Customer Reviews

Hill Rat: Blowing the Lid Off Congress

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Jackley recounts his career as a press secretary for various Democratic congressmen during the 1980's. Congressmen are whores for honoraria and junkets from the industries they regulate, CSPAN time, and enough campaign contributions to ensure that they remain among the 96% re-elected. Their staffers, the "Hill rats", are whores for receptions where the lobbyists buy shrimp. Every few pages, you learn about another perk the separates Congress from the rest of us. Maybe it is the IRS opening an office in the Cannon House Office Building to help members and staff prepare their taxes. Or perhaps the Congressionally-funded FAA traffic controller revoking the landing clearance of a commercial jet so that Congressman Ron Coleman (D-TX) wouldn't have to circle. I grew up in Washington, D.C., so I thought that I didn't have anything more to learn about politicians. Jackley's strangely apolitical work casts a very different light on the people we thought we knew.

(note, I wrote more about this on my site, http://photo.net/philg )

Jackley writes an unsmiling portrait of the modern congressional office. His anecdotes from the Hill feel real and will make you feel ill. Once you read this book, you'll really appreciate why so many people feel disaffected from government.

After having read the book, I saw Jackley on CSPAN. He gave an address where you could write him and said that he would try to answer. I did write him and he did answer -- in longhand!

I cannot remember when I last read a book this badly written. After 100 pages of grimly determined reading, I finally gave up. It's a great shame since the author clearly knows a great deal about the machinations on the Hill and exposing some of our leagislators is a hugely important task. His overblown and purple prose style renders the book unreadable, however. Its hard to comment sensibly on the content since it so much obscured by his style. Shame.

I loved reading Hill Rat. It was fascinating and highly informative, and I wish every American would read it. With corruption so rampant, we really can't trust this government. Congress' violations of the U.S. Constitution are dangerous and continual, and our current government resembles more a regime which rules by viciousness and brute force, than a legitimate constitutional government.

This is the story of an aide to three Congressmen in Washington, D.C. (Ronald Coleman, D-TX; Jim Mattox, D-TX; and Thomas Luken, D-OH). John L. Jackley says that he kept a journal of his days as press secretary on the Hill for the benefit of his children, but what he witnessed so sickened him with the chicanery, dishonesty, and self serving attitudes of the Congressmen in question (and their colleagues) that he quit his job after several years of service, and this book is a result.

The manipulation of the media, misuse of franking privileges, abuse of perks and privileges-including passing hefty raises for themselves while their constituents were struggling to stay afloat financially-the secret deals and calloused vote trading he witnessed will turn the stomachs of readers.

His account is replete with names of prominent congressmen, dates and places, like Richard Gephardt, Thomas Foley, Ron Dellums, Bill Alexander and others of his own party, although Republicans are not necessarily immune from charges. But, he had more contact with Democrats for obvious reasons.

If anyone still doubts anymore that many of our elected politicians are far more interested in staying in office, with all of the perks and power provided to them, than they are of serving their constituents, this book will open your eyes. They have provided for themselves a retirement plan which will render them millionaires, a health care plan that makes Medicare look stingy, free mailing privileges, and until recently were able to have their own bank which allowed them to kite checks with impunity, with no money in the bank to cover them. The requirement? They must serve two (2) years in the Congress. You should be so lucky. "In 1990, the first post Jim Wright, post congressional scandal election, 96% of the incumbents who ran were re-elected. Even in 1988, only six Members running for re-election were defeated [out of 435]." (book jacket)

Is there any doubt that we are ruled by professionals, who grimly hold onto their positions of power?

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

Author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books