Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road from Welfare to Washington [Hardcover]

James E. Rogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2004

Jim Rogan was born to a single mother—a cocktail waitress who was later convicted of welfare fraud; his bartender-father abandoned them both before he was born. After a rough-and-tumble childhood in San Francisco's hardscrabble Mission District—where he was raised by his colorful extended family—he became a political junkie at the age of nine, and once received help with his homework from Harry Truman. But Rogan traveled with a tough circle of friends; after years of borderline delinquency he was expelled from high school, became a porn theater bouncer, and then a bartender at a strip joint and a Hell's Angels bar. Along the way, a young Arkansas politician advised him to study law and become a member of a different kind of bar.

In time Rogan scrapped his way through college and law school. He was appointed a Los Angeles County DA, prosecuting members of the notorious Crips and Bloods gangs; then became a judge, a state legislator, and finally a congressman from Southern California. And in 1998, as a Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee, he found himself prosecuting the impeachment of the President of the United States—Bill Clinton, the same Arkansas politician who advised him to go into law and politics two decades earlier.

Rough Edges is a rarity among Washington tales: full of outrageous stories, wild humor, pull-no-punches candor, and downright fun. Replete with character and characters, and told in Rogan's engaging and unswervingly frank voice, Rogan's story is certainly the most freewheeling—and perhaps the most honest—political memoir ever written.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Raised by a single mom on welfare and food stamps, the author of this colorful and engaging autobiography dropped out of high school and misspent his youth hanging out with druggie friends and touring the fleshpots of L.A. as a bartender and porn theater bouncer. Perhaps not surprisingly, given his penchant for busting up inappropriate public trysts, he wound up a conservative Republican Congressman prosecuting Bill Clinton’s impeachment case. The byproduct of this surprising career trajectory is that rare politician’s memoir rife with sentences like "Fleabag...whipped out a switchblade, clicked it open and lunged at me" and "Joanne placidly complied with this vague request by raising her tank top and thrusting forth her bare breasts." There is, of course, a political subtext that occasionally surfaces as glib Republican boilerplate. Along with the funny, profane anecdotes about fending off angry biker chicks and selling vacuum cleaners in whorehouses, Rogan slips in parables about the evils of drugs, unions and campus radicals, as well as the social benefits of concealed firearms. In describing his political journey from youthful admirer of Hubert Humphrey to Reaganite conservative, he invokes his street cred as a scion of the working class to justify right-wing policy nostrums on welfare reform and school vouchers. But he mostly keeps the ideology in the background and his outrageous stories and warm, self-deprecating authorial voice up front. Rogan writes like a P.J. O’Rourke with a Capra-esque streak of political optimism, and this hilarious, crowd-pleasing memoir will probably make him a major conservative media celebrity. Photos not seen by PW.
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From Booklist

In 1998 Rogan served on the House Judiciary Committee, prosecuting the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. It was a particularly poignant experience for Rogan because two decades earlier it was Clinton, then attorney general for Arkansas, who encouraged Rogan to get a law degree and enter politics. Citing other similarities between himself and Clinton (growing up without fathers; mothers who married and eventually divorced alcoholics), Rogan details his personal journey into politics, a switch from Democrat to Republican, and election as a congressman from California. Rogan is blunt and engaging in recollections of his rough childhood in the Mission District of San Francisco and of the allure of politics at the age of nine. He was so compelled by politics and personal conviction that he enlisted Harry S Truman for help with his homework. Stints as a bartender and a bouncer were as formative of Rogan's eventual political skills as his study of the law. Defeated in his reelection bid in 2001, Rogan offers a frank, refreshing look at politics and political personalities. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (July 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060580593
• ISBN-13: 978-0060580599
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #546,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Democrats should read this book (but, sadly, probably won't), July 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road from Welfare to Washington (Hardcover)

There was probably a time in America where the level of political discourse and thought was fair-minded enough that a person like James Rogan would have been respected by both sides of the political spectrum. Sadly, if those days ever existed, they're long gone (e.g., Farenheit 911 on the Left, Rush Limbaugh on the Right), so I doubt that Mr. Rogan's book will be read by those who don't share his political views (with the notable exception of Willie Brown).

That's a shame, because Mr. Rogan's rags-to-riches / 'Horatio Alger' story is a refreshing counter-example to two prep school / Ivy Leaguers battling over who supposedly has the best interest of ordinary Americans in mind and the recent celebration of hyper-privileged spoiled rich brats (e.g., Paris Hilton, et al.) that has polluted popular culture. James Rogan had a hardscrabble upbringing - single mother who was what many of his Republican colleagues would have called a 'welfare queen,' bounced around various relatives, growing up in what was then a rough neighborhood, and hanging out with a motley crew of characters that wouldn't be welcomed in the thousands of dollars a plate or seat fundraising event for either party. Inspired to go to school and pull himself up by the bootstraps by none other than Bill Clinton (yes, the ex-President), he went to a state school with the highest representation of working class/poor students among major universities, UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).

Ironically -- or appropriately (depending on what political movement you believe best represents the interests and aspirations of those who hover around the lower middle class) -- James Rogan became a conservative Republican congressman who went on to help prosecute Bill Clinton during the impeachment proceedings. The road to that role as a prosecutor was paved with his work in the Los Angeles D.A.'s office prosecuting notorious street gangs like the Bloods and the Crips.

The impeachment of Clinton proved to be a phyrric victory for Rogan. His 'success' made him the target of the vast left wing conspiracy (if Bill and Hillary can make paranoid claims without much challenge, I suppose the James Rogans of the world are entitled to as well) and he was voted out of office. [By the way, Rogan's congressional district includes Glendale, CA. I did NOT vote for him (I was living in the East Coast during most of his tenure, and moved here after Rogan was voted out of office.)]

I'm NOT a Republican. I did not think that impeaching Clinton was a great idea. But having said all of that, Rogan's story is so interesting, thought-provoking, and (yes this description will be repeated for the umpteenth time) inspirational that people should put down their particular political/policy prejudices and just enjoy this uniquely American biography. I wish people like James Rogan -- of either political party -- were running for President and offering Americans a REAL choice instead of having to choose a President that will be a rich White Bonesman from Yale -- who will never know what it's like to scrap for everything you got like the James Rogans of the world have to do -- no matter who winds up winning.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Saul of Tarsus, July 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road from Welfare to Washington (Hardcover)

Mr. Rogan like Saul of Tarsus, undergoes an remarkable and intriguing transformation into a great American and moral patriot.

This story is a must read and remarkable as a contrast to many of the milquetoast characters in current American politics.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!!, August 4, 2004

By 

Donna Currie "Donna Currie" (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road from Welfare to Washington (Hardcover)

As a resident of Burbank, California I have personally been affected by Jim Rogan's outstanding and honest service. This book is a MUST read for all walks of life, rich or poor, black or white, political or non political, conservative or liberal; I was hooked before finishing the inside flap of the book jacket. His mesmerizing life story takes us on a journey of hardship, courage and determination in overcoming obstacles and tragedy, all while maintaining integrity. Surprise! Even white guys struggle to achieve the American dream. As a conservative Republican I praise God that he is on the "right" side. My only regret is that there is no surprise ending--hopefully if it is God's will, he'll be back!!!!