For the most part, this is an even-handed account of the first year of Republican control of the House, right after the so-called Republican Revolution of 1994 -- that is, if you can get past the constant insinuations, suggestions, and implications that everything Republicans do is because of their ties to big business (it seems nearly everyone the authors mention has a defense contractor in their district). Clearly, too, Maraniss and Weisskopf came away with a strong affinity for Ohio congressman John Kasich, and the story often favors him. Except for these points, the authors do make an effort to be fair, and the result is an entertaining, though somewhat flawed, look inside the famous revolution
The subtitle suggests that the book will explain how the revolution got the wind knocked out of its sails. Before reading, I thought this would focus on the Contract with America -- how it was created, how it fared in Congress, how Clinton reacted, etc. But in the book's central flaw, the authors focus on issues that are important but mostly tangential to the Republicans' central legislative package. Yes, de-regulation was an important component of the philosophy at the core of the revolution, but did that revolution's success or failure hinge on reforming OSHA or the school lunch program? I'm not convinced. After all, much of the Contract passed Congress, some of it became law under Clinton's signature, and Clinton declared the end of the era of big government. Obviously, the revolution was not entirely "gagged" as the subtitle also says.
The best part of the book by far is its discussion of the budget battle and the 1995 government shutdown. The telling is dramatic and detailed, a veritable feast for a political junky. Further, if you want to explain why the revolution sputtered out, it was this -- not OSHA regulations, not the battle over school lunches, not the GOP split over the B-2 bomber. Not only did Clinton outplay Gingrich and the Republicans, but the Republicans played right into the president's hand, making critical, often hubristic errors, the worst of which was Gingrich's belief that he was a second president. Gingrich would linger as speaker for another three years, and the Republicans still retain control of the House, but the party, at least in Congress, didn't have the same energy and enthusiasm after that.
