My Declaration of Independence

Rating:
Summary: A good, quick read - by a man with a plan!
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. It didn't take long and Senator Jeffords has much to say. I liked that he appears honest (am I kidding myself?) and was sincere in voicing his own opinions, which in this day and age can be political suicide. I am planning on passing this book along to others.

Rating:
Summary: If you're sick of politics-as-usual, READ THIS BOOK
Review: Jim Jeffords may not be the senate's most eloquent member, but he may well be its greatest statesman. Jeffords is John McCain without the bluster; and like McCain, he is a rare American commodity, a true political leader.

Jeffords' memoir, "My Declaration of Independence," can be read in just a few hours, but it leaves a much longer impression. I know saying this sounds canned, but Jeffords book really is a must read, not only for political junkies, but for anyone interested in the complexities of the human soul.

In the book, Jeffords frankly details his alienation from the Republican party, but stops well short of cheap name-calling. It's clear Jeffords struggled mightily with his decision, principally because he cared deeply about his friends inside the party, friends poised to lose chairmanships they worked their whole lives to attain.

But in the end, corny as it may sound, Jeffords actually appears to have been guided by his convictions. It seems likely his defection had little to do with enhancing his own power and everything to do with doing what he believed was best for his state, and his country.

Take this from a longtime independent equally sick of Democrats and Republicans alike: we'd be a better country with more men like Jim Jeffords walking the corridors of power in Washington, DC.

Rating:
Summary: Candid, informative and surprisingly entertaining
Review: Let's be honest, like him or not, Jim Jeffords is not one of the Senate's most eloquent speakers. But he may well be its most eloquent statesman. Jeffords is John McCain without the bellicose style, and like McCain, a real American leader.
Jeffords' fast-paced memoir can be read in a few hours, but it will make a lasting impression on anyone who cares about politics and the way Washington works.
But more than a peak inside the corridors of power, Jeffords' book offers rare insight into the soul of a Washington power broker. Here is a man not intent on seizing power for himself (as anyone who knows him will agree), but a man IN power determined to do what he believes is right.
You may not agree with Jeffords decision to shift power to the democrats, but it's hard to believe this country could do better than to have a few more Jim Jeffords roaming the halls of Capitol Hill.

Rating:
Summary: An inside look at a controversial shift in political power
Review: Like many Americans I quickly formed an opinion when Senator Jeffries from Vermont suddenly switched parties from the Republican Party to an Independent. This switch from this one Senator shifted the balance of power away from the Republican Party until the elections in 2002. At the time I thought it was a very selfish act on the part of Jeffries, and should have been against regulations to switch from the party you were voted in on. I picked up this book to see if my conclusions were wrong.

The book is well written in first person, and the events unfold at a dizzying pace. If you ever really wanted to know what happens in the governments leadership of our country, this book provides some insights. As much as I have a distaste for "office politics", I now know a life of public service as a Senator is out of the question. Jeffries seems to spend all his time walking from office to office, from meeting to meeting, trying to cut deals and get agreements on a tax allocation. Other than the occasional dinner and trip, this is all that he seems to do. It is a good look at how our political body operates. He details the slow and inevitable conclusion he comes to when he cannot convince his fellow Republicans to fund education.

The slow and gradual widening of the ideological gap between Jeffries and his Party seems to be led by no less than a desire to stand up for his beliefs. This is certainly an honorable stance, and I found myself agreeing with his conclusions. To be blunt, if I consider the position he was trying to fight for, I would have to agree with him! In this regard I found the book to be most enlightening.

However, when reading through his thought process I came to the following conclusion: the shift was about Jeffries, not about the issue of education. He admits that the education spending he was trying to push through wasn't going to get through anyway. So does he work inside his party to help bridge the gap between the two political parties struggling to find common ground? No, he simply does what he wants to do personally by becoming an independent, in the process in fact widening the very gap he was trying to close.

This is a very good book, and a quick and interesting read. At first glance his position is honorable, and his ideas are sound. In the end though, despite the initial pain of his choice, he took the easier way out. I would have had more respect for an approach to hang in there and try and to change and influence his party, considering he was only there in the first place because the voters of Vermont allowed him in as a Republican. That fact alone makes his decision a decision of self and not for the people. The book is a great read though, and a good look behind the scenes at the politics of government.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid BIASED reviews - Read this book.
Review: Whether James Jefford's departure from the GOP angered or thrilled you, this is a wonderful book detailing the events that led up to his decision to declare himself an Independent.

Of course, Dems will love it, Republicans will hate it solely based on the author's decision to leave the Republican party.

This book is actually a pretty good page-turner filled with the details of the back room dealings surrounding the GOP's $1.6 trillion tax cut and Jefford's goal of fully funding education for the disabled.

In a small way, it helped restore my faith that there are a few people in our government willing to put their political future on the line for something they truly believe in.

Buy this book. You'll be glad you did.