What do you think?
Rate this book
Lion of the Senate: When Ted Kennedy Rallied the Democrats in a GOP Congress
An insider’s look at the two years when Senator Ted Kennedy held at bay both Newt Gingrich and his Republican “For those who love politics and care about policy—and those looking for an account of how Washington used to work, Lion of the Senate is pure catnip” ( USA TODAY ).
The November 1994 election swept a new breed of Republicans into control of the United States Congress. Led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the Republicans were determined to enact a radically conservative agenda that would reshape American government. Some wanted to shut down the government. If Gingrich’s “Contract with America” been enacted, they would have shredded the federal safety net, decimated the federal programs, and struck down the regulatory framework that protects health, safety, and the environment. And, were it not for Ted Kennedy, who had defeated Mitt Romney for his Senate seat in 1994, they would have succeeded.
In Lion of the Senate Nick Littlefield and David Nexon describe never-before-disclosed maneuvers of closed-door meetings in which Kennedy galvanized his party, including the two pivotal years, 1995 and 1996, when the Republicans held control of Congress and he fought to preserve the mission of the Democratic Party in the face of the right-wing onslaught. Here is the nitty-gritty of Kennedy’s role, and the details of a fascinating, bare-knuckled, and frequently hilarious fight in the United States Senate.
“Compelling…as a story about how the Senate operates—well, how the Senate used to operate—and a story about perhaps the greatest Senate lawmaker of the second half of the twentieth century, Lion of the Senate succeeds” ( The Washington Post ) as a political lesson for all time. With an introduction by Doris Kearns Goodwin, this is “a fine rendering that deserves a wide readership” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
The November 1994 election swept a new breed of Republicans into control of the United States Congress. Led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the Republicans were determined to enact a radically conservative agenda that would reshape American government. Some wanted to shut down the government. If Gingrich’s “Contract with America” been enacted, they would have shredded the federal safety net, decimated the federal programs, and struck down the regulatory framework that protects health, safety, and the environment. And, were it not for Ted Kennedy, who had defeated Mitt Romney for his Senate seat in 1994, they would have succeeded.
In Lion of the Senate Nick Littlefield and David Nexon describe never-before-disclosed maneuvers of closed-door meetings in which Kennedy galvanized his party, including the two pivotal years, 1995 and 1996, when the Republicans held control of Congress and he fought to preserve the mission of the Democratic Party in the face of the right-wing onslaught. Here is the nitty-gritty of Kennedy’s role, and the details of a fascinating, bare-knuckled, and frequently hilarious fight in the United States Senate.
“Compelling…as a story about how the Senate operates—well, how the Senate used to operate—and a story about perhaps the greatest Senate lawmaker of the second half of the twentieth century, Lion of the Senate succeeds” ( The Washington Post ) as a political lesson for all time. With an introduction by Doris Kearns Goodwin, this is “a fine rendering that deserves a wide readership” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2015
16 people are currently reading
140 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 4, 2016
A political blueprint for how to enact and achieve legislative victories while being the minority party. Given the current political climate, with Trump about to assume office with a GOP controlled Congress, the same issues that were soundly defeated during the Gingrich Contract with America are rearing their ugly heads again. Privatization of Medicare and Medicaid. Massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Opposition to any legislation that enables the government to address systematic issues that suppress the health and wealth of the middle class and the most vulnerable amongst us.
Between 1994-2000, Ted Kennedy led the Democratic opposition to the folly of the Contract with America. He wasn't a titular head of that opposition, he was simply its most reasonable and seasoned member. He did things that today's politicians scorn: he compromised and cajoled, proposed legislation he was personally and emotionally invested in, he gave the GOP some of what it wanted, not because he felt powerless in the minority, but because it was leverage to achieve some of this own concerns. This book demonstrates lessons that both parties would do well to take to heart: how to oppose legislation without personal bitterness and obstinacy to the point of lunacy. How to accomplish good without the perfect. How to make personal friends of your public enemies and work with them in a collegial way and to give them credit when they do something constructive. To play politics but also to acknowledge the truth when your opponents have it on their side. All of these things will be in short supply in the short term with a Trump Presidency, but hopefully this book will prove to be once and future history for the sake of our country. Surprisingly fluent read even while dipping into the minutiae of the Senate rules, this is one of the most important books on the workings of the US Senate.
