obama Unmasked" represents the new wave of political creations and manipulations. The information is disquieting.

Obama Unmasked 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Anyone who thinks Obama should be President of the U.S. should read this book. It sure as shooting would change their mind. What is told about Obama is very upsetting to say the least.

Scary if true 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book was a fascinating look into the life of a presidential candidate who came out of nowhere. If everything in this book is true then Obama is an extreme, far left candidate who is definitely out for change, but is it the kind of change that we want? The book corroborates a lot of the information that is contained in two other Obama books, "Obamanation" and "The Case Against Barack Obama" but is written in a much easier style. This is a fast read that you will not want to put down because you will want to know the next secret that Barack Obama surely would not want you to know. The most fascinating chapter of this book (and frightening) was the one on George Soros and how he plans to sabotage the financial system for the benefit of Obama's candidacy. I was reading that chapter while Wall Street was going bonkers and I was seething. Most of the informiaton contained in this book has been covered more extensively in the right wing press but has been paid lip service in the main stream media (which is just about everyone). I wish that all Americans read this book because it certainly would sway the opinions of independent voters and some more moderate voters in the Democratic party.

Editorial Review:

Meet Obama's Worst Nightmare. The book that rips the mask off the man that hides behind sound bites and Hollywood spin. If you want to get to know the real Obama read this book.

How Congress Works and Why You Should Care

Lee H. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Substantive View from inside Congress 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This book is especially valuable because the author's insights on Congress come from his long legislative career. It is a substantive view of the legislative branch from the inside.

Hamilton provides a good sense of the usually messy process involved in a bill becoming law, explaining how powerful members can often circumvent the normal process, and sometimes even avoid bringing a bill into committee.

After reading this book, I came away with a better operational sense of politics---the compromise, listening, and coalition building that are essential in our democracy. I also learned more about how power affects the system---in the House, for example, the party in the majority can set the rules for debate, and thus controls a lot of the legislative process. Power shifts as well---over the years, speakers have become less powerful, committee heads more so. Some members can command more national attention than others, which adds weight to whatever issue or initiative they are pushing.

But more significant than the how is the why. Hamilton makes a great case for the average citizen getting civically involved, and he explains the positive impact government can have in our lives. He doesn't mince words in acknowledging government's faults. But he also explains that some common criticisms people have of government---that politicians compromise too much, and that the process is too slow---are actually misplaced because these types of things are part of the democratic process itself. Autocracies tend to work quickly. Democracies are more complicated, often more messy, but ultimately more represenative.

Editorial Review:

"How Congress Works and Why You Should Care" is a concise introduction to the functions and vital role of the U.S. Congress by eminent former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton. Drawing on 34 years as a U.S. Representative, Hamilton explains how Congress reflects the diversity of the American people, serves as a forum for finding consensus, and provides balance within the federal government. Addressing widespread public misperceptions, he outlines areas where Congress can work better and ways for citizens to become more engaged in public affairs through their representatives in Washington. "How Congress Works and Why You Should Care" is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the inner workings of Congress, and how all citizens can participate in its unique mission.

Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times

Willie L. Brown Jr.

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

To The Washington Post, he's "The Last Political Showman of the 20th Century."

Bill Clinton has called him "the real Slick Willie."

Ronald Reagan's secretary of state George Shultz called this famously liberal politician "a man of his word" and endorsed his successful candidacy for mayor of San Francisco.

Indeed Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both called upon him for advice and help. He is Willie L. Brown, Jr., and he knows how to get things done in politics, how to work both sides of the aisle to get results. Compared to him, Machiavelli looks meek. And drab.

In Basic Brown, this product of rural, segregated Texas and the urban black neighborhoods of San Francisco tells how he rose through the civil rights movement to become the most potent black politician in America through his shrewd understanding and use of political power and political money. He adapts the lessons he has learned so they can be used by anyone -- black, female, male -- intent on acquiring political power.

And this master of the political deal demonstrates why deals are not enough, and that political power grows only when public good is being done. Willie Brown shows how some of the most far-reaching and socially advanced legislation in American history -- like gun control, legalized abortion, gay rights, and school funding -- was carried out under his guidance and on his watch, and tells of the ingenuity, the political machinations, and the personal perseverance that were required to enact what now seems to many to be obvious legislation. These are stories of breathtaking, sometimes hilarious ruses and gambits that show that even the most high-minded legislation needs the assistance of the skills of a shark, which is what Willie Brown often sees himself as.

