The Price Of Loyalty and Rational Republicans

This book has been mentioned before and reviewed in Kos diaries and elsewhere, enough times that it is easiest to link to a kos search for reference.

It is a great work which reminds me of "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" in terms of it's ability to reveal political fundamentals by telling you things you already knew (or heard).  Since it does confirm things we already know about the administration, it actually, for me, humanizes the participants, Bush is trying to get it, just once, but he's trying to get it.  He's also caught questioning giving more tax cuts to the rich, "didn't we already do that?" (paraphrased).  Need I mention Condi singing gospel tunes with Ashcroft on piano at Camp David?  "Human" is not my first idea at that image, "surreal" is, but I think it's still probably humanizing.

Although O'Niell has policy ideas that are anathema to liberalism he will yield to fact, or at least that's the narrative.  Eventually that deference to fact will eat away the biases of a philosophy, improving it over time, totally changing it if necessary, or it might be abandoned as a failed philosophy.  These type of thinkers are our allies in other parties.  They will not agree with us on policy in general, but they will agree on procedure and methodology, they will yield, if reluctantly at times, or slowly, to the facts.  You can work with this as an honest difference, and rely on democracy to remain healthy, even if you struggle with important issues that are not handled properly in the meantime.