The PARTISAN DIVIDE: Congress in Crisis - Hardcover

Davis, Tom; Frost, Martin; Cohen, Richard E.; Eisenhower, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1619331284 ISBN 13: 9781619331280

Publisher: FastPencil Premiere, 2014

Synopsis

"Martin Frost and Tom Davis are uniquely qualified to examine how constant conflict in Washington keeps too many good things from happening. The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a smart book that asks the right questions and offers some intriguing solutions." — President Bill Clinton

During their 40 years in Congress, Martin Frost and Tom Davis were the field generals for their respective parties, each serving two terms as chair of the Democratic and Republican House campaign committees. Now they have joined forces — along with columnist Richard Cohen — in an effort to save Congress from itself.

According to the authors, Congress is incapable of reforming itself without a good kick in the seat from the American public. Frost and Davis, with great insight and skill, along with a wealth of anecdotes and photos, dissect the causes of legislative gridlock and offer a common sense, bipartisan plan for making our Congress function again.

The Preface by Pulitzer Prize finalist David Eisenhower sets the stage for this powerful behind-the-scenes narrative that uncovers the past road to the present political gridlock — and then offers thought-provoking insights and possibilities for the way out.

A wide array of Republicans, Democrats, former presidents, and congressional colleagues, as well as many of today’s most highly respected news correspondents and analysts, have come together in broad, bi-partisan, consensus support for this book and its message.

The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a fascinating "must-read" for the historically and politically curious — as well as every citizen of the United States!

"As bipartisan progress becomes ever scarcer in Washington, Frost and Davis have come together to present thought-provoking ideas and insights from four decades of collective experience in Congress. In their powerful insiders’ account of the road into political gridlock, readers will find both the full extent of the problem and new possibilities for a way out." — Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader and 60th Speaker of the House

"This book by two veteran politicians — one a Democrat and one a Republican — shows just how broken our political system is and how difficult it is going to be to get it back on track." — Bob Schieffer, Moderator of Face the Nation and Chief Washington Correspondent CBS News

About this title

About the Author:

Tom Davis served in Congress from 1994 to 2008 representing Virginia's 11th district. During that time, he served as House GOP campaign chairman for two cycles (2000 and 2002), and chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight before retiring, undefeated in 2008. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia Law School. Mr. Davis currently serves as a Director at Deloitte LLP and resides in Vienna, Virginia. He is also a co-founder of "No Labels."

Martin Frost served 26 years in Congress representing the Dallas–Ft. Worth area in North Texas. During that time he served four years as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and four years as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. He has undergraduate degrees in journalism and history from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Frost is a senior partner in the Washington office of the Polsinelli law firm and resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Richard Cohen has written about Congress for National Journal, Politico and Congressional Quarterly. He is the author of several books, including Washington at Work: Back Rooms and Clean Air, a case study of the 1990 Clean Air Act, and Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics. He has been co-author of The Almanac of American Politics. Mr. Cohen received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Cohen resides in McLean, Virginia.

David Eisenhower, grandson of general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a historian and the Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. He serves as a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and is a fellow in the International Relations Department at the University. Mr. Eisenhower is the author of Eisenhower: At War, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1986. He is the co-author with wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, of Going Home to Glory.

Review:

Martin Frost and Tom Davis are uniquely qualified to examine how constant conflict in Washington keeps too many good things from happening. The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a smart book that asks the right questions and offers some intriguing solutions. (President Bill Clinton 2014-09-23)

Put plainly, this is the most significant political book I have read in a decade or longer. Our system of self-government is manifestly in crisis and the stakes could not be higher. For over a decade, the public has awaited explanations and recommendations, which are provided by the book. (David Eisenhower, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, public policy fellow, professor at th 2014-09-23)

Democrat Martin Frost and Republican Tom Davis knew how to work together effectively as Congressional leaders. In this important book, they describe how the decline of bipartisanship has brought about a government that seems incapable of addressing the serious problems that affect our nation, and they suggest how this might be reversed. (President Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States 2014-09-24)

Tom Davis and Martin Frost are two men that have been in the pits of the great partisan battles of the past yet were able to join with their leaderships to bridge the politics and get real things done in the legislative arena. Their book brings unique insights and answers on how our Nation’s political discourse can begin to yield positive results. (Dennis Hastert, Republican Leader and 59th Speaker of the House (R-IL) 2014-09-24)

As bipartisan progress becomes ever scarcer in Washington, Frost and Davis have come together to present thought-provoking ideas and insights from four decades of collective experience in Congress. In their powerful insiders’ account of the road into political gridlock, readers will find both the full extent of the problem and new possibilities for a way out. (Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader and 60th Speaker of the House (D-CA) 2014-09-23)

Tom Davis, Martin Frost along with Rich Cohen have written a book that desperately needed to be written and arguably no other three people are better qualified to write it. Not a textbook or a 'tell-all' book, but really a first-hand, behind the scenes account and explanation of what has gone terribly wrong in Washington and politics, and why. (Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of The Cook Political Report, Columnist for N 2014-09-23)

Martin Frost and Tom Davis are two of the savviest members of Congress to have served in recent decades, comfortable with both politics and policy, and immersed enough in our recent political turmoil to have great perspective on causes and consequences. One doesn't have to agree with all their viewpoints and recommendations to appreciate their terrific contribution in this book to our understanding of Congress and political dysfunction. (Norm Ornstein, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Contributi 2014-09-23)

It doesn’t take a Washington insider to know that Congress is broken right now. In The Way Forward (final chapter), Martin and Tom identify the primary causes of and potential solutions to this dysfunction. From campaign finance to the 24/7 news media to demographic trends, their explanation of congressional gridlock is wide-ranging and comprehensive. (Donna Brazile, political strategist (CNN ,ABC) and vice-chairwoman of the Democr 2014-09-23)

Martin Frost and Tom Davis have offered their readers an insight into our nation's current crisis in the 21st century - our system of governance. Their thoughtful analysis and recommendations will provide the American people with solutions in restoring faith and confidence in today's political climate. (Dick Gephardt, Former House Minority Leader (D-MO) r 2014-09-23)

About this edition

• Publisher: FastPencil Premiere
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1619331284
• ISBN 13: 9781619331280
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352