American Politics Audiobooks | Politics

Who Let the Dogs In?: Incredible Political Animals I Have Known

The dazzling, inimitable Molly Ivins is back, with her own personal Hall of Fame of America's most amazing and outlandish politicians-the wicked, the wise, the witty, and the witless-drawn from more than twenty years of reporting on the folks who attempt to run our government (in some cases, into the ground). Who Let the Dogs In? takes us on a wild ride through two decades of political life, from Ronald Reagan, through Big George and Bill Clinton, to our current top dog, known to Ivins readers simply as Dubya. But those are just a few of the political animals who are honored and skewered for our amusement. Ivins also writes hilariously, perceptively, and at times witheringly of John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, H. Ross Perot, Tom DeLay, Ann Richards, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, and the current governor of Texas, who is known as Rick "Goodhair" Perry. Following close on the heels of her phenomenally successful Bushwhacked and containing an up-to-the-minute Introduction for the campaign season, Who Let the Dogs In? is political writing at its best.

Molly Ivins (Author), Anna Fields, Anna Fields (Narrator)

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Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America

Reich sees the radical conservatism that has taken over the public agenda, the desire to fight unilateral "preemptive" wars, to stifle dissent and restrict civil liberties, to shower the rich with tax breaks and cut social services, as dangerous for both America and the world. He argues convincingly that the tenets of the liberal tradition must be a part of our national governance. He makes clear that radical conservatives have ascended in part because of an efficient infrastructure and a political organization driven by big money, and shock troops of mediagenic personalities. He explains how liberals can begin to re-ascend the political ladder by reclaiming the courage of their convictions, and finding powerfully effective ways to minimize the abuse of wealth and power in our political system.

Robert B. Reich (Author), Robert B. Reich (Narrator)

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George Herbert Walker Bush

In this revealing biography of the elder George Bush, Tom Wicker, a political correspondent for The New York Times for more than 30 years, draws a sympathetic and insightful portrait of the man at the helm of one of the most powerful families today. From his New England roots and his decorated service in World War II to his oil business and transition to politics, Bush has had the fortunate gift for creating friendships and inspiring loyalty; this, as Wicker makes the case, was the key to his success. While charting Bush's career and providing in-depth analysis of his campaign tactics, Wicker also offers a glimpse into the workings of the current administration and the continued legacy of the Bush family.

Tom Wicker (Author), Michael Prichard (Narrator)

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Fanatics and Fools

As America's leaders fight pre-emptive wars abroad and ordinary Americans fight to keep their heads above water here at home, Arianna Huffington offers a no-holds-barred account of where we stand and a clear and remarkable vision of where we should be headed. Taking aim at the ruthless fanatics in the Bush White House and the feckless fools in the all-too-compliant Democratic opposition, the best-selling author of Pigs at the Trough paints a scathing picture of our contemporary political landscape—peopled with scoundrels and cowards, and awash in the constant and corrosive tow of dirty money. But the book doesn't stop there. Over the course of her run for governor of California, Arianna Huffington learned that criticism and outrage are not enough. She lays out her game plan for winning back America from our not-so-compassionately-conservative president, now firmly and happily in the grip of right-wing radicals like Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and John Ashcroft. With the 2004 election fast approaching, Arianna Huffington sees fire in the ashes of the Democratic Party and reason for hope that this can be the year that the people finally take back control of their government and their country. Fearless, funny, in full command of the facts, and ever passionate, Arianna Huffington offers not just a chapter-and-verse diagnosis of the fanaticism that drives the Bush White House but a bold vision of New Responsibility for rebuilding our broken democracy. If you want to know what you can do to restore America to the promise and moral greatness envisioned by our greatest leaders, from Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to FDR and Bobby Kennedy, this book is required reading. These are big dreams, but, as Arianna argues, anything smaller guarantees the reelection of George Bush.

