Supreme Courtship

by Christopher Buckley

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her -- Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.
Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman. Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Politics, Satire, Book Club, Contemporary, Audiobook

285 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Christopher Buckley graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1976. He shipped out in the Merchant Marine and at age 24 became managing editor of Esquire magazine. At age 29, he became chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. Since 1989 he has been founder and editor-in-chief of Forbes Life magazine.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.

Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really debated about how to rate this book. Quality wise it is not 4 stars, but in terms of entertainment value it certainly is. I guess I would not make a good judge!
Regardless, Mr. Buckley is up to his usual tricks satirizing all things Washington DC. I have read a lot of Buckley lately (see my recent reviews) and this was the most enjoyable of the lot. I have found, with a few exceptions, that Buckley's novels have moments of brilliance and I find myself totally engaged. Then he does something uncharacteristic of his characters, or simply too outlandish, and I find myself pulled from the world of the text. His inconsistency bothers me, as does his weakness for how to end his novels.
Having said that, Supreme Courtship boasts two of Mr. Buckley's most likable characters in Judge Perdita "Pepper" Cartwright, and President Donald Vanderdamp. Both characters seem to reflect middle America and its values, and I for one do not think that Buckley is lampooning them. The novel's best moments are theirs, and it is the subplots involving other characters that detract from this text. Pepper's Senate confirmation hearing, and her moments of supreme insecurity are among the novel's best moments. President Vanderdamp delivers an unintentionally moving speech in chapter 20, and one wishes for the days when such an honest and simple man could once again lead the free world. He is what he is, and does not try to be all things to all people. Could such a person even be elected president Mr. Buckley seems to be asking the reader.
Don't expect this novel to be more than it was created to be. Enjoy the fictional look into the secretive Supreme Court, and you will finish the novel satisfied.

[audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange book, but somehow entirely in keeping with Buckley's oevre: the first half of the book? Brilliant. Scathing and funny, unique and fun. The second half? Disjointed heap of fail. A collapse of Greg Norman-like proportions.

The idea driving the concept of the book is sound: what if a President, annoyed with the whole Supreme Court nomination process, nominated someone who wasn't supposed to win? Who would that person be and what would happen if they, quite obviously, won? This is a great premise and Buckley executes it deftly and with signature wit. But...then there's 200 more pages.

The concept driving *that* makes sense too; once you've elected the unelectable, where do you go from there? What happens when they start formulating opinions and ruling on things? But here the execution is lacking. Buckley takes Pepper "Judge Judy" Cartwright and eviscerates her, stealing everything that makes her likable, dropping her into a frankly ludicrous romance that serves exactly zero purpose plot- or character development-wise and falls too heavily in love with the smell of his own satire, riding an unbelievable and frankly un-clever subplot all the way to the end.

So. Four-star beginning, two-star second half. Good thing I got it from the library.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckley is back, this time taking on the Supreme Court. The set-up revolves around a TV court judge who gets nominated to the Supreme Court after the President gets pissed about his two previous nominees being turned down (one for a report on To Kill A Mockingbird from his elementary school days).

I enjoyed Supreme Courtship more than Buckley's last two novels, possibly because I'm just a little obsessed with the Supreme Court. It moved quickly as absurd situation after absurd situation piled on top of each other. Buckley is always a brilliant satirist, but he really topped himself with comments that are all too relevant to our current political climate. It will be interesting to see how this book reads in 20 years.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Buckley returns just in time for the new session, with a charming satire on the Supreme Court and the politics of confirming a Justice. Buckley is the current champ of political satire that is truly comedic. His tale of lobbyists , Thank You for Smoking was pure genius, and Supreme Courtship is a great addition to his body of work. The best part is that many of the far reaching parts of the book do not seem that far-fetched in the current political season.

Supreme Courtship starts with the opposition party borking two Presidential appointees to the Supreme Court. The first was denied a seat because as a twelve year old he believed the movie To Kill a Mockingbird was a bit boring in parts. The second for an even more asinine reason that has to be read for pure comic fun. The President next sends up a TV judge from one of those programs scattered throughout the channels.

The book is a delight and readers who care for politics can laugh at just how broken down the system has become at the hands of political sharks. Why there might not be many suggestions on how to fix the problem, Buckley adeptly describes the bigger issues. This is one book to read as we start the new term of the High Court and we choose a new President, someone who most likely will have to make an appointment to this very court. Read and enjoy.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another very entertaining skewering of contemporary politics from Buckley, this one tackles the Supreme Court. The president, stung by the rejection of two eminently qualified jurists nominates a "judge judy" type character, the Texan Pepper Cartwright. She turns out to be unexpectedly popular...and near bullet proof in the confirmation hearings.

