| DO NOT ASK WHAT GOOD WE DO Inside the U.S. House of Representatives Robert Draper New York: The Free Press, April 2012 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN-13 978-1-4516-4208-7 | ||||
| ISBN-10 1-4516-4208-3 | 327pp. | HC | $28.00 | |
Following on the success of his best-selling 2007 book probing the administration of George W. Bush, Robert Draper here provides a deep look at the workings of the 112th Congress of the United States.
He seems to devote a lot of space to freshman Republican candidates beloved by the Tea Party, such as Jeff Duncan from South Carolina. However, this is a balanced account; it includes Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner, veteran Michigan Democrat John Dingell as well as Sheila Jackson Lee, Anthony Weiner — indeed, a host of political figures both present and past.
"The moment represented an astonishing turnaround from the year before, when the House Republicans seemed paralyzed by the new president's ability to find support from among private insurers, the American Medical Association, and doctors for a comprehensive solution to the nation's health care problems. But by August 2009, the health care debate had ceased to be an honest disagreement over policy. It was now an ugly snarl of fear, loathing, and cynicism blaring through a Tea Party microphone." Pelosi's task was a hopeless one. The progressives wanted universal coverage. The Blue Dogs wanted lower health care costs. Rural members wanted higher Medicare reimbursement rates for rural hospitals. Bart Stupak of Michigan wanted a stipulation that none of the federal funds would be used to pay for abortion. President Obama wanted at least one Republican vote from the Senate. – Page 66 |
Indeed, this is the takeaway message from the book: that despite efforts to work across the aisle, intransigent ideologies aborted almost all attempts at passing legislation.1
Beneath the screeching, the posturing, and the stalemates, there had in fact been scores of congresssmen quietly working with the other side in an effort to achieve results. Archconservatives Jason Chaffetz and Raul Labrador were huddling with archprogressive Luis Gutierrez over a comprehensive immigration reform package. Fellow Missourians Jo Ann Emerson and Emanuel Cleaver would, by December, Succeed in directing funds to aid communities bedeviled by persistent poverty. Democrat Rosa DeLauro and Republican Don Manzullo had coauthored legislation that would incentivize manufacturers to dedicate monies to a community bank. Blue Dog Jim Matheson and GOP deputy whip Kevin Brody had teamed on a bill that would lower tax barriers to encourage American businesses to reinvest overseas earnings back home. Against the raging currents, Democrats and Republicans continued to paddle together, now and again. But these were renegade efforts ones that the House leaders from both parties did not openly advertise and did nothing to encourage. To no surprise, then, the "people's House" had become a leper colony. – Pages 266-7 |
The book reports these proceedings in almost microscopic detail, with abundant verbatim conversations. It is an excellent window into the mechanics and machinations of modern politics. While I found it depressing, I give it top marks and consider it worth reading. It has extensive end-notes and a good index. However, I rate it a keeper only for political junkies.
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