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Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush

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One of the things that so often distinguishes Molly Ivins from her D.C. counterparts is that she consistently recognizes that the public OUT there is not necessarily the public DOWN there. In Shrub, her latest opus, Ivins takes a good hard look at the record of Texas governor George W. Bush. Her painstaking assesment of the often Byzantine politics of "The Greatest State" and Bush's ascension to the Governor's office provides readers with a view of the candidate rarely glimpsed in other organs of the media. From land deals to environmental policy and from welfare reform to tort reform, the book examines both the games and the players in Bush's rise to national prominence. The hard facts about Bush's military service and his dealings within the world of Texas oil are reason enough to read the book. They are also proof that the truth is far often more interesting (and amusing) than even the most bizarre fiction. Ivins been nominated at least twice for the Pulitzer Prize. Read Shrub and see why.

I had never heard of Molly Ivans before reading Shrub. I thank her for this quick, easy to follow, read. I received her book compliments of a pal who questioned my voting for Gov. Bush. I began reading with total skepticism but eventually accepted that I voted in total ignorance (not the first time unfortunately). I urge anyone who is truly seeking to be an informed voter to purchase this book. IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL VOTERS. You'll quickly see through the rhetoric you've heard in television ads and shake your head in wonder. Given that this man was handed the baton to be our next leader, I'm terribly offended that we haven't heard more about his coattail accomplishments and seedy record, especially where children and lawsuits are concerned. Now when I hear him or one of his allies say "tort reform" I scream at the TV! Clinton is an embarrassment but even he hasn't been personally bailed out by the taxpayers. Yet. God help this country!

Political columnist Molly Ivins is well-known as a "liberal gadfly" in Texas, and so it's hardly surprising that her political biography of George W. Bush paints an unrelentingly unflattering picture of Dubya. However, in critiquing the accomplishments (or lack of same) of George the Younger, Ivins writes with grace and wit, and without undue rancor toward her political opponent. She lets the facts speak for themselves. The result is a highly readable, entertaining, and yet clearly disturbing book. How is it possible that someone so eminently unqualified can be so close to becoming the next President of the United States?

The story Ivins tells is one that is a damning indictment of the current U.S. political system. George W. Bush was hand-picked by monied corporate interests some time ago to be groomed as a potential "capitalist tool," a figurehead politician who will do their bidding unquestionably while possessing the personality traits essential to appealing to a broad spectrum of voters. It's the stuff out of which bad Hollywood movies are made, and yet it's real. Consequently, although there is much wry humor in Ivins' narrative regarding how this ne'er-do-well, pampered inheritor of the Bush political legacy, the story she weaves is also frightening.

What I found particularly disturbing was Bush's indifference toward the natural environment. His lack of commitment to protecting the health of Texans from pollution is incredible. Given the high level of support that Americans overall have expressed for strong environmental laws, this issue alone ought to be sufficient to disqualify Dubya from the presidency.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to get beyond the network tv blather and the high-powered campaign ads (from both sides, actually) in order to take a real look at what George W. Bush actually has accomplished in his political life. Even for those who might share his conservative philosophy, his lack of real experience and accomplishments ought to give them pause.

Finally: it's interesting that the principal criticism that offended Bush devotees have mustered toward this book (and sometimes I question whether they actually read it before expressing their hostility) is that after all, everyone KNOWS that Ivins is a liberal whacko, etc., so what she writes has no real credibility. This demonstrates that when the facts are in order and cannot be denied, the only viable avenue of attack is *ad hominem* verbiage directed toward the author. Scary!

Is this a country where we are so willing to hand over the most important job in the world based on who is father is? I have always been quite skeptical of Bush Jr's judgement, this book only confirmed to me of his lack thereof. In a land where most of us are sick of these hippocritical politicians passing laws that insinuate "listen to the laws I pass, not to what I do", George Bush is a chief offender. Molly Ivins brings up the "cocaine" issues surrounding Bush. She clearly documents how Bush refuses to answer the nagging questions regarding his own cocaine use, but nevertheless once in office, passes the harshest laws with mandatory prison time for those found with one ounce of cocaine on them. Molly Ivins documentation of Bush's callous and downright frightening judgement in regards to execution in his state is something all voters should know about. Bush all but ignored one case where a death row inmate had DNA evidence which exonerated him from the crime which he had been convicted for. Bush continued to uphold his execution date regardless of the DNA evidence, only to reverse his his attitude after there was such a public outcry against it. Is this the sort of man we want to have in charge of nuclear weapons?

Having read these reviews well after I read the book, I have had a chance to look at some of the claims.

To the criticism that the book makes challenging or verifying their facts difficult, this is somewhat true. I checked out several statistics, especially the ones on the environment. Most I found easily verified. I took the anonymous sources with a grain of salt. However, to say this book is without facts, without support, is willful misreading.

Living in Dallas, I've watched the corporate media at work, and it's hardly a myth. The Belo Corporation is unabashedly pro-Bush:

+ Reports on Bush are extremely favorable. (In one week of watching channel 8 evening news, I counted 8 Bush stories to 1 Gary Mauro story during the recent governor's race.)

+ For many months, the Dallas News website had links to the Bush campaign site. They did not provide links to opponents' sites.

