Subjects:  1. Gender Studies    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Portrait photography    8. Portraits    9. United States    10. Women legislators    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Political Science / Congress    13. Political science & theory    14. USA    15. Women's studies   

Editorial Review

Bernie Sanders of Vermont uses the story of his 1996 reelection campaign to paint the picture of what it's like to be the first Independent elected to the House of Representatives in 40 years and the only one ever elected to four consecutive terms. Read more

Reviews (4)

This book converted me to Sanders fandom
I was skeptical of Bernie Sanders prior to reading this book.While he is the lone Independent in the House, his behavior to my knowledge, had rarely been independent.For example, he has refused to support Ralph Nader in his runs for office, despite sharing his views much more than the Democratic Party slime who have run since Sanders' 1990 election to Congress.Furthermore, the Progressive Party of Vermont that sprung up around Sanders' political activities has had less than 100% (to put it mildly) of Sanders' backing when it might "offend" the Democratic elites that he depends on for political clout.
Well Done
I am not a big fan of Bernie Sanders at all. I can not support him in any way because he is too radical for my taste as a Moderate Democrat. But this book was very well written. The writing clearly reflects something that he went through as a member of the US House. But I did notice that Bernie accuses everyone for America's problems. It's always someone else's fault. He never mentions his failures which are important to understand as a public official, and what he has really done. I found Bernie to complain almost all the time, but on the other hand, it was very well written, interesting and informative in vermont politics. I enjoyed it, but the more I read it, the more I liked the Republican caniddate that was running against him in 1996.

Very enlightening
Sanders does a few wonderful things in this book - first off, he showswhat socialists truly believe - I now realize that, while I don't agreewith them, I got a false impression of their views from the mass media. The book also gives a detailed account of how hard it is to make it as athird party candidate in America, and does so without becoming dull at anypoints.Finally, Sanders covers a wide range in issues in this book. Overall, very interesting for anyone even remotely interested in Americanpolitics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Congress    4. Congress.    5. Current Affairs    6. House    7. Legislators    8. Political    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Sanders, Bernard    11. U.S. House Of Representatives    12. United States    13. United States.    14. Biography: general    15. Central government    16. Political structure & processes    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. General    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Legislators    6. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    7. Political Science    8. Political planning    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Representative government and representation    12. United States    13. American studies    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political Science / General   

Reviews (3)

Portrait of a Loser
Isn't it funny how John Kerry always has a camera ready for certain occasions? If nothing else this book demonstrates that John Kerry had set his political ambitions as far back as 1964 when he first met George Butler.
Seeing Kerry
These photographs will appeal to those who like to use images to spark their imagination. There is one picture taken in 1972 at a peace rally in Bryant Park, NY.Kerry and Butler were sheltering from the rain in the back of a truck.The hydrolic lift on the truck starts up and rises.On it are John Lennon and Yoko Ono, seemingly levitating right there in front of them!After it reached full height, and the couple stepped into the truck; Butler says he called out to Lennon who turned and he took the picture.What a moment!You could just hear the opening lines of Gimme Some Truth (I'm sick and tired of hearing things From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics...All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth.......
A John Kerry love fest
This book is great for anyone who believes John Kerry should be the next president.I do not believe any book that fawns over the candidates, and this book is no exception.I had trouble getting through it.If you love the man and want to hear only glowing positives, this book is for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Kerry, John, 1943-    5. Legislators    6. Pictorial works    7. Political    8. Political Process - General    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Presidential candidates    12. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    13. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    14. U.S. Senate    15. United States    16. Biography & Autobiography / Political   

Editorial Review

When senators think about running for president, they write books like Read more

Reviews (24)

The Conscience of a Liberal
I am disappointed in this book.I expected something more philosophical and/or well written.I admire Wellstone's work as a politician but find his writing rather mediocre.American history and politics are my meat and bread.This book does not meet my standards.I usually buy books since I'm a bookaholic, but i wish I had borrowed this from the library.It does not meet my standards.

