TheBushadministrationisoutbuttheAmericanpubliccontinuestosufferfromitsdisastrousdomesticandforeignpolicies.Inthisexcellentlydocumentedwork,presidentialscholarShirleyAnneWarshawoffersanin-depthanalysisandexplorationofthepoliticalmaneuveringthatgotusintoourcurrentmess.CombiningherstudyofthemotivationsofbothDickCheneyandGeorgeW.Bush,knowledgeofthespheresinwhichtheyoperated,andpersonalinterviewswithWhiteHousestaffandWashingtoninsiders,Warshawdemonstratesthatthesecomplementaryconservativeswerenothinglessthanco-presidents.Breakingwithpopularsentiment,shedeniesthatBush’sauthoritywashijackedorstolen.Bush,rather,focusedonbuildingwhathecalledamoralandcivilsociety,anchoredbyawaronscienceandbytheproliferationoffaith-basedprograms,whileallowingCheneytoleadinbusinessandforeignpolicy.WarshawhighlightsCheney’sdecades-longcareerinWashingtonandhisfamiliaritywithitsinnerworkingstopresentacompletepictureofthiscalculatingpoliticalpowerhousewhocontinuestocaptureheadlines.FromCheney’sunprecedentedmergingofthevicepresident’sofficeintothepresident’stohisabhorrenceofwhathedeemedcongressionalinterferenceinthepresident’sabilitytodohisjob,Warshawpaintsanintriguing,andattimesfrightening,portrait.