Sometimes, contrary opinions do make their way out of the Belo media outlets. But the overwhelming presentation from Belo (which owns several Texas newspapers--including the Dallas Morning News--, the Texas Cable News network, and television stations) is that Bush should be president. Consider too the Center for Media & Public Affairs analysis: Bush has been treated more often and more favorably by the news media than Gore.

It's in this environment that this book is refreshing. It's an approachable examination of recorded actions and outcomes, not "talking head" summaries of sound bites and propaganda that pass for political analysis. It should also make voters, particularly conservatives who have criticized Clinton and who favor smaller government, realize that this man's actions rarely support his promises and claims and often resemble what these voters dislike.

Could the book have better considered opposing arguments? Most certainly. Is it as amusing other Ivins's books? No. However, it clearly establishes its purpose and method: to judge a politician by his/her actions. This idea is reminiscent of Theodore White's _Making of a President_, that one could see in candidate's mundane behavior a forecast of presidential activity. And given the paucity of public service from Bush, the authors are sometimes forced to inspect less than weighty matters, but they do so to provide an insight into Bush's character. More than anything else, Bush has been a champion for unbridled business:

+ Use city government--not the free market--to get what you want at the price you want.

+ Allow companies to pollute and minimize their accountability.

+ Reduce the threat of lawsuits against companies by limiting the legal abilities of citizens and consumers.

It is a compelling, informative read.

This is Molly Ivins' first original-content book (as opposed to collections of previously published columns), and its timing is certainly good.

What I like about Ivins' and Dubose's analysis is the way it is categorized. Bush's past actions concerning the environment, crime, religion, business, education, and so on are discussed, all in light of the unique backdrop that is Texas politics. The portrait painted of Bush is not particularly flattering unless one is a laissez-faire capitalist, and does not show him as having much real depth beyond doing what it takes to get along with his likely supporters.

One thing to consider is that this book isn't nearly as funny as Molly's earlier books. However, its analysis is correspondingly more focused. Whether that's a positive or a negative is up to the reader. The other factor is price. At full retail, this book is too thin to be worth the money. Happily, amazon's selling it for about 2/3 of that--a fair price, in my view.

I recently finished Shrub and will say that I definitely enjoyed it. The book is written a concise, witty style that is very easy to digest and fun to read, and the content isn't too bad, either.

Ivins basically examines Bush's political record as the governor of Texas, focusing on issues such as education, the environment, and especially his relationship with the Christian right, which I found to be the most interesting.

Though it is obvious Ivins herself is a liberal, she does not stoop to speculation about Bush's past (drugs, etc.), instead choosing to focus on relevant political issues. She is also not afraid to criticize certain Democrats when they deserve it, and similarly to laud Bush in areas where she feels he has honestly tried to make a positive difference, such as education.

All in all, Shrub is a must-read for anyone wanting to know about Bush's political past and Texas politics in general (which I personally felt she focused on a bit too much for a book claiming to be specifically about Bush, but a lot of it was interesting nonetheless). You will get an insight in to where many of his policies as president originated from and should be shocked at how much misinformation is spewed about him today by liberals and conservatives alike.

George W. is a piece of work. I live in Texas and I've always suspected that a wade in the waters of his soul would scarcely get your feet wet. This book proves it. Kudos to Miss Molly for a dead on examination of the man who would be President!

Before reading this book, I had neutral feelings about the Bush name and all it represents in American politics. After finishing the book, I am convinced that George W. Bush is an empty body with no brain and no soul. He is a failure at every business venture attempted and has no compassion for those he governs. He IS good at raising money by throwing around his family name to those individuals and corporate giants who expect favors in return for their cash contributions -- all at the expense of the American public. He is also good at taking credit for public policies he did not instigate, but inherited from his predecessors.

God help us all if he wins the GOP nomination!

This is a well-written book that highlights some of the more notable times of George W. Bush's political life. Anyone looking for a gossipy insight into Dubya's private life during the 70's would be well advised to go elsewhere (try Fortunate Son if you can get your hands on it) as Molly Ivins goes out of her way to not dwell on the rumours that surround him.

This book functions well as a summary of what Dubya has done (and, more importantly, what he hasn't done) during his time as Governor. It also brings the uninformed reader up to speed with the unique mechanics of the Texas political system.

When I began this book, I knew next to nothing about the political state of affairs in Texas. The book provides a very insightful and humourous look into that state's system. By the end, I had learned quite a bit more than just what particular policies Gov. Bush had opposed or supported.

As for how Bush himself comes off looking in the book, that probably depends on the reader's own prior political views. But Ivins gives a lot of detail into the role that money played in all of Bush's elections. The people who had Bush's ear in Texas were the one's signing the big checks, and I think it's impossible to read this book and believe that he has anyone else's interests at heart.

On the other hand, she does give praise where she feels he has earned it. She discusses the role he has played in improving the Texas education system though she repeatedly points out that most of the turnaround occured based on programs that were started under the direction of the previous administration. But she does seem impressed by his willingness to try and his desire to improve the educational system even if his methods have not always turned out the expected results.

All in all, I would recommend this book to everyone who gets an uneasy feeling when seeing politics in action on the nightly news.