When the Tea Party Comes to Town

Inside the U.S. House of Representatives' Most Combative, Dysfunctional, and Infuriating Term in Modern History

By: Robert Draper

Narrated by: Holter Graham

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Dead Certain, the definitive book about the Bush Presidency, a revealing and riveting look at the new House of Representatives, elected in the history-making 2010 midterm elections.

Why we all lost when the Tea Party came to town

Robert Draper has given us the unvarnished (and often ugly) truth about the rise of the phenomenon known as the Tea Party. This unpalatable group of extreme right wing Republican politicians represent the worst America has to offer, a fact ably demonstrated by Draper. They are suspect not the only in their actions and motivations, but even down to their core "principles", and Draper documents the results of the Tea Party's duplicitous presence in American government: gridlock, near shutdown and waste. Don't miss this book!

Great Story - Too Bad It's True

I have been trying to get a better understanding of the development of the Tea Party and the internal dynamics of the parties. This book did a nice job blending the history of Congress with the folks who are now there. There were also nice vignettes of each of the freshmen and of the "old timers". Each Congress person seems to spend the most time
out-conniving each other or the other party rather than compromising to solve the issues.

As far as the book goes, I give it "A" rating. As far as Congress goes, I proclaim "a pox on all of their houses".

Great Book

This audiobook was both informative and engaging and provided an intimate look at congressional activities. I particularly liked the comparisons to historical congresses. The narration was very good as well.

A really interesting look at recent history

The story was a really interesting look at the past year or so in the house of republics in America, and in particular what effect the tea party has had on the ability of the chamber to get work done.

It reminded me a lot of the a party which sprung up in Australia (Pauline Hanson's one nation) which burned brightly for about 3 years and died a horrible death as people worked out that being uncompromising and sitting on one extreme of the political swing does not work.

The only thing that is slightly off putting are the character voices done by Holter Graham - he did not Nancy P.elosi down at all 8though it was fun to listen to him trying).

All in all It is well worth the listen.

Do Not Ask What this Book is About

The publisher???s summary says ???Do Not Ask What Good We Do is the definitive book about the Bush Presidency??? yet the book has nothing to do with the Bush presidency. The book jumpily skips between somewhat boring details of the Obama vs Tea Party budget fights, vignettes of congress-persons like Gabby Giffords and Anthony Weiner, and a few historical anecdotes about the House. There was little, if any, analysis or historical perspective to be found. If the reader has paid any attention to the congress the last couple of years they will find virtually nothing new or interesting here. If the reader was completely cut off for that period, I suspect the book would be too boring to bear. The author claims that only 13 republicans supported Medicare when it was first enacted, there were actually many more (70 House, 13 Senate). I was hoping for a book about how the House got to this dysfunctional state and a historical perspective on processes like earmarks and obstructionism.