With the intent of eventually writing more about how Washington works, I picked this up hoping it would give me some insights. I was sorely disappointed. Yes; he's an accomplished, witty, top-shelf Washington journalist. But his perch, and his need to be entertaining means his focus is on the headline names, their petty jockeying and the 'inside scoop.' Unfortunately, this is a misleading image of Washington that only perpetuates the hostility so many Americans have for government - and even exacerbates our deep divisions.
I toiled in D.C. for 40 years, including as a Senate press secretary, so I appreciate his depiction of DC gamesmanship. It's very entertaining. And it's entertaining to the vast majority of Washingtonians, too. We chuckle or scowl just like the rest of the country. But it has almost nothing to do with their lives or jobs. Or the functioning of the government, the agencies, the trade associations, non-profit groups or myriad other businesses or institutions around town. The truth is; the machinery of Washington is much more complex. The American public needs to understand that better. Especially now. The approach of this book trivializes what Washington is and does a disservice to the essential - albeit boring - work done by thousands that don't make headlines.
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