A modest sampling of this silliness:
"Hanratty of Massachusetts had tried to nail Pepper for her atheism, to which Pepper had calmly replied, 'Well, Senator, perhaps if you'd seen your momma get zapped by the Good Lord when you were nine years old, you might feel the same way.'...Bouscaran of Delaware, a former judge himself, had tried to trip her up on technicalities, only to have Pepper correct him on the actual wording of Leegin Creative Leather Products vs. PSKS...Harmookian of Wisconsin wanted to know if she would have granted certiorari in Gretchen's Frozen Pike vs. Milwaukee Block Ice. Pepper cited three precedents, going back to 1956, where the court had refused to intervene in similar cases, on the grounds that decomposing fish was simply too revolting to contemplate."

Buckley is, as you may know, the son of conservative icon William F. Buckley, lately cast out of the National Review for endorsing Obama. If he weren't really funny, you might want to read the book just on those grounds. But he's pretty funny, too.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was filled with potential - it was supposed to be the rom com for SCOTUS nerds! But the second half fell completely flat. It is worth a read because although it was written in 2008, it presents a scary parody of the state of our country and presidential election today - reality tv stars, hostile congress, Supreme Court vacancy, and all.

[Scot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast and fun, making it the perfect beach read. Imagine Judge Judy as a sexy Texan who humorously ends up on the Supreme Court. And imagine that politicians are useless and so someone like that can actually make a difference in bucking the system. Sounds refreshing, right?!?

I loved and loathed the characters, which I think was the point. Overall entertaining, political without being wonky or partisan. Recommended for fans of quick reads and humorous politics in the vein of Carl Hiaasen.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What better way to prepare for the upcoming Supreme Court nominee hearings than to indulge in the ironic-humor-on-every-page writing of Christopher Buckley. This book imagines that political polarization has reached a point where it is impossible for anybody nominated by the president to be confirmed by the Senate. Then through a surprising twist of fate only possible in the context of American politics, a popular but enormously unqualified woman (combination of Judge Judy, Sarah Palin, and yellow rose of Texas) is confirmed to the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. It's then Katie bar the door with hilarious fun breaking out in all directions in the midst of Constitutional, international and personal crises.

A chapter devoted to the new justice's first case on the court stretches legal Latin beyond the limits of credulity. Since the author's name is Buckley, I'm pretty sure it's all good Latin. However, the cases referenced surely must be fictional. I think the point being made is that the justices are more concerned with one-upping each other with their inflated knowledge of cases and legalese than with justice. " ... it was a clear-cut case of 'interrebus quod aspecto' and that it had absolutely zero bearing 'per res sciatica.' When the new justice interrupts the arguments her mind goes blank, and she can think of only two words to say, "Quasi & modo." She is then asked, "... do you think 'Quasimodo v. Notre Dame Bellringers Guild' has application here?"

Buckley shoots one-liners and modern-day-proverbs out with such rapidity one can't help but wonder what sort of mind generated them. Is it a clever wit at work? Or a demented mind? Here are some examples:

On the virtues of procrastination:
Short of nuclear warheads that have already been launched, there is no situation that cannot be met head-on with inaction.

On the political temperature:
Nothing raises the national temperature more than a VACANCY sign hanging from the colonnaded front of the supreme Court.

Man speaking to woman:
"I Googled you, ... Sounds almost indecent, doesn't it?"

The nominee telling the Senators what the viewing public is saying about their hearing:
".... wake me up if they find public hair on any Coke cans."

The response to the preceding comment above:
"Nineteen senators stared mutely at the nominee."

The following isn't exactly a one liner, but I love the historical associations:
How many times had those awful words - "I know what I'm doing" - been uttered throughout history as prelude to disaster? The night before Waterloo in Napoleon's tent? In the Reichschancellery before invading Soviet Russia? Before the "cakewalk" known as Operation Iraqi Freedom?

There's even a quotation of William F. Buckley Jr. cited in the text by this disinterested author. I've decided not to repeat the quote here. You can find it yourself.

Not only is Buckley lampooning all three branches of the federal government, he takes pot shots at reality television, the writers of The West Wing, and the uninformed populace. Hmmm, that includes you and me! He even has the court deciding the outcome of a presidential election. How far-fetched can a novel be! We know that could never happen in real life.

[Drgibson63 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supreme Courtship is Christopher Buckley at his witty, laugh-out-loud best. The hilarious tale involves a president, frustrated that his two previous Supreme Court nominees were rejected by a petty senator for venal reasons, nominates the popular TV judge star of a Judge Judy-type show.

