• Bushwhacked

  • Life in George W. Bush's America
  • By: Molly Ivins, Lou Dubose
  • Narrated by: Anna Fields
  • Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (204 ratings)

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Bushwhacked  By  cover art

Bushwhacked

By: Molly Ivins,Lou Dubose
Narrated by: Anna Fields
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Publisher's summary

A simultaneously rollicking and sobering indictment of the policies of President George W. Bush, Bushwhacked chronicles the destructive impact of the Bush administration on the very people who put him in the White House in the first place.

Here are the ties that connected Bush to Enron, yes, but here, too, is the story of the woman who walks six miles to the unemployment office daily, wondering what happened to the economic security Bush promised. Here are reports on failed nation-building missions in Kabul and Baghdad. Here, too, the story of a rancher who has fallen prey to a Bush-Cheney interior department that is perhaps a wee bit too cozy with the oil industry.

Bushwhacked is highly original and entirely thought-provoking - essential listening for anyone living in George W. Bush's America.

©2003 Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose (P)2003 Books on Tape, Published By Arrangement With Random House Audio Publishing Group, A Division of Random House, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"Ivins's mordant wit, political passion, and uninhibited energy are unique among political writers." (Publishers Weekly)
"[Ivin's] reporting is so detailed and writing so witty that even those who come to the book undecided about Bush will likely be outraged by the time they finish it." (Amazon.com)
"Frank and funny and eminently readable." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Bushwhacked

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Richly informative & entertaining...

This is an informative, fascinating and entertaining book from a woman with a warm heart and a razor sharp edge. There is a lot of information in this book but I particularly liked her commentary on the current distribution of wealth in America and how it has changed over the last 40 years. To illustrate she profiles real people - one of the highest earners in the country and one of the lowest earners and describes the impact that recent legislation has had on each of them. She quotes her sources (so you can double check her facts if you like) and manages to say everything in plain language. Parents will be interested in her description of how the Texas education plan has gone national. WARNING: This part needs to be heard by everyone who doesn't already know what's been happening in Texas since it's not good news. I'm a 5th generation Texan and our dropout rate is a national shame that we do not need to share. So if you like Molly Ivins you will love this book. Even if you don't agree with her interpretation of the facts and statistics it's fascinating and sometimes disturbing information presented in a wonderful voice. Here is information we should all be thinking about and considering how it will affect us as individuals and as a nation.

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92 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Painful Book

I bought the audio copy, then the book so I could loan it around. The problem is that it is truely painful to sit and listen to example after example of how damaging the present administration is to the average citizen. I could handle one or two chapters at a time, and then have to switch to another book to take a breather. But then I would come back and listen to the same chapter over to be sure I heard what I thought I had. While Evins and (co-author) Lou Dubose write with humor, it's a differnt brand of humor than the "in your face" humor of Franken, or the anger of Moore. This presents the same message as those, but in a style that you will feel comfortable sharing with your moderate aunt in Kansas , and have some hope that the information will be communicated, and not be ignored due to "style". The Book is not Painful, as much as the reality of what it presents is, but it is very important information however painful. A key fact ot help people in picking this book over, say "Treason" is that this book present it's sources in a way that can be cross checked, and verified. This is not a propaganda hack job, it's a call to Americans to stop and consider if Bush Corporation is really serving the people he is sworn to serve. Listen or read for yourself, then decide.

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56 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling analysis of the Bush Presidency

The Audible.com version of 'Bushwacked' benefits greatly from its reading by Molly Ivins. Her Texan drawl perfectly captures all the sarcasm and irony contained in 'Bushwacked'. At points, Ivins herself seems amazed by some of the things are are happening in America under Bush. These are unbelievable times.

The main thrust of the book is the evolution of Bush from Governor to President. The book's sub-title might have been, "Texas told you so", as everything Bush has signed and vetoed during his Presidency has been fairly predictable based on his previous behavior mismanaging Texas.

Ivins never lets pessimissm get the best of her - which isn't easy given the subject matter. She and co-author Lou DuBose find plenty of regular people unafraid of taking on the powers that Be in every arena they discuss: food safety, environmental protection, worker protection.

It should be unsurprising to a potential reader that Ivins finds Bush has sided with monied interests in EVERY SINGLE fight against the interests of regular taxpayers. In her final analysis, Bush is a product of people like Ken Lay and the crony capitalism of Enron that catapaulted him onto the national stage. Thanks to Kenny Boy et al, the nation now has to contend and defeat the same forces that harmed Texas under Bush before ordinary Americans see all their protections gone and are returned to the age of McKinley, circa 1900.

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40 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Non-fiction?

Molly Ivins should be ashamed to call herself a Texan. She has learned well from Al Franken - if you can't write and your books don't sell, just put an influential conservative on the cover and trash him in your book and you'll have a million helpless liberals pony up the cash to pile on. If you want to get a taste of what hell will truly be like, treat yourself to this unabridged marathon of fingernails on the chalkboard drivel. Just be thankful she doesn't host a radio talk show.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

another bitter diatribe..

More pulp from the partisan attack contingent. Good grief. The Moores, Frankens and Ivins of the world would have more credibility if they were a little more balanced. This book is marginally more thoughtful than Moore's or Franken's but more disturbing in that it comes from a self hating Texan that built her career pandering to the Northern press. Argh.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

This book is not worthy of the single star!

I used to think if a book was fantasy, devoid of facts, it would be listed as Fiction. If your the type of person that enjoys Bush-bashing then this is the book for you. For me, I would rather read real history!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Really ... a 1/2 Star!

Save your money - more angry rhetoric about the right. Take a nap instead of reading this nonsense ... time better spent!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

What planet is she from?

Gee, I've lived in Texas the entire time Bush was Govenor, and some facts bear repeating: 1. He defeated an incumbant 2. He was re-elected. 3. He set the state right on the direction for our educational system (no more social promotions) and fiscal policies. 4. Texas voted for him for president, and will again. Where does she get these anti-Bush people? What planet is she from? He was a popular Govenor, and is a popular president...despite the looney ramblings of socialists like the author. In Texas we would call this menudo (tripe)

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Biased, unsupported garbage

It is clear that the authors have their conclusion, and then work backwards from that point. Their assertions are simply not supported by the facts. Another frustrated, Bush bashing book.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I didn't think it was THIS bad...

As a physician who dabbles in health care policy, I was familiar with Bush's appalling record on health, but I didn't realize (until this book) that these failings--crony appointments, backwards policies that do not help the vast majority of the country, misplaced priorities--were so pervasive. Since this book, as we have watched blatant lies on Medicare prescription drug, the gutting of clean air (new source review), the systematic fleecing of America's middle class for the benefit of the wealthy few, and the failure of our foreign policy in Iraq, Ivins's insightful wit becomes almost prophetic.

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4 people found this helpful