ThomasS.Foley,aDemocraticrepresentativefromthetraditionallyRepublicanregionofeasternWashington,servedinCongressfrom1964to1994.In1989hebecamethefirstSpeakeroftheUSHouseofRepresentativesfromadistrictwestofTexas.HisthirtyyearsofexperienceasaDemocratrepresentingaRepublican-leaningdistrictcontributedtohisstrongcommitmenttobipartisanshipandinstitutionbuilding.HisspeakershipcametoanendwhentheNewtGingrich-led“RepublicanRevolution“usheredinaneraofideologicalpolarizationandfiercepartisanship.TomFoley:TheManintheMiddleisapoliticalbiographyofthisimportantbutoftenoverlookedfigureinmoderncongressionalhistory.WhileexaminingthestoryofFoley’sserviceasSpeakeroftheHouse,R.KentonBirdandJohnC.Pierceplacehiscareerinthecontextofbothhisownlifestoryandcongressionalpoliticsinthelatetwentiethcentury.WhatemergesisthestoryofaleaderwhosestronglyheldpoliticalvaluesmotivatedhimtosustainavibrantandresponsiveHouseofRepresentativesasaninstitution,withastancethatprovedincompatiblewiththepolarizedandstridentpoliticalenvironmentthatemergedintheearly1990s.BirdandPierceofferthefirstmajorstudyofTomFoley’spoliticalcareerinthispenetratinglookatauniqueandtransformativecongressionalleaderwhofocusedonmakingCongressworkbybringingpoliticiansfrombothsidesoftheaisletogether.Foley’stenurespannedthecrucialyearsoftransitionbetweenthisbipartisanideologyofgovernanceandthepoliticsofthetwenty-firstcentury,betweentheleadershipstylesofDemocratsJimWrightandTipO’NeilandthatofRepublicanGingrich.Foley’sdefeatin1994endedthisremarkablecareerofleadingfromthemiddleandmarkedaseismictransitioninthelandscapeofAmericanpolitics.
