books
shrub the short but happy political life of george w. bush
br when it comes to reporting on politics nobody does it smarter or funnier than bestselling author molly ivins . in shrub ivins focuses her texas size smarts on the biggest politician in her home state george walker bush or shrub as ivins has nicknamed bush the younger . br a candidate of vague speeches and an ambiguous platform bush leads the pack of gop 2000 presidential hopefuls ; dubya could very well be our next president . what voters need now is an original smart and accessible analysis of bush one that leaves the youthful indiscretions to the tabloids and gets to the heart of his policies and motivations . ivins is the perfect woman for the job . br with her trademark wit and down home wisdom molly ivins shares three pieces of advice on judging a politician the first is to look at the record . the second is to look at the record . and third look at the record . in this book ivins takes a good hard look at the record of the man who could be the leader of the free world . beginning with his post college military career ivins tracks dubyas winding sometimes unlikely path from a failed congressional bid to a two term governorship . bush has made plenty of friends and supporters along the way including texas oil barons evangelist billy graham and co investors in the texas rangers baseball team . you would have to work at it to dislike the man she writes . but for all of bushs likeability ivins points to a disconcerting lack of political passion from this ascending presidential candidate . in her words if you think his daddy had trouble with the vision thing wait till you meet this one . br witty trenchant and on target ivins gives a singularly perceptive and entertaining analysis of george w. bush . to head to the voting booth without it would be downright un american . br from shrub the short but happy political life of george w. bush br the past is prologue in politics . if a politician is left right weak strong given to the waffle or the flip flop or as sometimes happens an able soul who performs well under pressure all that will be in the record . br bushs welfare record texas pols like to git tuff on crime welfare commies and other bad stuff . bush proposed to git tuff on welfare recipients by ending the allowance for each additional child which in texas is 38 a month . br bush and the christian right bush has learned to dance with the christian right . it has been interesting and amusing to watch the process . interesting because its sometimes hard to tell whos leading and whos following ; amusing because when a scion of old yankee money gets together with a televangelist with too much elvis the result is swell entertainment . br bushs environmental record since governor bushs election texas air quality has been rated the worst in the nation leading all fifty states in overall toxic releases recognized carcinogens in the air cancer risk and ten other categories of pollutants . br bushs military career bush was promoted as the texas air national guards anti drug poster boy one of lifes little ironies given the difficulty he has had answering cocaine questions all these years later . george walker bush is one member of the younger generation who doesnt get his kicks from pot or hashish or speed reads a guard press release of 1970 . oh he gets high all right but not from narcotics . p from the hardcover edition .
paperback vintage books usa 2000 isbn 0375757147
abridged n isbn 13 9780375757143 number of pages 240 publisher vintage books usa release date 1033430400000