> excerpt

In a book that is at once deeply personal and intellectually savvy, Homegrown Democrat is a celebration of liberalism as the "politics of kindness." In his inimitable style, Keillor draws on a lifetime of experience amongst the hardworking, God-fearing people of the Midwest and pays homage to the common code of civic necessities that arose from the left: Protect the social compact, Defend the powerless, Maintain government as a necessary force for good. As Keillor tells it, these are articles of faith that are being attacked by hard-ass Republican tax cutters who believe that human misery is a Dickensian fiction. In a blend of nostalgic reminiscence, humorous meditation, and articulate ire, Keillor asserts the values of his boyhood - the values of Lake Wobegon - that do not square with the ugly narcissistic agenda at work in the country today. A thoughtful, wonderfully written book, Homegrown Democrat is Keillor's love letter to liberalism, the older generation, John F. Kennedy, the University of Minnesota, and the yellow-dog Democrat city of St. Paul that is sure to amuse and inspire Americans just when they need it most.

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

Imperial America: Reflections on the United States of Amnesia
by Gore Vidal

Following the publication of Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace and its sequel Dreaming War, Gore Vidal was described as the last "noble defender" of the American republic, America's last "small-r" republican. In Imperial America, the conclusion of this landmark trilogy and his most devastating exploration of contemporary America yet, Vidal observes that there's something suspicious about the "ever reckless Cheney-Bush junta." They have created the Department of Homeland Security, the USA PATRIOT Act, and embarked upon a series of wars in pursuit of the world's oil reserves - to the extent that they seem not to care about "the decent opinion of mankind." Bush's apparent invincibility, and what he might or might now know - especially about those new "black box" voting machines being installed all over the country which seem to swing votes to the Republicans - is one of the central themes of Imperial America's opening essay, a mordant, magnificent, and witty "State of the Union" for the election year (and beyond).

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

What's the Matter with Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America
by Thomas Frank

In asking "what 's the matter with Kansas?" - how a place famous for its radicalism became one of the most conservative states in the union - Frank, a native Kansan and onetime Republican, seeks to answer some broader American riddles: Why do so many of us vote against our economic interests? Where's the outrage at corporate manipulators? And whatever happened to middle-American progressivism? The questions are urgent as well as provocative. Frank answers them by examining pop conservatism - the bestsellers, the radio talk shows, the vicious political combat - and showing how our long culture wars have left us with an electorate far more concerned with their leaders' "values" and down-home qualities than with their stands on hard questions of policy.

A brilliant analysis - and funny to boot - What's the Matter with Kansas? presents a critical assessment of who we are, while telling a remarkable story of how a group of frat boys, lawyers, and CEOs came to convince a nation that they spoke on behalf of the People.

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

Against All Enemies: Inside the White House's War on Terror - What Really Happened
by Richard Clarke

Clarke was the nation's crisis manager on 9/11, running the Situation Room - a scene described here for the first time - and then watched in dismay at what followed. After ignoring existing plans to attack al Qaeda when he first took office, George Bush made disastrous decisions when he finally did pay attention. Coming from a man known as one of the hard-liners against terrorists, Against All Enemies is both a powerful history of our two-decades-long confrontation with terrorism and a searing indictment of the current administration.

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill
by Ron Suskind

This narrative is like no other book that has been written about the Bush presidency - or any that is likely to be written soon. At its core are the assessments of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, for two years the administration's top economic official, a principal of the National Security Council, and a tutor to the new President. He is the only member of Bush's innermost circle to leave and then to agree to speak frankly about what has really been happening inside the White House.

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic
by Chalmers Johnson

In the years after the Soviet Union imploded, the United States was described first as the globe’s “lone superpower,” then as a “reluctant sheriff,” next as the “indispensable nation,” and now, in the wake of 9/11, as a “New Rome.” Here, Chalmers Johnson thoroughly explores the new militarism that is transforming America and compelling its people to pick up the burden of empire.

> Amazon.com
> Barnes & Noble.com

The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception
by David Corn

The "Lies of George W. Bush" is not a partisan whine - it is instead a carefully constructed, fact-based account that clearly denotes how Bush has relied on deception - from the campaign trail to the Oval Office - to win political and policy battles. With wit and style, Corn explains how Bush has managed to get away with it and explores the dangerous consequences of such presidential deceit in a perilous age.

> Current Affairs Bookstore
> Amazon.com

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right
by Al Franken

Political Satirist Al Franken pokes fun at several prominent right wing voices including Ann Coulter, George W. Bush, and John Ashcroft. Held the number one spot on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list.

> Current Affairs Bookstore
> Amazon.com