Between 1994-2000, Ted Kennedy led the Democratic opposition to the folly of the Contract with America. He wasn't a titular head of that opposition, he was simply its most reasonable and seasoned member. He did things that today's politicians scorn: he compromised and cajoled, proposed legislation he was personally and emotionally invested in, he gave the GOP some of what it wanted, not because he felt powerless in the minority, but because it was leverage to achieve some of this own concerns. This book demonstrates lessons that both parties would do well to take to heart: how to oppose legislation without personal bitterness and obstinacy to the point of lunacy. How to accomplish good without the perfect. How to make personal friends of your public enemies and work with them in a collegial way and to give them credit when they do something constructive. To play politics but also to acknowledge the truth when your opponents have it on their side. All of these things will be in short supply in the short term with a Trump Presidency, but hopefully this book will prove to be once and future history for the sake of our country. Surprisingly fluent read even while dipping into the minutiae of the Senate rules, this is one of the most important books on the workings of the US Senate.
August 10, 2017
As a lover of history and politics I enjoyed the detailed oriented approach about the specific health bills and sparring over Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution. Mr. Littlefield wrote a cogent work that details the extreme lengths of Newt Gingrich and the Republican Revolution. In particular, this work made me remember how conservative President Clinton could be and how much support he needed from the liberal wing of the Democrats. It also details how big a role personal relationships play in getting bipartisan suppport for legislation and the effect humility van have.
August 3, 2017
A man devoted to his country and the oppressed. This slice of Kennedy's life is the time period in the Senate when he was in the minority, but convinced the minority was in the right. However, he worked to bridge the aisle and work along side his opponents on many important issues. His desire to bring health care to the people was a driving force in his life.
December 23, 2023
Outstanding We, I learned a lot about our government, Republicans and Democrat the house in the president caucuses outstanding
June 20, 2023
Given my love of history and politics, I would have found this book interesting in any circumstance. But this was much more than a political biography or history to me, as it covers pretty much exactly the timespan of my own time working in the U.S. Senate. I joined Sen. Kennedy's staff in the Spring of '92, and worked for him for three years before moving over to the Senate Democratic Leadership Committees where I worked for five more years before I left the Hill in 2000. This book, written by the Chief of Staff and Senior Health Policy Advisor to the Senate Labor Committee during that time, covers the time span from the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994 with their 'Contract with America', and Kennedy's success at rallying Democrats and advancing Democratic priorities including new Health Care protections such as portability, pre-existing conditions, and privacy, an increase of the minimum wage, and expanding insurance coverage for children. It's a front row seat, watching a master politician and legislator use all of the tools of the trade to advance new laws against seemingly insurmountable odds.
I wish I had understood and been aware of even half of what I learned from this book while I was there. But I especially enjoyed reading about the work of former colleagues, and being able to recall specific efforts that my own work contributed to, especially the mention of the website we built to solicit stories from students about how the threatened cuts to their student loans would impact them.
This book is a really great read for any interested in politics, even if you weren't an underling working there yourself at the time :-)
I wish I had understood and been aware of even half of what I learned from this book while I was there. But I especially enjoyed reading about the work of former colleagues, and being able to recall specific efforts that my own work contributed to, especially the mention of the website we built to solicit stories from students about how the threatened cuts to their student loans would impact them.
This book is a really great read for any interested in politics, even if you weren't an underling working there yourself at the time :-)
August 28, 2016
The parallels to today's Congress are both striking and depressing. Clearly, the partisanship is getting worse, and the legislative accomplishments can barely be called accomplishments vis a vis the GOP led Congress profiled in this book. Ted Kennedy understood the operating levers and how to effectively use them. He also had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. These are both refreshing contrasts to our current Senate.
I thought the book was well written and informative, but it wasn't one of those books that I just had to read the next paragraph, page, chapter, etc.
I thought the book was well written and informative, but it wasn't one of those books that I just had to read the next paragraph, page, chapter, etc.
December 29, 2015
Note: my brother was the co-author.
This is a great read for anyone who wants to know how Congress functions (or doesn't...). It presents an fascinating picture of how Kennedy could build support for bills that most of the opposition would resist, and of the intense effort required in creating that support. It does not present much insight into Kennedy's personality, but portrays his intense dedication, careful planning, and Herculean labor in moving his cause forward.
This is a great read for anyone who wants to know how Congress functions (or doesn't...). It presents an fascinating picture of how Kennedy could build support for bills that most of the opposition would resist, and of the intense effort required in creating that support. It does not present much insight into Kennedy's personality, but portrays his intense dedication, careful planning, and Herculean labor in moving his cause forward.
July 3, 2016
While this book had several interesting parts, it was just too detailed into the nitty gritty for my taste. The book explained how Senator Kennedy grab the initiative from the Gingrich Republicans after the 1994 election and blocked their program, while passing a minimum wage increase and health care initiatives.
August 7, 2016
A bit too much of a Kennedy love fest but I should have expected that. The book did bring to light how the senate works with all its quirky rules. It also was nostalgic to relive the government shut downs during Gingrich's confrontation with Clinton. All in all, an okay book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews