Customer Reviews

Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species

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This book is different from other books on Bush. For one thing, it's solidly researched, for another, it is really fun to read. Flanders isn't catty, instead she sounds genuinely curious -- who on earth are these women in high office -- and are they anything like the image that's been created by the White House pr machine? Along the way, she finds some interesting documents -- I was suprised to learn that Condoleezza Rice's father spoke out against the Vietnam War -- and she illustrates just how much our political process suffers when stories about women emphasize the personal and play down the political. I read a lot of political books, but so far this is definitely my favorite this year. I bought it for my Republican mother and even she enjoyed a lot of it! I'll certainly be recommending it to my friends this year. Flanders predicts we'll be seeing more of the Bushwomen as the election heats up, and she makes a convincing case that we shouldn't rely on the media to tell us who they are!

Laura Flanders has uncovered the hype surrounding the top women in the Bush administration, and it's about time someone did. These women all came into power largely because of feminism and the civil rights movement, yet they have dedicated their lives to destroying those very movements. Born of privilege, they pose as "ordinary" citizens or "immigrants" who rose to the top through sheer hard work and willpower, and then preach that genuinely oppressed groups can do the same thing, despite rampant bigotry in the U.S.

There are six profiles and a couple of bonus chapters. The profiles are of Rice, Hughes, Chao, Ann Veneman, Gale Norton and Chrisine Todd Whitman. There is also a chapter on Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney, and an excellent introductory chapter that sets forth Flanders' spot-on theory: That if the media took women seriously, its members would long ago have exposed the vicious, unethical, unprincipled, extremist behaviors of the women in question. Instead, even the most prestigious and "liberal" media outlets talked about the women's clothes, jewelry and family lives, while devoting almost no space or time to their political agendas. The White House and the media have once again colluded--through their shared disdain of women--to pull the wool over the eyes of a public that doesn't want to see the truth.

You may think you already know a lot about the Bushwomen--I did--but you will be surprised by some ugly revelations. From Norton's lifelong quest to abolish the environmental movement, to Chao's similar ambition to quash fair labor standards, to Whitman's enormous financial conflicts of interest while she was a governor, to Hughes' one-woman poison campaign against Governor Ann Richards--Flanders' book shows the White House for what it is.

The book is thoroughly researched, and many of the notes are worthy reading. Flanders writes with humor. Once I started the book, I found it very hard to put down.

Laura Flanders takes no prisoners in her well-written, extensively documented profile of some of the women who attempt to "soften" the hard edges of George W. Bush's pResidency.

Did you groan when adviser Karen Hughes allegedly went back to Texas "to spend more time with [her] family"--one teenager son still at home? Did you wonder what else was going on? Flanders will tell you. She neatly defuzzes Ann Veneman's warm 'n fuzzy image as the daughter of a peach farmer; unpeeled, she has been a strong advocate for agribusiness over smaller farmers, and has had a hand in steamrolling labor and environmental reforms hard-fought since long before Cesar Chavez made us reconsider putting grapes in our shopping carts.

My only quibble is that I would have loved for "Bushwomen" to be twice as long and included more of the Grand Old Party-gals, but no matter. This is a fast and infuriating read. It shouldn't be the only book on your nightstand in this election year (if you only have time for one, pick up "The Book on Bush," by Eric Alterman and Mark Green). However, if "Bushwomen" is all you can fit in, you'll learn to your chagrin that in the Bush camp, sisterhood isn't powerful, it's truckling to the big white guys. Condoleeza Rice, Karen Hughes, Ann Veneman, Gale Norton, Christine Todd Whitman, and Lynne Cheney should be ashamed of themselves. But evidently, since they are not, we can be ashamed of them, and pack their petticoats back to wherever they came from.

Highly recommended.

How refreshing to read a political book with real voice. Flanders is great on the radio, and just as alive and amusing on the page. She's got strong views, backed up by solid research. A treat to read. After so many books on George, finally a bigger picture. BUSHWOMEN offers a good refresher course on the last twenty years of US history too, and how the Right rose to power. Highly recommended.

Laura Flanders is a terrific journalist who can always be counted on for solid research livened with insight and wit. Here she looks into the careers of some prominent women of the Bush Administration, with devastating results. We underrate these women at our peril. As Flanders suggests, "George W. Bush might never have snagged the White House if one woman had been laughed at less: Katherine Harris." The media made fun of her makeup and ditzy-dictatorial manner, and missed the fact that in Florida Harris was well-known as a powerful, shrewd, and ambitious politician.
Bushwomen is perfect reading for the upcoming election season-- a great book club selection, too.

This book isn't designed to destroy these women as other reviewers say, it points out their hypocrisy. For instance, Lynne Cheney's novel speaks of condoms as a liberating device to allow women (and men) low-risk pleasure, yet her husband and his boss deny these life-saving condoms in Africa where AIDS is killing the population in mind-boggling numbers. If you don't see the hypocrisy in that, don't bother with this book, it requires critical thinking skills and an open mind.

This provocative and insightful book, written with the candid and intelligent humor that Laura Flanders is known for, underscores the urgent need to examine much more carefully the backgrounds and agendas of the women that the Bush administration has relied upon or appointed in the interests of creating an illusion of diversity. In a time of such unprecedented, calculated fabrication of evidence and dissemination of misinformation on the part of the Bush administration, the book is also a clarion call to people working in the media: cease your reliance on the State Department or Pentagon or "unnamed officials" for your information, and ask the questions that challenge the lies and spin; investigate; and speak truth to power.

Laura Flanders is in one word: A GEM!

If you enjoy Molly Ivins or Al Franken and their humorous, yet WELL researched way of carving up the shaky foundation of the GOP - then Laura Flanders is your girl!

Laura Flanders is an excellent, excellent writer. She has written a clear, thorough, fascinating account and provides solidly researched examples of how these GOP women have sold themselves down the river for an organization which is aiming to take away the very rights which helped them get where they are today.

Who knew Laura Bush should have been prosecuted for man slaughter? And yes, I knew there had to be more to Karen Hughes than the standard script had been providing. Thank you Laura Flanders!!!

My only disappointment is that the book wasn't longer! The entire country has been knee-deep in GOP bs for years, more examples should be easy to find!

If all you've experienced is the negativity and hysteria of low-rate writers like Ann Coulter, then Laura Flanders will be your day in the sunshine!

This book gives the a short biography of six different women who have helped in either the election or presidential administration of George W. Bush. Written in 2004, these women are Karen Hughes, Condoleeza Rice, Elaine Chao, Christine Wittman, Gale Norton, and Ann Veneman. The first helped Bush's election campaign and provides with him PR support. The other five served in his administration at top-level positions. All six helped W. portray an image to voters of a compassionate conservate; someone who cares as much for "women's" issues (family, reproductive rights, labor rights, the environment, public education) as the other guy. But, this book shows chapter by chapter, that these six individuals are just as conservative as any red-meat white man, and have helped to implement policies and laws to that effect. For example, ex-Governor Whittman has tapped to head the EPA by Bush. While in that post she relaxed rules governing emissions by factories, and after the 9/11 attacks, overruled EPA officials who wanted to release public warnings about the health risks in and around the crash sites. Many in the public had viewed the appointment of these women as moderating influences on the conservative drive of Bush and his male colleagues. This book proves this idea wrong; the women were just as conservative, and their presence only helped to mollify opposition to the conservative policies of the Bush administration.

Overall, a good book, though it could be a little longer with more references.

Laura Flanders is fairly direct when she describes these Bushwomen as feircely ambitious, power hungry covergirls for W and his gang. If you are not familiar or know very little about Elain Chao, Lynne Cheney, Karen Hughes, Condoleeza Rica, Christine Todd Whitman and the likes, this book would be a good source. Flanders and her researchers were meticulous in laying out the details about the rise of these women to powerful positions that affect as all. It is a well written book that never lost its focus on why these women should be looked at with close scrutiny.

We've seen their images on television now and then and to me they seem like objects of curiousity and sort of soften my view, although with suspicion, about the Republican Party. I saw a lot of Karen Hughes during the Florida re-count, not re-count crisis. She's the size of "Xena-Princess Warior" without the finer accoutrements. She's kinda like W's portatble Mama and why not she has the same, domineering, humourless manners and mannerism just like mom. Christine Tood Whitman is another curiosity. I thought her cool when she named a rest stop in New Jersey after Howard Stern. Aparrently, Stern was a big supporter and admirer of Whitman. Recently, she appeared as a guest panelist on "Real Time with Bill Maher" where she claims to have never met or spoken with Stern(she has called in several times on the show) and doesn't particularly care for him. And she also claims that because of her and this administration, the environment is better and safer.

The part that I got a real chuckle out of is the maternal backgrounds of Dick and Lynne Cheney. Dick's mom was an infielder on the Syracuse Bluebirds, a nationally ranked women's softball team in the 1930's and Lynne's mom was the town's deputy sheriff.And this couple campaigned on a homophobic ticket headed by, yes, guess who? Mary Cheney- their openly lez daughter.
And another laugh is Lynne's book pre second-lady-in-waiting called "Sisters." By the way, I am looking for a copy. Lynne, when asked about her body of works doesn't remember "Sisters" and doesn't even remember the plot of this book that she lovingly authored.
It isn't fair to highlight all the funny and salacious parts of this book. This is a serious book about dangerously serious women that we all need to question and look at more closely. In this election season, we all need to look at things more closely, the futre of country and our children depends on it. If you think the Republican Party isn't so bad because they have women in high ranking position, think again. And read this book.