Books for Democrats
A native of Winchester VA, Bageant grew up among the fiercely proud and independent Scots-Irish who, as Jim Webb describes them, were ‘born fighting’. Unlike most of his peers, Bageant left Winchester, and when he came back discovered that the traditional strengths of his people were being used against them. Their independence makes them fear unions; they see opportunities - like a nickel-an-hour raise, or a no-money-down manufactured house with all the amenities - and they jump into traps; their pride makes them scorn any type of social assistance until their problems have almost killed them. The jobs they hold are forever in danger of being exported to Mexico, so they work longer and harder for little money and few benefits, and the taxes they despise stay in the pockets of the managers and landlords, not in the schools. And those managers and landlords - and the loan officers, lawyers, and doctors - feed them a steady diet of Limbaugh and Savage, so they fear Democrats. Bageant’s solution requires Democrats to get in the ring and fight - fight dirty if need be - and earn the respect of these people. If we don’t understand why they don’t vote Democratic, perhaps we should be living with them, carrying the same burdens, and talking about Democratic values in the language they understand.
The Assault on Reason, by Al Gore
Anyone who looks at the environment of our political debate has to recognize that the media is either driving wedges between Americans or ignoring the issues relevant to our daily lives in favor of salacious celebrity coverage. When that kind of attitude is imported into the White House as a tool for governing, our public discourse takes a turn for the worst. The Bush Administration has been making use of fear, superstition, ideology, deception, and intolerance, and Gore calls them on it. A must-read!
Get the details on how Abramoff’s K Street Project aimed to buy long-term influence on legislators, while his short-term channeling of money bought unlimited access to the Congressional Republicans. While the media has portrayed this as a Washington scandal, it is really a Republican scandal.
Gary Hart calls the national Democratic party to return to its roots - FDR’s vision of a national community, the scope of Truman’s international commitment, Kennedy’s ideal of service and civic duty, and Johnson’s work towards social equality. Sound like something you’d like to be a part of?