Basic Brown is a compendium of insights and stories on the real forces governing power in American political life that will leave you looking at politics anew. It is also the inspiring and funny story of the rise of a gawky teenager in mail-order shoes and trousers who rose to entertain royalty and schoolchildren, superstars and supersize egos, the saintly and the scholarly, while working to transform and open American politics. If you ever wanted to learn how to be slick, a shark, a do-gooder, and a man of your word, Willie L. Brown, Jr., is the storyteller for you.

Like No Other Time: The Two Years That Changed America

Tom Daschle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tom Daschle, the Majority Leader of the historic 107th Senate, presents a candid insider’s account of the workings of the U.S. government during two of the most tumultuous years in the nation’s history.

The 107th Congress faced a time like no other in the life of the nation. This was the era of the first presidential election to be decided by the United States Supreme Court, the fifty-fifty Senate, the horror of September 11, the anthrax attacks on media and the government (including Daschle’s own office), the war on terrorism, corporate scandals that shook the economy, the inexorable move toward war with Iraq, and other dramatic events, all leading up to the historic midterm elections of 2002.

Through it all, Senator Tom Daschle had, with the exception of the President, the most privileged view of these unfolding developments, both in front of and behind the closed doors of government. In Like No Other Time, Daschle offers a riveting account of his singular perspective on a time when the nation faced deadly and elusive external enemies and a level of domestic political contention rarely seen in American history. Senator Daschle is un-flinching in his impressions of the key political figures of our time from both parties. The result is an acutely perceptive assessment of how our government met—and sometimes did not meet—the challenges of a remarkable era.

As it was during the years of the 107th Congress, the United States is once again at a critical and historic crossroads. Our choices, based on what we have learned from our recent past, will affect our future in profound ways. For Senator Daschle, the first and perhaps most important choice lies with what kind of representation and leadership we want in government. It is a choice between a political party with a core philosophical belief in the power of our collective will to confront these challenges through our government, and one dominated by a group of people who don’t like and don’t believe in government.


From the Hardcover edition.

Fire-Breathing Liberal: How I Learned to Survive (and Thrive) in the Contact Sport of Congress

Robert Wexler, David Fisher

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

There’s a reason The Nation, America’s leading progressive magazine, named Robert Wexler the country’s “Most Valuable Congressman.” It's the same reason right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh refers to him as “disgusting.” It's because for the last twelve years Wexler has been Congress’s most outspoken liberal -- taking on George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Alberto Gonzales, General David Petraeus, and, when necessary, even his own party.

In Fire-Breathing Liberal, Wexler brings readers onto the floor of the House and puts them at the center of some of the last decade’s biggest controversies. He passionately describes how he defended Bill Clinton from impeachment and how he stood up against the Bush brothers when the “butterfly” ballots in his Florida district wrongly decided the 2000 presidential election. He also offers an honest and brutal assessment of the Iraq war and explains why he has become a leader in the movement to impeach Vice President Cheney. And, with warmth and wit, Wexler shares some of the funniest stories from the corridors of Congress, including how he became The Colbert Report’s most talked-about guest.

This is a remarkably candid first-person account of recent political history that shows government as it has rarely been seen -- by a Democrat in the middle of the storms.

Like No Other Time: The 107th Congress and the Two Years That Changed America Forever

Tom Daschle, Michael D'Orso

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tom Daschle, the Majority Leader of the historic 107th Senate, presents a candid insider’s account of the workings of the U.S. government during two of the most tumultuous years in the nation’s history.

The 107th Congress faced a time like no other in the life of the nation. This was the era of the first presidential election to be decided by the United States Supreme Court, the fifty-fifty Senate, the horror of September 11, the anthrax attacks on media and the government (including Daschle’s own office), the war on terrorism, corporate scandals that shook the economy, the inexorable move toward war with Iraq, and other dramatic events, all leading up to the historic midterm elections of 2002.

Through it all, Senator Tom Daschle had, with the exception of the President, the most privileged view of these unfolding developments, both in front of and behind the closed doors of government. In Like No Other Time, Daschle offers a riveting account of his singular perspective on a time when the nation faced deadly and elusive external enemies and a level of domestic political contention rarely seen in American history. Senator Daschle is un-flinching in his impressions of the key political figures of our time from both parties. The result is an acutely perceptive assessment of how our government met—and sometimes did not meet—the challenges of a remarkable era.

As it was during the years of the 107th Congress, the United States is once again at a critical and historic crossroads. Our choices, based on what we have learned from our recent past, will affect our future in profound ways. For Senator Daschle, the first and perhaps most important choice lies with what kind of representation and leadership we want in government. It is a choice between a political party with a core philosophical belief in the power of our collective will to confront these challenges through our government, and one dominated by a group of people who don’t like and don’t believe in government.

Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders

Tom A. Coburn, John Hart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Self righteous pablum 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book, based on the reviews here, is self-righteous pablum with little factual substance. A better, book, one that I've actually read, is Chris Edwards - Downsizing the Federal Government (Cato).