Arianna Huffington (Author), Arianna Huffington (Narrator)

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House of Bush, House of Saud

Newsbreaking and controversial -- an award-winning investigative journalist uncovers the thirty-year relationship between the Bush family and the House of Saud and explains its impact on American foreign policy, business, and national security. House of Bush, House of Saud begins with a politically explosive question: How is it that two days after 9/11, when U.S. air traffic was tightly restricted, 140 Saudis, many immediate kin to Osama Bin Laden, were permitted to leave the country without being questioned by U.S. intelligence? The answer lies in a hidden relationship that began in the 1970s, when the oil-rich House of Saud began courting American politicians in a bid for military protection, influence, and investment opportunity. With the Bush family, the Saudis hit a gusher -- direct access to presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. To trace the amazing weave of Saud-Bush connections, Unger interviewed three former directors of the CIA, top Saudi and Israeli intelligence officials, and more than one hundred other sources.His access to major players is unparalleled and often exclusive -- including executives at the Carlyle Group, the giant investment firm where the House of Bush and the House of Saud each has a major stake. Like Bob Woodward's The Veil, Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud features unprecedented reportage; like Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? Unger's book offers a political counter-narrative to official explanations; this deeply sourced account has already been cited by Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, and sets 9/11, the two Gulf Wars, and the ongoing Middle East crisis in a new context: What really happened when America's most powerful political family became seduced by its Saudi counterparts?

Craig Unger (Author), James Naughton (Narrator)

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Deliver Us From Evil

As Americans face the ongoing war against terrorists and their state sponsors around the world, Sean Hannity reminds us we must also cope with the continuing scourge of accommodation and cowardice at home. With his trademark blend of passion and hard-hitting commentary, he urges Americans to recognize the dangers of putting our faith in toothless "multilateralism" when the times call for decisive action. He believes that only through strong defense of our freedoms, at home and around the world, can we preserve America's security and liberty in the dangerous twenty-first century. "Evil exists," Hannity believes. "It is real, and it means to harm us." Tracing a direct line from Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin through Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, he reminds us of the courage and moral clarity of our great leaders. And he reveals how the disgraceful history of appeasement has reached forward from the days of Neville Chamberlain and Jimmy Carter to corrupt the unrepentant leftists of the modern Democratic Party -- from Howard Dean and John Kerry to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Hannity's first blockbuster book, the New York Times bestseller Let Freedom Ring, cemented his place as the freshest and most compelling conservative voice in the country. As host of the phenomenally successful Hannity & Colmes and The Sean Hannity Show, Hannity has won a wildly devoted fan base. Now he brings his plainspoken, take-no-prisoners style to the continuing War on Terror abroad -- and liberalism at home

Sean Hannity (Author), Sean Hannity (Narrator)

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The Book on Bush: How George W. Bush (Mis)leads America

Not since Richard Nixon's heyday has there been a more controversial president capable of polarizing public opinion than George W. Bush. From his arrival in office through what many still regard as one of the most flagrant miscarriages of electoral justice in modern history to the long road to Iraq, liberals have vilified Bush as ardently as neoconservatives have embraced him. Both Alterman and Green are known for their doggedness in researching the media and political figures, and what they discover in the case of Bush is a consistent pattern of double standards, misrepresentation, and contradictions. The Book on Bush methodically critiques Administration policy from the standpoint of its truthfulness as well as its merit, with the characteristic wit of both writers. "Examining the Bush administration's record on domestic and foreign policy issues, Alterman and former New York City public advocate Green see a pattern of dissimulation to promote the interests of the religious right, big business and neoconservative radicals. The two progressive champions make no effort to hide their dislike of Bush, branding him an 'affirmative-action-legacy student' lacking knowledge and brain power...Expect liberal cognoscenti to back this book in droves."--Publishers Weekly

Eric Alterman, Mark Green (Author), Nick Sullivan (Narrator)

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The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty

Based on hours of unprecedented interviews with members of the Bush family, The Bushes tells the inside story of the unique dynasty at the heart of American power. As well as laying out the secretive family's inner workings, this intimate and fascinating group portrait probes into such sensitive matters as their dealings in the oil business, George W.'s turbulent youth, and Jeb's likely run for the presidency in 2008. In this first full-scale biography, Peter and Rochelle Schweizer insightfully explore the secrets of the Bushes' rise from obscurity to unprecedented influence. The family's free-flowing, pragmatic, and opportunistic style consciously distinguishes them from previous political dynasties; they consider themselves the "un-Kennedys." But with their abiding emphasis on loyalty and networking, the Bushes' continuing success seems assured-making this book essential reading for anyone who cares about America's future.

