Herding Cats: A Life in Politics

After several attempts by professional Cat Wranglers and Herders to describe their profession, Mr. Lott finally gives us a fantastic How To guide. Each Chapter brings attention to the difficult process of maintaining a proper herd of felines. Probably the slowest part of book is his philisophical take on Cat intellect and , surprise, Cat Pride. Not a scientist, Mr. Lott attempts to connect ancient cat worship to meow mix television commericals. It's a worthwhile read for any potential Cat herder.

Trent Lott made the mistake of saying something nice at an old man's birthday. Yeah, he probably shouldn't have said it, but gee whiz, it shouldn't have cost him his leadership position. I think that the President and the leader waiting in the wings just jumped on Senator Lott because they wanted a change. His poorly-considered comments were just an excuse. I am a democrat, but I like and respect Mr. Lott. I think he is a fair-minded individual who led his party with distinction, and I wish he were back bringing his brand of Southern charm and cordiality to leadership. He's written a fascinating book here, one about being stabbed in the back by his own party, and about working across the aisle with a sense of fairness. I also love that title!

Excellent Read! Trent Lott does a great job of getting his story out and in an easy to read way. I've always just assumed that the political machine in the US needed a tune-up but now I know for sure! I came away from reading this book with more respect for Senator Lott and opened eyes to the way of American politics.

This book seems to me to cover about three subjects: First there is the nominal story of Mr. Lott's years in congress. They were certainly interesting times and he relates the stories very well. Second there is the story of how legislation gets passed. There are a hundred senators, all with the main focus of their lives being how to get reelected. Each has a craving to say something, anything, that will keep their face on television and the front pages of newspapers back home. All of them are independent, just like cats, and getting them moving towards the goal of passing any legislation has to be a lot like Hearding Cats. The third subject is the spectacular rise in the Republican party in recent years. When Barry Goldwater ran for president, he didn't stand a chance. I can well remember a TV comentator rhetorically asking why anyone of a minority race, anyone living in a city, any working person would vote Republican. They don't ask that question any more. The Republicans have done a supurb job of putting together a coalition that gets them into office, while the Democrats are running around in circles claiming that Bush stole the election. Regardless of your views on the Republican vs. Democrat situation, here is a story from the inside of the Senate talking about life as it really is.

If you're looking for Lott to serve up redmeat partisan reasons to love or hate him, this book isn't for you. He tells the stories of his Mississippi childhood, rapid rise to power and the Thurmond debacle well. I learned quite a bit about the mechanics a leader uses to get legislation through the complex congressional minefield. Trent Lott was one of the best at doing it in a bi-partisan, dignified manner. Lott gets into a few of the "problem" DC personalities he dealt with as a leader. I was a little disappointed that he didn't take off the gloves more than he did. Consider what Lott doesn't say about some of his fellow Republicans and you can learn a great deal. The same goes for his interesting relationship with Bill Clinton. I have a feeling Lott will regain a leadership position in Congress. This Democrat hopes he does.