Found this really interesting. I feel like I’ve been deep in the political/election style energy this year more than others. This book is timely and really reflective of current goings on. Quite enjoyed it !

Fools On The Hill : The Hooligans, Sabateurs, Conspiracy Theorists, and Dunces Who Burned Down The House
by: Dana Milbank
due 9-24-24
Little Brown/Hachette

An expose of the unraveling of a political party into a political parody. A party that still takes itself seriously. The dysfunctional and pointless conspiracies and the incompetant mindset that allowed the party to fall, before their eyes, and allow the lunacy of the Gaetzs', MTGs', to speak for their party is funny, not funny. This is hilarious, tho, and easy to read and telling, in many ways. The roots of the lunacy of the right -wing extremists. You'll want buttered popcorn for this clown show. A must read.
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this ARC.
#FoolsOnTheHill #NetGalley

Fascinating look at the shenanigans the Republican party has been engaging in the House. It would be hilarious, if the stakes were not so high. Never before have such a bunch of self serving, egotistical, and just plain stupid people been elected. Milbank does a wonderful job of describing, in detail, the exploits of all the neer-do-wells. Gaetz, Greene, Santos, Boebert, Comer, Johnson, and McCarthy. It's a shame that so many good representatives have resigned or chosen not to run again because of these fools.
Fantastic book. Excellent writing. Easy to fact check. If only the MAGA people could actually read a book, and not just get their information from right wing sites, they might wake up.
Before it's too late to save our country!

Oh my, Milbank details all of the shenanigans in the Republican House of Representatives the past few years. The chaos, the lies, and the mis/disinformation. The focus on everything except governing showed in how they handled electing speakers - yes multiple speakers. They have become a clown show and Milbank details it all for those who haven't paid attention or have forgotten.

This is obviously a partisan leaning book, but very deserved because of all of their mishandling of their role as public officials. I'm hoping there will be no need for a sequel, but if there is, I will read a sequel as well.

I recommend this especially for those who have tuned out of politics and what is happening on the national level.

I was given this by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own,

Fools on the Hill by Dana Milbank takes you behind the scenes of the clown show that is our government. Reading this makes me think who in their right mind votes for theseN of people. If you love politics this book is for you. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for a honest review.

Fools on the Hill by Dana Milbank is an insightful critique of Congress, specifically focusing on 2023 into early 2024 on the dysfunction that defines what is currently happening on Capitol Hill.

The book blends Milbank’s trademark humor, personal interviews, and serious commentary, showing the political maneuvering, situational manipulation, and wild shenanigans that both Republicans and Democrats who roam the halls of Congress get up to in broad daylight. Milbank's satirical anecdotes are revealing, and they illustrate how political grandstanding and partisanship frequently take precedence over effective governance. Milbank highlights the systemic issues that lead to legislative gridlock, ineptitude, and inefficiency, sparing neither of the two major political parties.

Overall, Fools on the Hill is compelling for anyone interested in American politics. Milbank’s biting satire does threaten to distract from the seriousness of the problems on Capitol Hill, but is, as always, engaging and accessible, making complex political issues understandable and relatable for all citizens trying to understand what has led up to this political climate, for their better and our worse.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing a free ARC. This review is provided voluntarily.

Author and columnist Dana Milbank reports on what he witnessed while covering the current US Congress beginning in January, 2023.

Given the state of political affairs in the United States why would I want to read this book? Why do that to myself? Well, I enjoy Dana Millbank’s writing and wanted to read more it.

This is one of the scariest books I have ever read. Here is the chaos, the lies, the conspiracy theories, the "constant cultural and political warfare”, the attacks on our freedoms, the hooligans, “the sheer volume of crazy” that is Congress today.

Well written and documented, with some biting wit, it is a good thing this is a true account because if it were fiction, I don’t think I would find it believable. It is a horror story gone awry.

This is a book that everyone should read or listen to. The problem with it is that the people who should, won’t.

Thank you Little, Brown and Company for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I just finished Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theorists, and Dunces Who Burned Down the House, by Dana Milbank.

This book, by Washington Post’s Dana Milbank, takes a look at the terrible job the Republican party has done since retaking the House of Representatives.

I had high expectations for this one. I had previously read two of his books, The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-up Of The Republican Party and Tears Of A Clown: Glenn Beck And The Tea Bagging Of America, and gave them both A’s. This one was the best of the group.

As Milbank points out, the party admits they have done a terrible job. Even Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “Our Republican House majority has failed completely”. That’s the first honest thing she’s ever said. According to Dave Joyce (R-OH), “We’re a party that can’t govern”, New York’s Mike Lawler says, “You keep running lunatics, you’re going to be in the position” and Greg Murphy (R-NC) bluntly said “We need to, frankly, get our shit together.” If there ever a time to believe ex-speaker, Kevin McCarthy, it was when he said, “The amount of damage they have done to this party and to this country is insurmountable.”

Tony Gonzales (R-TX) got it right when he said, “I serve with some real scumbags” and “these people used to walk around with white hoods at night. Now they’re walking around with white hoods in the daytime.”

The profiles on many of the members were excellent.

