Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing and Frightening.
Review: I could not put this book down. This is yet another publication of research backed with facts. Well written and definitely a Molly Ivins work as she has put her own Texas-touch on the disturbing information that she has brought forth.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: This book makes you laugh through your tears (Franken fans, while not as side splitting, this is a excellent follow-up). I thought I was becoming a little paranoid, maybe a little delusional about the current state of affairs in this country. Unfortunately, this book convinced me I'm ok - my country isn't though. For those of you getting a little dismayed at the bad policy, bad political appointees, not to mention our complete lack of diplomacy, this book will confirm your gut feel and then some. Democrats and Republicans alike (provided you aren't right-wing fundamentalist "Christians" or corporate felons) need to read this book and decide if this is what America should be all about. While the authors are certainly partisan, they have followed Dubya for years and the extensive history they provide leaves little doubt where his loyalty lies. And it's not with We the People. Most disturbing is the abysmal foreign policy record. I was in Italy just before the war started and I can tell you the Europeans I met are not anti-American (not yet anyways). They still appreciate our World War II sacrifices. They were more sad than anything -- that George W. Bush could become leader of the free world. I mean really sad and troubled. Two squid fishermen drank some grappa with us and, to my embarrassment, knew more about Rumsfield and Wolfowitz than I did. Italian squid fishermen. So, if you want to know the truth about GW's relationship with Kenneth Lay and Enron or want to know about GW's mini-Enron, read this book. If you want to learn about "Christians" who seem to think the main message was protect the unborn but electrocute the mentally disabled and support big business (have they read the New Testament??? If so, they missed the point)read this book. If you want to read Patriot Act II, and discover you might just be on the list of people that can be held outside the confines of our Constitution, read this book. If you want to know about the wide gap between what this President says and what he does, read this book. Then join me at my card table outside the Piggly Wiggly so we can convince people we need to take our country back....
Rating:
Summary: awesome book
Review: I'm a republican but I loved this book. If you think this is a contradiction, please see the review of "wiseguyrunj" ,the "democrat." (and look at the other books he/she reviewed). Really, I'm a republican. And really wiseguyrunj is a democrat. And really, all these 1 star reviewers actually bought the book and read it. Do you believe in the tooth fairy too?
Seriously, Molly Ivins is hilarious and insightful. As a Texan, she has the full scope of both how Bush first turned Houston into a #1 city (most pollution, that is), cut taxes to make him look good for president (leaving Texas with a $10 billion deficit in the next budget cycle), among other atrocities. And then moved on to the White House to destroy America.
Great book!
Rating:
Summary: See? Molly told us so!
Review: Molly tells it like it is... again! resident Bush has PUT us through 2 of the most harrowing years this country has seen since WWII Bush is so accesible that if you happen to be a frontpage headline on a paper someday, or one of his aides, you might actually be able to communicate an idea to him. btw, if you want to live in a backwards religious fundamentalist state, i hear there's room for you in the 13th century... this book is right on target, and i praise Molly for her courage and wit. i will agree, however, with the reviewer that there is some underbrush that needs to be cleared... out of Washington especially. Let's take our country back! R.I.P. GOP 2004!!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Thing to Come Out of Texas
Review: Molly Ivins and Lou Dobuse brilliantly follow up their previous effort, Shrub, with the even more potent Bushwhacked, looking at the life in America as Dubya has reshaped since leaving the state of Texas. Essentially he has applied every pro-corporation idea that has failed in Texas and has taken it nationwide. The book is particularly effective in showing the small and dangerous ways things have changed, in addition to all the big ones we are all sadly aware of (Iraq and Enron). The authors look at the small bureacrats and the lesser laws not covered by a sleeping media and traces their impact on real Americans. This book contains the wonderful lines we have learned to expect from Molly Ivins but it will just as often bring the reader to tears. It is touching and terrifying. I hope this book will serve to wake us all up to the horrors being put forward to the sole benefit of the corporations that have paid for them. The authors end on a somewhat hopeful note, suggesting ways to change the system. This is a book that is, unfortunately, very needed in these troubled times. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Crying in the Wilderness
Review: An insightful look at the effects on "average Americans" of the current "inside the beltway" philosophy of government-in-bed-with-business. If you think "gee dubya's" idea of government and social programs don't effect you.....read on. A good follow-up to the the previous book, "Schrub", examining the tenure of Texas governor, the now President/Texas oil man. Unfortunately, far too few will examine the real "State of the Union" shown here.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: Way go go Molly! I agree that everyone needs to read this book. This book had me laughing (although I wanted to cry) about what Cowboy Bush is doing to our country. I hope people will wake up and see that we need a change! Great book, and very well written. READ IT!!
