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David Obey has in his nearly forty years in the U.S. House of Representatives worked to bring economic and social justice to America's working families. In 2007 he assumed the chair of the Appropriations Committee and is positioned to pursue his priority concerns for affordable health care, education, environmental protection, and a foreign policy consistent with American democratic ideals. Here, in his autobiography, Obey looks back on his journey in politics beginning with his early years in the Wisconsin Legislature, when Wisconsin moved through eras of shifting balance between Republicans and Democrats. On a national level Obey traces, a few others have done, the dramatic changes in the workings of the U.S. Congress since his first election to the House in 1969. He discusses his own central role in the evolution of Congress and ethics reforms and his view of the recent Bush presidency - crucial chapters in our democracy, of interest to all who observe politics and modern U.S. history.… (more)
User reviews
The part of the book is about his childhood, college education, and time serving in the Wisconsin Legislature. It could have been cut by at least half. The book became interesting when he discussed his years in the House of Representatives in DC. He provides a lot of information about how the system works (or doesn't work) and includes some very pithy and sometimes funny quotes). As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, he was in a position to observe a lot of the backroom dealings and explains them thoroughly and concisely. He pulls no punches when he describes what it was like working with the various administrations and different Congresses. He discusses the steps taken to change Congress from the old boys club it was when he got there in 1969 to what it was when the book was published in 2007 with a lot of emphasis on the economic, social, and military issues they faced. He has an excellent wrap-up chapter at the end of the book in which he ranks the Presidents with whom he served.
I think I would have earned at least four stars had Congressman Obey utilized the services of a better editor. I kept wondering if he kept extensive journals, had total recall, or faked some of the information. Who cares what restaurant he met at in Wisconsin more than forty years ago and what it's current name is or that the building next to where his office was located is now a flower shop owned by his niece. The names of the first records he bought would have been interesting if they had any bearing on his career.
He does far too much name dropping. Identifying everyone who was at a meeting or on a trip without providing information about what they contributed just filled space. If he thought the information was important, he should have used footnotes at the end of the book.