Peter Schweizer, Rochelle Schweizer (Author), Robertson Dean (Narrator)

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Democracy Matters

In his major bestseller, Race Matters, philosopher Cornel West burst onto the national scene with his searing analysis of the scars of racism in American democracy. Race Matters has become a contemporary classic, still in print after ten years, having sold more than four hundred thousand copies. A mesmerizing speaker with a host of fervidly devoted fans, West gives as many as one hundred public lectures a year and appears regularly on radio and television. Praised by The New York Times for his "ferocious moral vision" and hailed by Newsweek as "an elegant prophet with attitude," he bridges the gap between black and white opinion about the country's problems. In Democracy Matters, West returns to the analysis of the arrested development of democracy-both in America and in the crisis-ridden Middle East. In a strikingly original diagnosis, he argues that if America is to become a better steward of democratization around the world, we must first wake up to the long history of imperialist corruption that has plagued our own democracy. Both our failure to foster peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the crisis of Islamist anti-Americanism stem largely from hypocrisies in our dealings with the world. Racism and imperial expansionism have gone hand in hand in our country's inexorable drive toward hegemony, and our current militarism is only the latest expression of that drive. Even as we are shocked by Islamic fundamentalism, our own brand of fundamentalism, which West dubs Constantinian Christianity, has joined forces with imperialist corporate and political elites in an unholy alliance, and four decades after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., insidious racism still inflicts debilitating psychic pain on so many of our citizens. But there is a deep democratic tradition in America of impassioned commitment to the fight against imperialist corruptions-the last great expression of which was the civil rights movement led by Dr. King-and West brings forth the powerful voices of that great democratizing tradition in a brilliant and deeply moving call for the revival of our better democratic nature. His impassioned and provocative argument for the revitalization of America's democracy will reshape the terms of the raging national debate about America's role in today's troubled world.

Cornel West (Author), Cornel West (Narrator)

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Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America

Provocative political commentator Arianna Huffington yanks back the curtain on the unholy alliance of CEOs, politicians, lobbyists, and Wall Street bankers who have shown a brutal disregard for those in the office cubicles and on the factory floors. As she puts it: "The economic game is not supposed to be rigged like some shady ring toss on a carnival midway." Yet it has been, allowing corporate crooks to bilk the public out of trillions of dollars, magically making our pensions and 401(k)s disappear and walking away with astronomical payouts and lavish perks-for-life. Making the case that our public watchdogs have become little more than obedient lapdogs, Arianna Huffington turns the spotlight on the tough reforms we must demand from Washington that go beyond the Corporate Responsibility Act.

Arianna Huffington (Author), Alison Fraser (Narrator)

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All The Best

In lieu of a memoir, All the Best, George Bush collects correspondence and diary entries from the former U.S. president to show, as he says, "what my own heartbeat is, what my values are, what has motivated me in life." The letters begin in 1942--when, fresh out of high school, Bush volunteered for U.S. Navy flight school--and continue to the brink of the 21st century, as the retired chief executive worries about the Melissa virus infecting his office's server and keeping his visiting grandchildren in line. ("I realize," he muses, "Keep the freezer door closed from now on and I mean it lacks the rhetorical depth of This will not stand or Read my lips.") All the Best hits all the highlights of Bush's career, from the Texas oil business to his role as ambassador to China, then CIA director, vice president under Ronald Reagan, and finally president himself. Along the way, he reveals a personality that is at turns compassionate, respectful, silly, doting, and resolute--a man for whom being a father and a grandfather matters as much as, and maybe even more than, being leader of the free world. Fans and detractors alike will find in All the Best an intimate human portrait that offers as sure a self-definition of Bush's personal life as A World Transformed did his presidential career.

Barbara Bush, George Bush, George H.W. Bush (Author), Barbara Bush, George Bush, George H.W. Bush (Narrator)

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Who's Looking Out For You?

Media powerhouse and expert critic Bill O'Reilly's most comprehensive book yet offers new insight into the current state of life in America. In examining the social, political, and economic aspects of our daily lives, O'Reilly exhausts every bureaucratic system to see what our higher-ups are doing to take care of us, and points out the people and institutions who are failing the average American. At the same time, he makes one of his most profound and daring journeys yet, as he ventures to question how much genuine altruism is left in a society that thrives on a competitive, increasingly self-indulgent ethos. With thoughtfulness and candor, O'Reilly targets our biggest problems, and offers sage advice on how to regain control and trust in these troubled times.

Bill O'Reilly (Author), Bill O'Reilly (Narrator)

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