The characters' personalities are vivid, and readers will have fum deciphering which real DC or pop culture characters are being spoofed. Buckley has a spare, short-chapter, heavy dialogue pacing style that keeps things moving. The combination of his wit, as well as his insider knowledge of his subject, makes plot twists that would seem too forced in weaker hands, appear as if they they could really happen. Examples are a distraught chief justice whose wife leaves him for another woman after he casts the deciding vote for gay marriage, a reality TV producer with hit shows that involve secret cameras, bridge suicides and the morbidly obese, and a senator who takes a '24'-type TV role just so he can make believe he is president of the U.S.

If you love Buckley or haven't tried him, buy the book. It's a gem.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

U.S. President, having had two candidates for the Supreme Court torpedoed by politics, chooses a spunky TV judge as his third candidate. Pepper Cartwright then becomes the prevailing vote in a unbalanced Court for a number of cases, including reduced term limits for the incumbent President. Light, but amusing.

[Lauren Cecile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept but too fluffy. Even though it's satire, it would have been great with more substance and depth.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The President of the United States, Donald P. Vanderdamp, has an approval rating barely above twenty. Congress, and politicians of both parties, despise him, because he has vetoed every spending bill that reached his desk. In retaliation, the Senate has rejected the two eminently qualified jurists he nominated for an open seat on the Supreme Court. All he wants to do is move back home to Wapakoneta, Ohio, where he can go bowling as often as he wishes. His term is almost up. About all that remains is to find someone who can gain the approval of the Senate for that Supreme Court slot.

Enter Judge Perdita "Pepper" Cartwright, star of the top-rated reality TV show, Courtroom Six. While searching for a bowling show on television over a weekend at Camp David, President Vanderdamp chances upon Pepper's show and is immediately enchanted. Now in her mid-thirties, Pepper is uncommonly facile with the English language—and uncommonly attractive. The President is convinced the Senate won't dare reject her nomination, given her sky-high Q rating.

This is the set-up in Supreme Courtship, Christopher Buckley's satirical treatment of the U.S. Supreme Court. No reader will be surprised to learn that Pepper is, in fact, named to the Court. Then, of course, the real fun begins. The novel is amusing and even hilarious at times. On the whole, though, it's not one of Buckley's best.

[Chuck McGrady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny book, and a somewhat dated one given all that has happened since it was written well-over a decade ago. However, it struck me how many of the comedic things border on being today's facts. For example, the idea that there would be a leak of a Supreme Court decision---part of the story in the fictional book---has turned out to have happened. In passing there is noted a significant confrontation between a Russian leader and a Ukrainian leader. I think that seemed to have come mostly true. As I read this dated story, I began to wonder what other part of the plot might end up being partly true. You got to love the premise of this story---essentially Judge Judy gets appointed to the Supreme Court. As a former lawyer, I should note that the author actually covers a lot of the right legal bases. You can learn something about the law.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 2008! Most of what is contained in the story is true today. Dysfunctional Supreme Court, legislative branch hates executive branch. Sound familiar? Things get messy (funny), when the President nominates a Judge Judy type to the Supreme Court, after two good jurists were rejected by the Senate. One rejected because he wrote a review of To Kill a Mockingbird for his 8th grade newspaper and said he found parts boring. Obviously, the guy is a racist! So Judge Judy type it is. I laughed out loud at some parts. Other parts, I just had to sigh and shake my head. Nothing has changed.

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 4 out of 5]

FUN, FUN, FUN! What if a president nominates Judge Judy to the Supreme Court? A younger, hotter Judge Judy? That's the premise of this book. It was a relief to laugh out loud (I did that a lot) at the political antics of our crumbling government.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huh. Apparently I read this like ten years ago. The style seemed familiar but I remembered none of the plot. What was interesting was how much that was intended as hyperbole and parody is less extreme than what we've recently seen. It made some of the humor a bit bitter.

[Dee Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

We liked it but thought it could have been about a hundred pages longer and funnier. It felt like sometimes he solved plot issues too quickly. But it was an enjoyable read, nonetheless.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked his books so much more when they were actually wackier than real life. Now that we've had a failed game show host in the White House, making fun of politicians is just...hard.

[Joel Mendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best work, but interesting premise and funny.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buying a book on the bargain rack is always a gamble. Regardless of the book’s merit, it is obviously on the rack because it did not sell. Perhaps the publisher overestimated the commercial appeal of the book. Or maybe the book came out at a busy time and was lost in the fray. Then, of course, the book could have received bad reviews and/or word of mouth. Still, at only $4-$6 a pop, the books are usually worth the risk.