Rating:
Summary: The sequel we were hoping would not be written
Review: After reading Molly Ivins first book about George W. Bush, "Shrub", I was hoping I would never have to read another book by her. Not because I don't like Ivins or her writing, but because I was hoping that the book would make people see what a worthless leader Bush would make and not vote for him. Unfortunately, Bush got enough votes to allow the Supreme Court to get involved, and now another book must be written. The great thing about Molly Ivins is that she is able to relate the Bush Administrations failed policies to the everyday Americans life. She explains: - Why Bushes ties to Harken and Enron matter.
- How stacking the nations courts with right-wing judges is harmful to democracy.
- Why and how the Bush Administration's "No Child Left Behind" has left millions of kids behind.
- How Bush's poor foreign policy prior to Sept. 11th has negatively affected our ability to fight terrorism. A great sequel to "Shrub". Too bad it had to be written. Highly Recommended!!
Rating: 
Summary: I must be a liberal
Review: I don't know of anyone who is completely liberal, or completely conservative, and the same goes for Republican or Democrat - except perhaps the ideologues who still support Bush. I admit I started reading this last fall, but never finished until yesterday when I found a paperback copy left on the coffee table by my daughter, who will vote in her first presidential election this year. When I asked what she thought of the book she said: "I just can't understand how someone who was a failure at everything he tried could become president - or even be nominated." I guess that says it all, something is very wrong with the political system, or perhaps 2000 was just a freak of nature, a failure of logic, or an uninterested electorate.
The writing is not compelling, but the information makes up for any shortcomings. Of course one would have to be hoplessly naive to believe every word, but the evidence is already substantially out there and "Bushwacked" has just consolidated much of it in one place.
If everyone who really cares about the direction these ideologues have taken us in the last few years reads this book, then George Bush will be in Crawford, Texas by January 2005, and not on one of his innumerable "vacations".One can only hope that there is a larger than normal voter turnout in November, that alone would cause a Democratic landslide. As a matter of policy the Republicans depend on low turnout to have a chance at victory.
Rating:
Summary: An eyeopener...
Review: Lately, a great deal of 'Bushbashing' books have come out. From Al Franken to Michael Moore, a lot of comedians realise there's a big demand for anti-Bush books. Ivins and Dubose, however, use a different path. While remaining on the comical side, rather than bashing Bush as a person (a technique also employed by Dubya's administration to try and destroy the reputation of people like O'Neill and Clarke. The fact their points remain perfectly valid seems to be beyond them), the authors instead discuss the wrong decisions taken by the administration. Often they'll use examples to compare the current policy to Dubya's policies while he was governor of Texas. From the PATRIOT act to Bush's judicial nominees, from the abandoning institutions founded to protect consumer's rights to crippling the Leave No Child Behind act, there seems to be a trend following the decisions he takes now, that can be compared to similar decicions while he was Guvna. Chapter after chapter, the authors will prove they did extensive research, and actually talked to people who got screwed over by Dubya and his corporate cronies. But it's not JUST criticizing. The last chapter is devoted to providing possible solutions as to how to improve what was done wrong. All in all, this is quite an eyeopening book. A definate recommendation for those who wish a bit more insight into how the Bush administration is screwing over ordinary citizens while favouring corporations and multi millionaires.
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