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The ultimate Republican insider’s caustic exposé of what passes for business as usual in Washington today
There was a time, not so very long ago, when perfectly rational people ran the Republican Party. So how did the party of Lincoln become the party of lunatics? That is what this book aims to answer. Fear not, the Dems come in for their share of tough talk— they are zombies, a party of the living dead.
Mike Lofgren came to Washington in the early eighties—those halcyon, post–Nixonian glory days—for what he imagined would be a short stint on Capitol Hill. He has witnessed quite a few low points in his twenty-eight years on the Hill—but none quite so pitiful as the antics of the current crop of legislators whom we appear to have elected.
Based on the explosive article Lofgren wrote when he resigned in disgust after the debt ceiling crisis, The Party Is Over is a funny and impassioned exposé of everything that is wrong with Washington. Obama and his tired cohorts are no angels but they have nothing on the Republicans, whose wily strategists are bankrupting the country one craven vote at a time. Be prepared for some fireworks.
Introduction 1
1 The Party of Lincoln, the Party of Jefferson 9
2 Tactics: War Minus the Shooting 25
3 All Wrapped Up in the Constitution 44
4 A Devil's Dictionary 55
5 Taxes and the Rich 67
6 Worshipping at the Altar of Mars 85
7 Media Complicity 112
8 Give Me that Old-Time Religion 128
9 No Eggheads Wanted 144
10 A Low Dishonest Decade 165
11 Are The Democrats Any Better? 189
12 A Way Out? 200
Acknowledgments 219
Notes 221
Index 229
Paull911
Posted September 11, 2012
More than any other recent 'political' book, I found Lofgren's book to be especially relevant right now, before the election in November. If you are looking for an even-handed account of how we got to the point we are at as a nation, read this book. Period.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 7, 2012
Recently, Mr. Lofgren appeared on the Charlie Rose program in an indepth interview. I found Lofgren to be a wry insightful intellectual with something important to say, and saying very well. From inside the Beltway, finally someone 'socks it to 'em'. Will Rogers, America's great satirist said, "We've got the best politicians that money can buy", and Lofgren lifts the skirts of our bellacose politicans. There is nothing really wrong with the ship, it's just the disgusting people who are running, sic. 'ruining', the ship these days. I'm 65, majored in political science and economics, and my old econ professor, Walter Heller, predicted this was coming in 1965! Read his, "New Dimensions of Political Economy". Not as tragicomedic as Lofgren's work, but worthy of any person interested in where we might be headed. Into that cold dark night. Rage, rage.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A polemical but thoughtfully accurate take on the collapse of the major parties in the United States by Mike Lofgren is a treasure. Mr. Lofgren is someone close to the subject, intellectually capable, and wise. Combined with several other recent works about politics is America, it is vital reading. Mr. Lofgren trained as a historian. His writing is fresh, lucid, and comprehensive.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 28, 2012
Here are all the things that have bothered you about politics but you were unable to put a name to it. Here it is defined, listed and exposed. I found this an intelligent assessment.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 28, 2012
Highly recommend. Very timely.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 26, 2012
While I find that the subtitle perfectly describes how I feel about both parties, it fails to fulfill its promise of describing how the parties reached their current state of disfunction. Rather it is one long cliched gripe that basically just repeats common critticisms discussed daily in the news media. I also must ask why the author finds only economic issues as important and views social issues as mere distractions and why he blames only the Republican party for using those issues to distract from what he views as important when both parties use their stand on social issues to attract voters.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 12, 2012
It's always fun (and kind of depressing) to read something from a Washington insider. The 'conservative glossary' was hilarious! Highly recommended, 4.5 stars.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 20, 2013
Not very well documended and wandered from subject to subject.
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Posted February 27, 2013
Oh same old school
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Posted February 27, 2013
Sounds like so much fun, haha(:
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Posted January 4, 2013
Mr. Lofgren hits the proverbial nail on the head over and over in his current book. A lifelong Republican, i switched my allegiance several years ago and registered Independent for many of the reasons he cites in his book. While I feel he could have been a bit rougher on the Democrats, I still think the book is a must read-especially for the younger members of our electorate. I took issue with just a few of his comments about the military. Not about military brass, more about our soldiers and their families who are asked to jump on a constantly revolving platform that has them home for shorter and shorter periods, putting them back into harm's way, leaving families behind and coming back broken in body and spirit. We give as generously as we can afford to The Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops because our men and women come back with serious physical challenges and receive all too little support from Uncle Sam. Mr. Lofgren seems to suggest that soldiers and their families receive too much in the way of "retirement" and other monies. I would agree that changes have to be made in that area because we can no longer support the generous 20 year retirement option, but to suggest that the change needs to be made for those who have retired and have long lived on that promise seems to me to be a bit over the top. I have no problem with means testing, nor do I have a problem with enforcing the law that keeps top brass from leaving the military one week and becoming lobbyists and high paid consultants the next week. He does not seem to have an answer to the question of recruitment given a severely diminished salary/healthcare option. I was most impressed with his suggestions for the future. If we're going to fix the mess our government is in, many of the fixes are laid out in that section of the book and are worth serious consideration.
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Posted December 29, 2012
Request songsm
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 14, 2012
Tell the DJ your favorite song & he will play it for you.
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Posted September 25, 2012
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Posted October 23, 2012
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Posted November 4, 2012
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Overview
The ultimate Republican insider’s caustic exposé of what passes for business as usual in Washington today
There was a time, not so very long ago, when perfectly rational people ran the Republican Party. So how did the party of Lincoln become the party of lunatics? That is what this book aims to answer. Fear not, the Dems come in for their share of tough talk— they are zombies, a party of the living dead.
Mike Lofgren came to Washington in the ...