Politics & Current Events
Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill (1912-1994) is most closely associated with the truism “all politics is local.” One meaning of the observation is that politics must have a base of pragmatic neighborhood reality. It is not all theory; it is not all anticipation of demographics; it is not an imposition from above but an attention to grassroots. For years I resisted breaking out my political books to a page of their own because the topic seemed so ephemeral, so transitory. Well, what is the web but superb access to the ephemeral? I will try NOT to include too much history here or to stack the deck, so to speak, with partisan books. On the other hand, what is available is what is available — the only criteria is good writing, good sourcing, and some accordance with what my customers may be interested in. In that way, I am keeping it local, as per Speaker O’Neill. It will grow with time and a broadening definition of what is politics and what is a current event.
Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized teh US Department of Justice Against His Critics
Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized teh US Department of Justice Against His Critics
The man the New York State Attorney General credited with inspiring her prosecution of Donald Trump — New York Times number one bestselling author Michael Cohen — tells the behind-the-scenes story of what can happen to you — and what really happened to him — when a President who believes himself to be above the law decides to go after his critics . . . .
When Michael Cohen’s secret payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels on behalf of Donald Trump made Cohen look like a liability to the by-then-President of the United States, the end to their decade-long relationship came swiftly — with a knock on the door from the FBI. Soon, Cohen would find himself imprisoned — even though he had plenty of evidence to show he was innocent of most of the charges.
Meanwhile, with the release of the Steele Dossier, Cohen also found himself battling endless news reports citing the Dossier’s claims that he’d had clandestine dealings with Russia — reports that only mounted despite his exoneration by the Mueller Report.
In a story now being echoed in recent breaking news stories about IRS persecution of Trump foes such as former FBI head James Comey and others, Cohen details — in his inimitable blunt language, with absolutely no holds barred and naming names — his attempt to clear his name and tell the truth about Donald Trump. Chillingly, he also makes clear what happens when you try to speak truth to power, and the power knows no bounds.
Praise for Michael Cohen and Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics
“Michael Cohen has a strong voice in standing up to power and speaking for fairness and justice in the American political and judicial systems. He has seen it all from many angles, and the bumps and bruises have shaped his refreshing, truthful voice.” —Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN)
“I know Michael Cohen well enough to vouch for him telling us the truth about Donald Trump.” — John Dean, former White House counsel to President Richard Nixon, and author of Authoritarian Nightmare: The Ongoing Threat of Trump’s Followers
“Michael Cohen made his amends, and he paid a severe price for it. But that was not good enough for “Individual #1,” Donald Trump. He and his DOJ cronies embarked on an ugly campaign of revenge, which Cohen details in this must-read volume.” — Norm Eisen, CNN commentator, former U.S. ambassador, and co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment and trial of President Donald Trump
“Michael Cohen illustrates that it is never too late to become a truth-teller. He is a parrhessiastes int he true Greek sense of the word — willing to speak truth to power, despite the risk of retaliation by those who would like to see him silenced.” —Asha Rangappa, Senior Lecturer at the Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a former Associate Dean at Yale Law School.