Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "IT WAS A PERFECT DAY..." (more)
Key Phrases: power over the purse, tax cut bill, budget resolution, White House, United States, Saddam Hussein (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While it would be easy to fill a sizable bookcase with books published in 2004 that were highly critical of George W. Bush, few of those authors carry the gravity of Senator Robert Byrd, who first came to congress when Truman was president. In Losing America, the veteran Democrat offers scathing criticism of Bush, whom he sees as undeserving of the office, unfit to lead, "callow and reckless," and "incredibly dangerous." Besides criticizing the much-discussed rise of the neoconservative philosophy, Byrd bemoans what he sees as the erosion of constitutionally mandated separation of powers. While many of his objections are colored with a high degree of personal dudgeon over perceived disrespect for him and his branch of government, he uses well-reasoned legal and historical arguments to illustrate his concerns. In Byrd's descriptions of encounters with Bush, the president is remarkably similar to the incurious, distracted cipher of contemporary books from Richard Clarke and Paul O’Neill, and though a certain level of decorum is generally practiced among governmental figures, the level of vitriol in his criticisms indicates that Byrd must either be confident he'll never need to be on Bush's good side or is simply too furious to care. As one might expect from a man accustomed to having people listen closely to him, Byrd has an ego; he tells of advising freshman senator Hillary Clinton to become a "work horse" and not a "show horse" and he is pleased when she chooses the latter (thanks to him, he indicates). Byrd is also a bit long-winded in making his points, often launching into lengthy historical anecdotes as a means of comparing and contrasting Bush to his predecessors. But his thoughts are not snarky op-eds from a pundit; they are well earned, compellingly expressed, and come from a politician much more experienced than most. --John Moe

From Publishers Weekly

Attacks on the Bush presidency have proliferated in recent months, but few critics bring to the argument the weight of Senator Byrd (D-W.Va.), who has served under 11 presidents. Few combine his scholar's understanding of constitutional government with the experience gained in his nearly half-century of Senate tenure. Of course, it must be noted that Byrd is a veteran Democratic leader now attacking a Republican president during an election year. In his view, Bush and his advisers—Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Perle and Cheney—are dangerous not merely because their policies are ill conceived, but because they are intent on usurping the powers of the "the People's Branch of Government," Congress—refusing, for instance, to let Tom Ridge testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the proposed Department of Homeland Security. To Byrd the Constitution's checks and balances and the powers of the legislative branch, including the power of the purse and the power to declare war, have kept America a safe and functioning democracy. He argues, offering a series of instances, that the Bush administration is systematically, relentlessly and with stubborn arrogance making a mockery of these constitutional mandates through subterfuge, warmongering and intimidation of a Congress that is "cowed, timid, and deferential." Byrd is forthrightly critical of President Bush, charging him with "political mendacity" and saying that, in comparison with the other presidents he has known, "Bush #43 was in a class by himself—ineptitude supreme." This volume is a searing criticism, informed by Byrd's knowledge of history, leavened with his vast experience and written with his legendary rhetorical flourish.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393059421
• ISBN-13: 978-0393059427
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #674,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Voice in the Wilderness, September 26, 2004

By	John Sollami (Stamford, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Those who knock this book don't understand the point of what Sen. Byrd is saying. In fact, from some of the negative reviews I've read here, it seems that some haven't even read the book at all and are merely throwing a review up in hopes of trashing this work so others won't read it. Well, I've read it, and I strongly advise everyone to read every word of it. It will give you an insider's view of how Congress and the Executive branch of government are functioning these days. When George Bush debated Al Gore in 2000, he said he would reach across the aisle and work with the Democrats to unite America in a common purpose. These words are laughable today. Senator Byrd, a long-time senate veteran who has worked with numerous administrations, both Democratic and Republican, speaks from years of experience in stating that he has never seen such callow, arrogant, and ignorant behavior as this Bush administration has demonstrated. Bush's contempt for Congress and crude grabs for power that have set our government's delicate and successful system of checks and balances on its ear for years to come are carefully presented by the senator. Bush's bill to authorize the war on Iraq was filled with language that took away the power of Congress to make war and gave Bush carte blanche permission to attack anyone he perceived as plotting against America. So what mechanism is in place to stop Bush and his hawks should he desire to attack Iran or North Korea or Jordan? The military in this country is supposed to be overseen by a civilian authority, but it seems that things have been reversed in Bush's administration. The military and its inherent need to make war is in charge in America, and Bush is merely an instrument of its will. And the budgeting of all this activity was ramroded through Congress with next to no debate or accountability from the Bush administration. This kind of stonewalling of Congress is not only showing contempt of Congress (an impeachable offense), but it is indicative of a certain hubris and a contempt for the American people. It shows a fundamental lack of understanding of American history, American government, and the American people. I can't thank Senator Robert Byrd enough for standing up to this new kind of dictatorial force in America, reminiscent of the McCarthy era. I just hope the American people educate themselves to this force and restore balance and democracy to our beloved land.

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Speeches Are Worth the Cover Price, October 12, 2004

By	William A. Adams (Bainbridge Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I heard Byrd promoting his book on a radio show and was so struck by his quiet eloquence and passion that I decided to read it. I have to say that much of it is boring, rehashing what everybody who has been paying attention to the news already knows, and insider anecdotes don't interest me.

However there are two things that make the book worthwhile. One is Byrd's emphasis on the constitutional separation of powers between legislative and executive branches, and how that separation has been dangerously compromised. The White House runs the country, but the Congress pays the bills. The power of the purse is the main check on executive overreach, and what keeps the country from becoming a whimsical monarchy. That power is being given away by senators who don't understand its importance. Byrd does not talk much about the judicial branch and how it also is supposed to check executive power.

But the real gem of the book is the epilogue, in which eight of Byrd's speeches, delivered in the Senate since 9-11, are reprinted. They capture that same quiet voice but loud message that I heard on the radio.

"I will always remember the words of Senator Wayne Morse, one of the two senators who opposed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. During the debate on the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, he stated: 'The resolution will pass, and senators who vote for it will live to regret it.' Many senators did live to regret it. I am one of them. Now I am being asked to vote on another resolution authorizing the president to use force -- this time, not even having been attacked." (p. 232).

159 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars stands on its own two feet, August 2, 2004

By	T. Cunningham "Tim Cunningham" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I note that many of the negative reviews have focused on Byrd's biography, particularly his past membership in the KKK. This book does not speak to racial equality or any other issues related to the klan. To bring up the KKK or Byrd's vote on the Marriage Amendment is a Red Herring, raised for the purpose of dismissing the book without considering its actual content.

As far as the book's content, it is about the Constitution's insistence on the separation of powers, congressional responsibility for spending, and the principle of transparency in government. Byrd argues that the Bush administration has railroaded the Senate into turning over much of its legal authority. He points out that the Senate has been cowardly in confronting this challenge. It is not journalism - Byrd is not trying to present the Bush administration's side in the matter. He presents a pretty good case and shows the reader the Constitutional and legal basis for his protest against current Executive branch policy and practice. I'd like to hear how those senators who voted for the October 10 '02 Iraq War Resolution answer Byrd's clear challenge: he states that they are disrespecting the Constitution by turning war-declaring authority over to the President.