What a GREAT Book...
I was a great admirer of Paul Wellstone ever since the fall of 1990. Although I have lived in Minnesota since 2001, in 1990 I was a college sophomore in another state who was writing a paper studying the 1990 elections. I follwed the 1990 Minnesota Senate race, and was pleasantly surprised when he went against the predominate "conventional wisdom" and scored an upset victory (he was the ONLY Democrat to defeat an incumbent that year).
10 stars Buy for every Democrat elected or running for office and for yourself!
Great book that begins where he was in college and how he and his wife met and how they became the activists they were and what a real progressive is or at least should be. And that being a liberal is nothing to be ashamed of! Sadly the Senator died in 2002 just before he would have been reelected to the Senate. Some of us still believe it wasn't the innocent accident some say that killed him when the plane he was on went down.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Congress    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - State & Provincial    6. History & Theory - General    7. Legislators    8. Liberalism    9. Minnesota - State Government    10. Political    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. U.S. Senate    14. United States    15. Wellstone, Paul David    16. Central government    17. Local government    18. Political structure & processes    19. USA   

Subjects:  1. Government - Legislative Branch    2. Government - State & Provincial    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Policy - General    10. Referendum    11. United States    12. Central government    13. Political science & theory    14. Political structures: democracy    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Congress.    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Parliamentary practice    8. Rules and practice    9. Senate    10. U.S. Congress (General)    11. United States    12. United States.    13. History / General History    14. Political Science / Foreign Legal Systems    15. Political Science/Government - Legislative Branch    16. Theometrics/Secular   

Reviews (6)

Extraordinary!
If you want to be witness to a very active and functional liberal mind, it's Cuomo's writings you should explore. Courage for the Liberal Soul
Already known in Progressive circles as among the best political thinkers and speakers of the last 20 years, Governor Cuomo paints a clear and gripping picture of modern American politics. Great book
I really enjoyed this book. Mario Cuomo really has a strong grasp on the most important issues of today. His views should be those shared by moral americans. As he says we are not all just 250 million lone horsemen ridingoff into the sunset, we're all in it together. It is our unity that keepsus strong. I agree with Cuomo that the Republicans are all just abunch of babbling bafoons filled with greed. They are always pandering tothe basest fears of people. Man's basest nature is greed and desire forcontrol over other humans....... The Republicans embody all of that. Greedand Control. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1993-2001    2. Congress    3. Economic policy    4. Elections    5. General    6. Government - Legislative Branch    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. Liberalism    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Social policy    13. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    14. U.S. Government    15. United States    16. Current Events / General   

Subjects:  1. (George William),    2. 1861-1944    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. Norris, George W    6. Progressivism (United States p    7. United States    8. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    9. Biography: historical    10. The Americas   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Decision making    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Process - General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Voting    12. Women legislators    13. Women's Studies - General    14. Central government    15. Social Science / Women's Studies    16. USA    17. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. 1749-1822    2. Alien and Sedition laws, 1798    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. General    5. Lyon, Matthew,    6. Politics and government    7. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    8. United States    9. Lyon, Matthew   

Reviews (1)

Exceptional
Exceptional ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional history    3. General    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. Law    8. Legal History    9. Legal Reference / Law Profession    10. Legislative power    11. United States    12. United States - 19th Century    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. Constitutional & administrative law    15. Law / General    16. USA    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. 30 B.C.-284 A.D    2. Ancient - Rome    3. Ancient Rome - History    4. Ancient State    5. Congress    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Politics and government    9. Rome    10. Senate    11. Ancient Rome    12. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    13. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (3)

A fast but not really filling read.
Richard B Russell Democrat from Winder Georgia, was an extremely skilled parlimentarian and executive. However he was easy prey for Lyndon Johnson who gave him the shad treatment.In looking at this man's life he accomplished many things but in the end was lacking in 3 things. The courage to step up and lead the Senate and bend it to his will on agricultural and defense issues and an inability to see beyond his roots and their limiting factors he could of broken the mold and become President if he realized that geography and socioeconomic factors would inflict a defacto segragation on America and that once they were done with the Civil rights struggle the north would lose much of it's passion for social reform and change and the nation would be generally like it always was with blacks in the end vanishing into the mostly white Hispanic race.The third thing that I found him lacking in was honor he was but a Lyndon Johnson stepping stone and no Samuel T Rayburn.

