What do you think?
Rate this book
An Independent Man: Adventures of a Public Servant
Senator Jim Jeffords's disarmingly frank memoir recounts his idyllic small-town childhood in Rutland, Vermont, his somewhat unruly adolescence, putting himself through Yale University with the help of NROTC, traveling the world during his three-year navy service, and his courtship of Elizabeth Daley when he was a Harvard Law School student. In his first term as Vermont state senator, Jeffords already had a reputation for being a maverick Republican. He supported welfare bills and environmental protection. As Vermont's attorney general, he helped draft and then implement some of the most important legislation in the nation -- the bottle bill, ban on billboards, and land protection.
Jeffords failed in his bid to be governor of Vermont when conservative Republicans in the state turned against him. When he was elected to the House of Representatives, he was so broke that he lived in his office. Meanwhile, he was battling problems brewing at home. He and his wife divorced and later remarried. But during his congressional years, Jeffords concerned himself with issues of education, energy, and dairy farming. He was the only Republican to vote against Ronald Reagan's budget. He supported Bill Clinton's Health Care Reform and opposed his impeachment. Jeffords's disagreements with the second Bush administration and the Republican leadership led to his decision to leave the party. In "My Declaration of Independence," Jeffords wrote about his decision to quit the Republican Party. Now, in this memoir, he tells us more about who he is and what he believes in and what led him to that decision.
He concludes with a section on how we must rebuild America after September 11 and why wemust improve our education system. In the vein of Jimmy Carter's "An Hour Before Daylight," this is another magical piece of Americana from a different part of the country, steeped in the same lasting values and tough lessons.
Jeffords failed in his bid to be governor of Vermont when conservative Republicans in the state turned against him. When he was elected to the House of Representatives, he was so broke that he lived in his office. Meanwhile, he was battling problems brewing at home. He and his wife divorced and later remarried. But during his congressional years, Jeffords concerned himself with issues of education, energy, and dairy farming. He was the only Republican to vote against Ronald Reagan's budget. He supported Bill Clinton's Health Care Reform and opposed his impeachment. Jeffords's disagreements with the second Bush administration and the Republican leadership led to his decision to leave the party. In "My Declaration of Independence," Jeffords wrote about his decision to quit the Republican Party. Now, in this memoir, he tells us more about who he is and what he believes in and what led him to that decision.
He concludes with a section on how we must rebuild America after September 11 and why wemust improve our education system. In the vein of Jimmy Carter's "An Hour Before Daylight," this is another magical piece of Americana from a different part of the country, steeped in the same lasting values and tough lessons.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2003
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 7, 2024
Hardback edition. Copyright 2003.
This memoir was written by late US Senator, James
Jeffords (JJ) of Vermont. He considered himself a
moderate Republican. His sire, Olin, had been the
Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Ct.
JJ attended/ graduated from Yale University in part
due to his NAVY-ROTC scholarship. He later served
in the Navy Reserves. And was a Harvard law school
grad. His New England upbringing taught him honesty,
independence, and to be practical & thrifty (and later
w/ taxpayer's money as a public servant). For a time
he slept in his office (to save $) while serving in
Congress.
JJ had an interesting career as a Republican: Vermont
state senator x 4 months a yr (+ a private attorney),
the Vermont Attorney General, then the US House and
then the US Senate. He met and married his wonderful
Liz who ironically was a progressive Democrat. They
adopted 2 kids. He devoted most of his x to the afore-
mentioned jobs & by admission neglected Liz. They
divorced and re-wed 8 yrs later. From the start GOP
leaders called him a 'Maverick.' He later voted against
the creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security: the only
Republican to do so.
JJ voted 'his conscience' & not the rote GOP 'party line.'
He got on well w/ Presidents Reagan, Clinton & Geo. W.
Bush, but all three froze him out when he refused to vote
as the President indicated. The last straw for him was
Geo. W. + co. offering billions (per the federal mandate
for IDEA) toward the education of mentally challenged
persons, on a proposed bill w/ W.'s tax cut, & then W.
went back on his word. US Senate had 50 GOP& 50 Dem-
ocrat members. JJ decided to become an Independent.
So the Dems now had 51 votes and took charge over the
US Senate. 1st time in US history! Vermonters favored
10 to 1 Jeffords switching political parties. However he
received death threats too.
Jeffords advocated/ worked toward legislation supporting:
small farms (espec dairy), education, alternative energy,
simple national health care, arms control, the arts etc.
In many areas he was ahead of his time. He worked 'across
the aisle' to make laws happen. He favored a woman's right
to choose.
Jeffords said (pg 289) "US electricity generation is the
leading source of carbon emissions... > than 40% of US
total. We have a crisis of power plant emissions of nitrogen
oxides, sulfur dioxide & mercury which contribute to acid
rain, smog, respiratory illness, & water contamination. All
when domestically produced renewable energy such as wind,
solar, geothermal, & vegetable matter can supply a substan-
tial quantity of clean, reliable electricity." I admired JJ for
sticking to his principles when those in Congress & the Pres.
tried to pressure him otherwise, before a vote in the Congress.
This memoir was written by late US Senator, James
Jeffords (JJ) of Vermont. He considered himself a
moderate Republican. His sire, Olin, had been the
Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Ct.
JJ attended/ graduated from Yale University in part
due to his NAVY-ROTC scholarship. He later served
in the Navy Reserves. And was a Harvard law school
grad. His New England upbringing taught him honesty,
independence, and to be practical & thrifty (and later
w/ taxpayer's money as a public servant). For a time
he slept in his office (to save $) while serving in
Congress.
JJ had an interesting career as a Republican: Vermont
state senator x 4 months a yr (+ a private attorney),
the Vermont Attorney General, then the US House and
then the US Senate. He met and married his wonderful
Liz who ironically was a progressive Democrat. They
adopted 2 kids. He devoted most of his x to the afore-
mentioned jobs & by admission neglected Liz. They
divorced and re-wed 8 yrs later. From the start GOP
leaders called him a 'Maverick.' He later voted against
the creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security: the only
Republican to do so.
JJ voted 'his conscience' & not the rote GOP 'party line.'
He got on well w/ Presidents Reagan, Clinton & Geo. W.
Bush, but all three froze him out when he refused to vote
as the President indicated. The last straw for him was
Geo. W. + co. offering billions (per the federal mandate
for IDEA) toward the education of mentally challenged
persons, on a proposed bill w/ W.'s tax cut, & then W.
went back on his word. US Senate had 50 GOP& 50 Dem-
ocrat members. JJ decided to become an Independent.
So the Dems now had 51 votes and took charge over the
US Senate. 1st time in US history! Vermonters favored
10 to 1 Jeffords switching political parties. However he
received death threats too.
Jeffords advocated/ worked toward legislation supporting:
small farms (espec dairy), education, alternative energy,
simple national health care, arms control, the arts etc.
In many areas he was ahead of his time. He worked 'across
the aisle' to make laws happen. He favored a woman's right
to choose.
Jeffords said (pg 289) "US electricity generation is the
leading source of carbon emissions... > than 40% of US
total. We have a crisis of power plant emissions of nitrogen
oxides, sulfur dioxide & mercury which contribute to acid
rain, smog, respiratory illness, & water contamination. All
when domestically produced renewable energy such as wind,
solar, geothermal, & vegetable matter can supply a substan-
tial quantity of clean, reliable electricity." I admired JJ for
sticking to his principles when those in Congress & the Pres.
tried to pressure him otherwise, before a vote in the Congress.
Displaying 1 of 1 review