Description
This is a political biography of Howard Baker, the Republican politician who served as US Senator from Tennessee from 1967 to 1985 (spending the last four years of his tenure as Majority Leader) and also worked as President Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff in 1987-88. The biography is characterized by a generally admiring tone for Baker's legislative achievements and his role in investigating the Watergate scandal. It supports the idea that Baker deserved the sobriquet, "the great conciliator," both in terms of his willingness to investigate the misdeeds of his own party and his ability to reach across the aisles of Congress in order to fashion and enact legislation. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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“A brilliant and perceptive look at an intellectually gifted and multitalented man. In our increasingly partisan and fragmented political system, Howard Baker's legacy stands as a symbol of the way things should be: He sought consensus and compromise where partisans wanted to fight rather than govern. And he insisted that civility must be part of our character lest we surrender to the evils of spite and recrimination.” —Senator William S. Cohen, R-Maine“Lee Annis’s volume is a wonderful book about a man who all of his life has worked to give public service a good name. No one in politics is more respected than Howard Baker. This is a timely read in an age when there is so much cynicism about government. It will give you hope.” —Lamar Alexander“A wonderful book about a truly good man who has served his state and nation with great integrity and ability.” —Bill Brock“An insightful look at one of the truly great legislative leaders of our time. Great reading for those interested in public policy.” —Former Senator Warren B. Rudman, R-New Hampshire“An inspiring, nuanced portrait of one of the twentieth century's greatest political figures. Annis is uniquely qualified to systematically investigate the inner workings of Senator Baker's mind.” —Senator Bill FristThroughout the 1970s and 1980s, from Watergate to the Reagan White House, Howard Baker was at the center of U.S. politics. As the ranking Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Watergate, Baker framed the question that would bring down Richard Nixon: What did the president know and when did he know it? As chief of staff after the Iran/contra scandal, Baker helped to put the Reagan White House back on course.Originally published in 1995, Howard Baker: Conciliator in An Age of Crisis is the first and only authoritative biography of Baker. J. Lee Annis Jr. examines Baker's life and his work as a negotiator and statesman who could make government work and argues that Baker brought to Washington moderation and diplomatic talents that are often lacking in politics today.In this second edition, Annis has added a new chapter covering Senator Baker's life and times since leaving the White House in 1988. Scholars of southern history, southern politics, and Tennessee history and politics will find Howard Baker: Conciliator in An Age of Crisis an essential addition to their library.J. Lee Annis Jr. is a professor of history at Montgomery College in Maryland. He is coauthor, with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, of Tennessee Senators, 1911-2001: Portraits of Leadership in a Century of Change.
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