One Of The Greatest Senators To NEVER Be President
Henry Clay. Daniel Webster. John C. Calhoun. James F. Byrnes. Robert A. Taft. Hubert Humphrey. Add Richard Russell to this list and what do you get? A collection of our nation's most accomplished and able Senators whonever became President. All of these men were giants in their time, andRussell was no exception. The youngest Governor in Georgia history, Russellcame to Washington as a Senator in 1933 and left in the early 70's, feetfirst. A legislator of uncommon ability, Russell was a master of theprocedures, traditions, and customs of the Senate; of parliamentarytactics; and was constructive on all matters of domestic or foreign policy.His peers referred to him as a 'Senator's Senator', Presidents called him a'President's Senator'. His hold over Georgia's political and businessestablishments enabled him to seek reelection every six years unopposed.Unfortunately, his refusal to change his political position or personalattitudes on the issue of civil rights doomed him to be a 'regionalSenator' rather than a 'national' one. He sought the Democratic Party'spresidential nomination in 1952, but won only the delegates from the statesof the Confederacy. Despite the increasing liberalism of his party, Russellthe conservative, voted the straight Democratic ticket in every election.Russell was perhaps truly the last great statesman of the Senate.

Story, yes; insight, no.
This book is a straightforward account of the life of one of the 20th century's five most important U.S. senators. However, it falls short in examining Russell's ideology, which is tied to his time and place when it is ever mentioned. A fully satisfactory biography will have to explore the man behind the rise of Lyndon Johnson, the coordinated southern resistance to integration, and much of Senate anti-Communism from an intellectual point of view. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Richard Brevard),    2. 1897-1971    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Georgia    7. Georgia - State Government    8. Governors    9. Legislators    10. Political    11. Regional Subjects - South    12. Russell, Richard B    13. Russell, Richard B.    14. U.S. Senate    15. United States   

Reviews (8)

Worth the Price of Admission
After reading and enjoying the first half of this book, I signed on to read the reviews here.I have come to believe it is a good measure of a book to look at the seriousness of the negative reviews.The one negative review here, so far, is not credible.To criticize a substative critique of our governmental procedures because it is not entertaining, seems shallow.To call a work polemic, is not to say it is untrue.
An overall analysis of Congressional failures
How does Congress sabotage U.S. security? Wastrels of Defense: How Congress Sabotages U.S. Security is no sensationalist title: it's written by a veteran National Security Advisor to four senators and backed by years of political insider interactions. His is a damning expose arguing that since 9/11, Congress has endangered the nation's security by diverting money from war-fighting accounts to pay for state interests. Meticulous documentation of such actions makes this a winning title not limited to one party or philosophy, but to an overall analysis of Congressional failures.
Helpful Reading, More Opinion than Research

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Subjects:  1. Appropriations and expenditure    2. Congress    3. Defenses    4. Dept. of Defense    5. Economic aspects    6. Government - Legislative Branch    7. Patronage, Political    8. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    9. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. United States - General    15. Waste in government spending    16. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Government - Legislative Branch    2. Politics - Current Events    3. Reference    4. United States - General    5. Political Science / Congress   

Reviews (1)

Good Book--Interesting Subject
We used this as a textbook in one of our classes.It was pretty helpful.Shows the direction that Congress and the Presidency are moving in with regards to polarization and explains the reason for that movement. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Process - Leadership    6. Political Process - Political Parties    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Presidents    11. United States    12. United States.    13. Political leaders & leadership    14. Political structures: democracy    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Giddings, Joshua R   

Subjects:  1. Federal government    2. General    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Science    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Apportionment (Election law)    2. Congress    3. Congress.    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Senate    10. United States    11. United States.    12. Central government    13. Political Science / Congress    14. Political science & theory    15. USA