I found Christopher Buckley’s Supreme Courtship on the bargain rack. I was quite excited because, at the time, I had just finished reading his enthralling novel Boomsday and I was eager to read more from the author. I also knew that Buckley was responsible for Thank You For Smoking and while I hadn’t read that book I thoroughly enjoyed the movie adaptation. Like Boomsday and Thank You For Smoking, the theme of Supreme Courtship revolved around politics. Authors often write what they know and, while I can’t attest to his other novels, it is evident in my limited understanding of Buckley that he knows politics.

Like Boomsday, Supreme Courtship is a highly readable, fast-paced novel. What makes Buckley’s novels so appealing is that he dramatizes reality. While his plots may seem absurd at first, the truth is that they really aren’t that implausible.. In Supreme Courtship, a television judge is appointed to the Supreme Court. While the likelihood of that actually happening seems slim, it could still happen. Our country has elected celebrities to various government offices before (e.g. Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, etc). Moreover, while Buckley could use his novels as forums to preach, he instead intelligently presents his points of view through humor, wit, and satire.

While I did enjoy Supreme Courtship it did fall a little flat. When I was reading Boomsday, I had a hard time putting the book down. The characters and the plot were refreshing and original. In Supreme Courtship, though, the TV judge seemed too reminiscent of Judge Judy. Also, some of the discussions about the Supreme Court cases were long-winded and inaccessible. At times I felt like the content could have been written in another language and I would have understood it just the same (i.e. not at all). Still, for a bargain book that I ended up enjoying and giving 3/5 stars I can’t really complain.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I start talking about the book I have to admit my own ignorance. When I got this book from the library I didn't notice the author's name. As I got into the book I thought the political talk was extremely heavy handed. That is when I noticed the author's name and it made me think "Huh, wonder if it is any relation to that other Buckley?" Of course it is. And, well, it did not make the heavy handidness more enjoyable, but at least it explained it.

Every single character was an over the top cliche, but that's what you expect from a satirical novel. A long time supreme court justice dies and the sitting president is given the chance to fill the spot. After having all of his choices shot down by the egotistical leader of the judicial committee the president decides to go with a popular television judge.

I would have preferred the book if it had focused on getting this outlandish choice to sit on the court. Instead, that happens rather quickly and the after effects of her joining the court are the real meat of the plot. Quite frankly, this got boring rather quickly. It's a fun idea in abstract - crazy choice for supreme court that the public loves - that was not fleshed out nearly enough.

As negative as this review sounds there is a lot to like about this book. Even though the characters are ridiculous Buckley did a good job endearing them to us and want to read more about them. He also did a good job of mixing real world attitudes, ideas, and happenings into the satirical world he created.

While, I did enjoy reading the book I found the reviews of the "Could not stop laughing until I closed the book" to be overblown. The characters are amusing and they have some good lines. It's not the laugh out loud funny you get from Christopher Moore or for the far more geeky Terry Pratchett.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supreme... pulp? This book is purely for fun only; despite being a story about supreme court justices, presidents and TV executives. It could easily be a serious drama with all those characters, but this is far from serious.

Most of the book is easy to read, and fun to follow the plot lines. The twists and turns are fairly predictable and never too sharp or outrageous. There are some nice little bits though. My favorite was the supreme court justice who was black, and as a lawyer agreed to defend the KKK 'at cost'. He fought the case deligently, taking all the way up to the state supreme court, eventually ruining the KKK branch in the process. Brilliant! My other favorite part was the president running for re-election under the campaign slogan "More of the same!".

Again, this was an audio book for me, being read by Anne Heche. She does a remarkably good job. Having listened to books read by actors and books read by authors, you generally want it read by an actor (unless it is autobiographical).

My only real disappointment with the book was the supreme LACK of romance. The title contains the word "courtship"... but the book's version of courtship goes something like: Hi there. Hi. Gee, that was awkward... how about we hook up in the next scene for no explainable reason? Ok. Sweet. Let's not talk about this anymore. Ok.
That's about it.

I also wanted a bit more interaction between some of the characters I liked. Oh well. It's a fluffy book, with lots of good modern references to Blackberry's and Google. Nothing to write home about.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it was a mistake to read this immediately after rereading How I Became a Famous Novelist, which is a very, very funny book. I liked the plot of Buckley's satire of the Washington scene, but Buckley tries hard for witty dialogue and observations and I found these so broad that they fell flat. A few moments, like his prison rape joke, edged towards cringeworthy. His characterizations were equally broad and at times I lost sight of the fact that it was intentional and was instead reminded of the kind of rotten manuscripts I used to have to read. I can see how this book would appeal to other readers but it wasn't for me. I'll give it 3 stars instead of 2 because I did appreciate the Supreme Court details even if it was no The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.)

