Robert Draper

This was a very good book, a well written tale that struck me as a cross between Scott Turow and Greek tragedy. A book where complicated relationships between a wide variety of well-drawn characters drive the story of clashing demands of love, friendship, ambition, and lust for power in a texas prison town. This book deserves a wider audience. I suspect its title let it down and it might have attracted more attention, with a generic yet more indicative name.

Watching Colonel Alan West the Tea Party favorite from Florida fight like a wolverine (and lose) his race for re-election to the house recalls to mind the wonderful Do Not Ask What Good We Do a slightly biased but I think fair view of the last two years of the Congress in Washington.

If you watch the news you probably only get to see the big dogs (i.e. the speaker and the minority leader) wrestle with the mud. This book is quite wonderful showing the rogue caucus that came in with the Tea show more Party backing, knowing nothing (and proud of it ) about the workings of government, and loosing mice in the washroom at every opportunity.

Like this:

Costello: We're going to cut 100 billion from the federal budget
Abbot: Where?
Costello: I don't care! Across the board!
Abbott: You can't do that! The money is already earmarked!
Costello: I don't care! Naturally! Who? He's on first and I don't give a darn.

The public only saw John Boehner fight it out with Obama - this book shows Boehner fighting it out (and losing) a war with his own caucus. The Grand Bargain (that would avoided the Fiscal Cliff) might have passed if not for the blind refusal to compromise from the newly seated Tea Partiers

People who like lawmaking and sausage making should never watch either being done.

Heard the author speak on The Daily Show and had to buy it. I'm glad I did.

A book for political junkies. Highly recommended. Be prepared to do some homework

“Congress will rise (adjourn) June 1st, as most of us expect. Rejoice when that event is ascertained. If we should finish and leave the world right side up, it will be happy. Do not ask what good we do: that is not a fair question, in these days of faction.”

—Congressman Fisher Ames, May 30, 1796 show less

DO NOT ASK WHAT WE DO

The evening of January 20, 2009, 15 white males and their spouses met at an expensive restaurant in Washington DC. Seven of the men were Congressmen (Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, Pete Sessions, Jeb Hensarling, Pete Hoekstra, and Dan Lungren); five were Senators (Jim DeMint, Jn Kyle, Tom Coburn, John Ensign, and Bob Corker); journalist Fred Barnes, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and communications specialist Frank Luntz, who had organized the meeting, show more completed the group.
The men were in shock by the election of Barack Obama who had been inaugarated earlier that day and they were trying to figure out how to get the White House back into Republican hands. They decided to stick together, highlight any problem faced by a Democrat official, and challenge the Democrats on every issue Their decision would have an amazing effect on The United States during the next four years.
In DO NOT ASK WHAT WE DO, Robert Draper follows the 112 U.S. House of Representatives during it’s first year. The year began with the induction of 98 new Representatives and ended with the failure of Congress to enact a budget and the US Credit rating being downgraded from AAA to AA+.
The book examines the styles of numerous players and how they affected Congress and, by extension, America.
Kevin McCarthy, the House Whip, observed that many of the new Congressmen were risk takers. He identified “ ... Two types of leaders. One was a thermometer who could accurately discern the temperature in the room. The other type of leader was a thermostat, who could actual change the environment. Obama was a thermostat. He saw himself as an entrepreneur, a creator of wealth and jobs.”
Among attempts made for both parties to work together were getting-to-know-you dinners between freshman and senior members. At the end of 2010, Nancy Pelosi thought they should raise the debt ceiling in the lame duck congress. President Obama disagreed and thought the Republicans would and should be equal partners in the discussion and would tread the matter in a reasonable fashion. Part of President Obama’s plan was eliminating tax cuts for wealthy. The Republicans wouldn’t pass it even though a majority of Republican voters approved.
That should not have been a surprise. In 2007 and 2008 20% of Republicans voted against their own budget because it didn’t meet their terms. Chris Van Hollen stated. “I think the Republicans are going to pay a very heavy price for (automatic defense cuts) because of the extreme lengths they were prepared to go. The American people saw that they wee literally willing to jeopardize te credit worthiness of the US in order to try and force upon the country their budget plans.”
The Democrats decided they couldn’t please the Republicans no matter what they did. Their votes were needed to pass many Republican sponsored bills but there was support for the Democrat’s bills in return.
Among the pressures on the Republican Congressman was that the majority of fund raising profits were given to Conservative favorites.
Imagine what would happen to an organization when a large group of high ranking middle managers are brought in and have their own agenda. Many have made promises about what they will accomplish without considering how much power their co-workers will give them. They refuse to compromise and maintain an adversarial position within the entire group, concentrating on the wishes of their small constituency despite differing views and needs of the entire population that they represent. As one would expect, things would not go their way, things that should be accomplished fail, and everyone becomes angry and frustrated. That is the sad story of the 112th Congress. show less

4976. Do Not Ask What Good We Do Inside the U.S. House of Representatives, by Robert Draper (read 16 Nov 2012) This is about the year 2011 in the House of Representatives. The author spent a lot of time with some of the nuttier freshman Republicans, such as Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, who has been dubbed the most conservative representative, and Allen West of Florida. He also tells of sensible members such as John Dingell, who has served in the House for 60 years. One stands in amazement show more at the irresponsible attitude which so many Tea Party people have. I was glad I read this after this year's election; otherwise I would have worried even more than I did about the idiots taking control of the U.S. government. I did not find this book too enjoyable but I would have enjoyed it even less if the Republicans had won on Nov. 6. It gives a good inside look at events of 2011 and we will hope that 2013 will be a better year for the country. show less