All of the “greatest hits” of the Republican party during this time that were covered, including their poor showing in the 2022 election, despite gaining majority status, the George Santos saga, taking 15 ballots to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, the attempts to derail the debt ceiling deal, threatened government shutdown, kicking McCarthy out of the Speaker’s chair, the 22 days without a speaker before selecting the terrible clown Mike Johnson, the attempted impeachment of Biden, the impeachment of Mayorkas, a literal fight between members, the party joining forces with white nationalists and the attempts to rewrite the events of January 6.

As soon as I finished this, I preordered the audiobook so I will be able to also listen to it when it comes out, along with the printed version being available, on September 24.

I give this book an A+ and inducted it into the Hall of Fame. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A+ equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

I originally finished reading this on July 5, 2024.

Dana Milbank does a great job recapping all the insanity we've seen over the past few years from the GOP Congress. Some real nice behind-the-scenes anecdotes in here and Milbank's got a very funny style. Honestly, the only problem with the book is sometimes reading about all these craven jerks selling their souls for Trump can get a little depressing. You know, the future of democracy and all that. But that's not Milbank's fault. He's merely reporting and he does a great job of that.

Netgalley provided me with a free e-galley of the book in return for this honest review.

“This is the worst team I’ve ever been on,” said Mike Kelly, (REPUBLICAN-PA). Yes, that was the opinion of a member of the MAJORITY party of the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress (their term will end January 2025, Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.).

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post takes a depressing deep dive into this group of buffoons. Look, no one is saying the Democrats have all the answers, or that it’s smooth sailing in the Senate, but those two groups look like brain surgeons and rocket scientists compared with the absolute idiots in control in the House. Let’s admire some of their highlights thus far (because they still have time to do additional damage.)

First, they began as they meant to go on by taking fifteen votes to elect panderer Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. And it was a tough, tough call, but NO ONE looks worse in this book than the spineless Kevin McCarthy. And there are large sections of this book about George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Greene. So sit with that for a moment.

Then there’s Mike Johnson, the Speaker absolutely no one wanted (and note that he now believes he was called up by God “like Moses.” I kid you not.

The other misfit toys include the aforementioned Santos (serial liar, likely soon to join Trump as a convicted felon, but, hey, at least he occasionally admitted the Emperor had no clothes) and Greene, Georgia’s own QAnon/Jewish space lasers embracing loudmouth (but, Lord, she’s got energy to spare!), Arizona’s Paul Gosar who regularly speaks to anti-Semitic groups (I once read an article about his siblings, none of whom speak to him because they all think he’s batshit crazy).

There’s a guy named Andy Ogles from Tennessee, with whom I was unfamiliar. Apparently he pulled a Santos, only not quite so egregious, but he lied about receiving a degree from Vanderbilt and I guess….no one cares about this? Nancy Mace is from North Carolina and I held out some hope for her, but she is nothing more than another MAGA moron, desperate to hold on to her seat. You have Clay Higgins who acts like he’s in special ops for some reason, and a guy named Chip Roy who, if there’s assholery going on, is sure to be nearby.

Then there’s the always reliable Jim Jordan who was pissed when his peers weren’t interested in making him Speaker. Maybe that’s because all he ever does is yell in hearings plus he’s got that Penn State-ish scandal around him. Not such a great look. Another winner from Tennessee is Troy Nehls; he’s the guy who wore the Trump mug shot t-shirt to the last State of the Union address. Keeping it classy.

Every time South Carolina’s Ralph Norman appears in the book he seems to be misunderstanding something, like raising the debt ceiling. You know, something that I would feel more comfortable if members of Congress had some sort of handle on (but, to be fair, I doubt Ralph is the only one who doesn’t get it.) Then there’s the dumb and hapless and mean James Comer, head of the Oversight Committee who attempted to impeach President Biden for….well, nothing. They had no evidence whatsoever. Oh, and Lauren Boebert. Who got her GED while in Congress. Who gets into screaming fights with MTG. Who got kicked out of a play for vaping and groping her date and then lied about it and then there was video.

Then there’s Matt Gaetz from Florida. I set him aside. Because but for the fact that Mr. Gaetz apparently/allegedly/applegedly enjoys sex with teenagers, he would be a little scary. Because most of the above people are too dumb to be really dangerous unless they are acting as a group at someone’s direction. Often that someone seems to be Gaetz. He is not stupid. He’s the one who got McCarthy to give away the world to be Speaker. He’s shady and shifty.

FUN FACT: “Before Mike Johnson became Speaker, the House of Representatives had voted to censure one of its own members only seven times in 100 years. In the two weeks after Johnson became Speaker members of the House tried to censure each other eight times.

Why do I read books like this? So depressing. The point the author makes is that the few actual adults are being pushed out by Trump loyalists (they all must bend the knee. Mike Johnson previously spoke harshly against Trump, as did Elise Stefanik, but now they both wear the fixed smile and the red hat) or are leaving on their own because the environment is so incredibly toxic. There is no bipartisanship. There is no compromise. It’s insane and it’s no way to govern, for either side. Demand more from your member of Congress, whether he/she is Republican or Democrat.

And pay attention, because as another Republican member of the 118th Congress said, “you keep running crazies, you’re going to be in this position.” Mike Lawler (R-NY)

A fantastic read a behind the curtain insiders look at the crazy shenanigans of McCarthy ,Greene and the rest of this school of clowns.People who were more interested in fighting with each other then do what they were elected for.I devoured this book if you love politics grab this book.#netgalley #littlebrown