Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics [Paperback]

Richard E. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2000

For thirteen years, during a time of Democratic congressional dominance in Washington, Dan Rostenkowski became one of the most influential American legislators of the twentieth century. As chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the representative from Illinois influenced the nation’s tax laws, international trade, Social Security, health care, welfare, and a good many other areas—policies that affected most Americans. Richard Cohen’s scrupulous political biography of Rostenkowski follows his rise to power from modest origins in the Democratic ward politics of Chicago’s Polish northwest side, to his legislative triumphs, and ultimately to his criminal conviction and imprisonment for abuses of House practice. Because Rostenkowski served so many years in Congress (1959-1995), his career offers a prism into the changing nature of the institution and of the Democratic party, a change that gradually brought a new bitterness to Washington politics. Even when the congressman gained national influence, he remained close to Chicago politics and his boss, Richard J. Daley; but as he lost touch with local voters, opposed to political reforms, and clung to his personal stubbornness, he greased the skids for his downfall. Mr. Cohen has written a compelling, eye-opening story of American politics at work, portrayed through his career of one of its most fascinating practitioners. With 8 pages of photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dan Rostenkowski--Chicago ward politician, 36-year congressman, and former chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee--went from the pinnacle of power to federal prison when he was convicted of corruption in 1994. His downfall makes for fascinating political drama, and Richard E. Cohen, a veteran Congressional reporter for the National Journal and author of three books on Washington, D.C., is well-placed to examine the long and colorful career of this Chicago bull's political life.

Rostenkowski's father was a city alderman in Chicago and a Democratic ward boss who taught his son the importance of taking care of constituents. For Danny, politics was the family business. However, this book is as much about the way Congress worked under Democratic leadership in the '60s, '70s, and '80s as it is about Rostenkowski. Plenty of attention is devoted to internal Democratic power struggles, for instance, while Rostenkowski's kickback scandal receives comparatively little space. At times, Cohen even seems to downplay his wrongdoings, quoting aides and colleagues who said of Rosty, "In the 1990s he used 1950s' rules. The standards changed and he didn't change with them." Cohen writes that the end of Rostenkowski's political career also marked the end of an era in politics and that characters like "Rosty" have "all but disappeared from increasingly bland American politics.... we won't see many more like him." Some might say that's a good thing. --Linda Killian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Big-city machine politics, which made Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley such a dominant force in the Democratic party, had ossified by 1990, helping to destroy the career of his prot?g?, Rep. Daniel Rostenkowski, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee from 1981 to 1994. Cohen (Washington at Work), an award-winning correspondent for the National Journal, sympathetically portrays Rostenkowski's long career in the House of Representatives, 1959-94, as a metaphor for the rise and fall of the Democratic control of the lower house. Rosty's Chicago political education, which taught him that there are "no permanent friends, no permanent enemies," served him well as chair of Ways and Means by allowing him to maneuver such important pieces of legislation as the 1986 Tax Reform Bill through Congress. Unfortunately, when political ethics became an important public concern, Rostenkowksi could not change with the times. He was forced to resign from the House in 1994 because he padded his staff with ghost employees, a once-common machine practice. Cohen writes movingly of Rostenkowski's failings. Most of the book, however, is a highly detailed appraisal of Rostenkowski's legislative proceedings and is therefore recommended for larger public and academic collections and congressional policy specialists.AKarl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (August 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566633109
• ISBN-13: 978-1566633109
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,228,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite politcos -- politics aside, October 10, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Ellis "bored recluse" (Richardson, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics (Paperback)

Though I've been a Republican (and occasional Libertarian) since I was old enough to vote, one of my favorite politicians remains a Democrat. Chicago's own Dan Rostenkowski served as chairman of the very powerful Ways and Means Committee until 1994 when he was voted out of office amongst corruption charges and disgust with the Democratic establishment in general. Richard Cohen's book is the first and (as far as I can tell) only full-length biography of this politician and its a fascinating read. Following Rostenkowski from his beginnings as an obscure lackey of Mayor Richard Daley in the '50s to his position as the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. in the late '80s and early '90s, and finally ending with his downfall, Cohen's book shows how this man came to power though the old fashioned politics of patronage and was eventually destroyed by them. Its also a finely nuanced investigation of a man who remained bluntly unglamorous as American politics were transformed into the world's most vapid beauty contest by the Clintons and their ilk. Even as you read about the man's flagrant abuse of power, its hard not to miss Dan Rostenkowski whose ill-fitting suits, cheap haircuts, and blue collar manner become all the more likeable in the face of our recent crop of lip-biting, pain-feeling, bridge-building politicians.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rostenkowski: A Worthwhile Overview of a Congressional Titan, January 16, 2004

By 

Anthony Mapstone (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics (Paperback)

Richard Cohen's biography of former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) offers a broad overview of the career of one of the most powerful Members of Congress in recent history.

Tracing Rostenkowski's rise from a local politician in his ethnic Chicago neighborhood to the halls of Congress in Washington, DC, his chairmanship of arguably the most powerful and storied standing committee in the House of Representatives, and finally his high-profile downfall after an indictment for corruption charges, Cohen's biography is also the story of the changing world of politics from tradition rich smoke filled rooms to the 24-hour cable news cycle of today.

While deeply researched (Cohen interviewed several of Rostenkowki's senior aides and spent time with the Congressman himself), "Rostenkowski" lacks the intricate detail of more serious works of political history. Cohen achieves neither the depth nor the perspective to push his work into the must read category. However, for a well-written and enjoyable overview of Dan Rostenkowski's career and the changing traditions in the House of Representatives, "Rostenkowski" is a worthwhile read.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great tale of a human being and American politics, September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics (Hardcover)

COHEN's book takes us from boyhood to the ignominious end of a political career -- and does so while telling a second and equally fascinating stoy about the changes in the American political system that accompanied, and ended, with the ROSTENKOWSKI era. For those who find Chicago politics -- where tombstones sometime vote -- to be worth a good read, this is a wonderful view of how all that worked in and around a Congressional district. For those who find the story of this Polish-American icon to be worthy of a book investment, this volume delivers 200%. For those who appreciate what a professional journalist with 30 years of Washington reporting can add to the ROSTENKOWSKI story by way of historical perspective and evolution, this is a book that cannot be missed.