A text book for freshman Congressmen and women 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is truly inspiring. It will open your eyes to the world of Washington and inspire you to make a difference. Please visit the the web site for Americans for Limited Government in which Sen. Coburn was chair

Editorial Review:

Tom A. Coburn, a congressional maverick who kept his promise to serve three terms and then leave Washington, offers a candid look at the inner workings of Congress--why the system changes politicians instead of vice versa. Breach of Trust shows readers, through shocking behind-the-scenes stories, why Washington resists the reform our country desperately needs and how they can make wise, informed decisions about current and future political issues and candidates. This honest and critical look at business as usual in Congress reveals how and why elected representatives are quickly seduced into becoming career politicians who won't push for change. Along the way, Coburn offers readers realistic ideas for how to make a difference.

The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming the Compassionate Agenda (Minnesota)

Paul David Wellstone

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Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From his earliest childhood memories to the college classroom, from rural Minnesota farm fields and the defense of workers' rights to his 1990 election campaign promises of politics for the benefit of the people, The Conscience of a Liberal candidly discusses Wellstone's life experiences and the coming-of-age of his political views. What emerges is an intriguing inside look at Wellstone's crusade to assert an unabashedly liberal agenda.

From the moment he was elected, Wellstone has passionately articulated a path to economic and social justice for all citizens, justice not contingent on the size of a person's bank account or their political influence. A call for personal politics and deep commitment to beliefs, Wellstone's tenure as a U.S. senator has been a vigorous, at times outraged, and always active fight for support for farmers, working families, and other Minnesotans; for decent jobs, improved health care, a good education, and retirement security.

At once responding to the conservative hijacking of compassion as a political yardstick and explaining his own political record, Wellstone engagingly elucidates what contrasts conservative and liberal interests and, as always, rouses progressives to influence the future of American politics.

"Wellstone promised to be what Washingtonians always say their city desperately needs: a colorful character. No one was disappointed. He still considers himself an activist, and his book reads like the work of an activist." Wall Street Journal

"Wellstone relishes the role of the lonely hero taking on powerful bullies, and irritates his jaded colleagues with his stubborn stand on principles." Washington Monthly

"A call to arms aimed at politically like-minded Americans, time and again The Conscience of a Liberal argues that a grassroots movement of progressives can defy the odds." National Journal

Senator Paul Wellstone was a professor of political science at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, for twenty-one years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1990.

Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance

Ossie Garfield Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This is the one 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 22 people found this review helpful.

This is the one you want if you are a novice at parliamentary procedure. After experiencing several unruly church conferences I began looking for an easy to use book, this is it. The center of the book indexes all the basic procedures you will need. I compliment the author in making it easy to use and not making the reader drowsy.

Parliamentary Procedure at a glance 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I was buying this for our 4-H parliamentarian (10 years old), hoping it was kid friendly.

It is still very complicated and am not sure it will meet our needs.

Parliamentry Procedure at a Glance bu Ossie Garfield Jones 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Better than I expected. A very good general guide to meeting procedure with some very good ideas and notes

Parliamentary Procedure at a Glance: New Edition 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I found this very helpful and easy to understand.

In the heat of the meeting, reach for this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The center pages of this little book are worth the book's purchase price all by themselves. Every kind of motion and amendment are listed in their priority, making it extremely easy to untangle the knots that many of us get into when the meeting we are leading suddenly has a flurry of motions. Keep it handy, open it to the center, and you will see at a glance what to do and who is right in their understanding of the way to handle a particular motion.

I was introduced to this book in a parliamentary procedure class - the copyright of my edition is 1971! I have referred to it ever since and given it to many friends and organizations.

Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process

Walter J. Oleszek

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The definitive work on how congressional rules, procedures, and traditions affect the course and content of legislation, this seventh edition reflects both thorough updating and further refinement. In the House and the Senate, and from committee room to the floor, the fundamentals of lawmaking are made clear in Walter Oleszek's straight talking, informative book on Congress. With dozens of lively illustrations, charts, and extracts from real documents, Oleszek spotlights both "regular order" and unconventional procedures while explaining the role of congressional leadership, the use of strategic tactics, and complicated parliamentary processes. Readers will appreciate Oleszek's insight on the ever-sophisticated use of procedures--such as "filling the tree"--to achieve party and policy objectives in a time of sharper partisanship.

Updates include:

• changes in congressional budgeting, such as the return of fiscal deficits, the clash between discretionary spending and entitlements, and the drive to curb the explosion in earmarks
• the "nuclear option" controversy over filibusters
• the wider use of technology in the lawmaking process