[Loyd Mcintosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably give this book more like 2 3/4 stars if I could. The premise, as well as the first half of Supreme Courtship are absolutely hilarious then it did that thing so many great comedies do: it got serious on us. The idea of a television judge from a daytime courtroom show being nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court is one of the funniest ideas I've heard in a long time and Buckley pulls of this goofiness for the first half of the novel.

My guess is some editor convinced him, however, that the book needed to be 'poignant.' There was too much about all the characters' upscale, fabulous, highfalutin - albeit empty and shallow - Washington beltway personal/lives. Also, the "gripping" court case that Buckley lands upon to build tension among the Supreme Court, main character and, ultimately the entire nation was obvious, clunky, and half-assed while trying too hard to be serious commentary on the culture. I think he should have kept up the screwball nature of the idea and made the "big case" something as absurd as the book's premise.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply one of the funniest books I've ever read. I laughed all the way to the end.

I don't even LIKE politics, but my mom does, and she got me this book for Christmas. I very grudgingly started reading it last week, b/c I figured it was about time for her to ask if I liked it, and I didn't want to be that daughter and say I hadn't even read it.

I finished it in like 2 days. I haven't eaten in 48 hours. The house is a mess. I didn't even unpack my suitcase from my recent trip. I can't stop laughing.

Then I found out he was the genius behind "Thank You for Smoking", which I had only seen at the movies, and had not realized was also a book.

He even has snarky footnotes. I think I want to marry Christopher Buckley. Does anyone know if he's available?


Rereading. Still funny. Especially this week in 2012.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A political satire that deftly sets up the inside the Beltway crowd. President Donald Vanderdamp has had two very qualified nominees to the Supreme Court voted down in the Senate Judiciary Committee--one for some comments made in the school newspaper about To Kill a Mockingbird when he was in the 7th grade. In frustration, President Vanderdamp decides to throw the Senate a curve ball and nominate Pepper Cartwright, the judge on the highly rated television reality program Courtroom Six. The best part of the book is the nomination and confirmation process of Cartwright. The book is less effective once Justice Cartwright takes her place on the Supreme Court. However, the personalities involve resemble somewhat too closely some familiar faces on the evening news and the inside look at the Senate and the Supreme Court are interesting.

[Steven Harbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, author Christopher Buckley has his father's sense of humor and style, while writing in his own voice. While the premise is a little farfetched, it's not "that" far fetched, which lends believability to the humor and parody of the story. If you like subtle humor (ala P. G. Wodehouse) then I think you'll like this story of a television judge who gets elevated to the Supreme Court. I think anyone who's read some recent histories of the Supreme Court, such as "The Brethren" and / or "The Nine" will appreciate this volume more than those who aren't that familiar with the workings of the Court, but Buckley's style and his vividly drawn characters make this a "good read" despite whatever background one brings to it. A solid 4 stars, maybe a 4.5.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Buckley is riotusly funny. No matter how wild his senarios are they are far too close to what could be reality in this sound bite and ratings world we inhabit. This is especially true in that land of disfunction known as the nation's capital.

Having said that I'd give this book 5 stars except that it seems to suffer from the same decease that many other books and writers suffer from. That is kind of breaking the story off suddenly t get to the ending which isn't as satisfying as it could be. Do many writers simply get tired of the story they are telling and rush to an ending? 283 pages of story and it winds down in 2 pages. I guess this is better than 500 pages of story and a 2 page conclusion.

[John of Canada · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was obvious to me that Buckley was having fun with this book.The latin references reminded me of an old Peter Cook routine in which he lamented not becoming a judge because"I didn't have the latin for the judging".I had a lot of fun trying to guess which judge was which(hello Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg).I think I learned more about the inner workings of the Supreme Court than I should.Considering the date it was written,it was eerily similar to what went on this year in the U.S.
Land mining the border?Why didn't Trump think of that?Good dialogue.On to the next Buckley book:Christopher or William F.

[Tamra · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that the man who wrote Thank You for Smoking is also responsible for this mess. It isn't at all funny, it treats its readers like morons*, there are few clever turns of phrase, and what he passes off as satire is really just thinly-veiled, mean-spirited swipes at Justices past and present.






* Generally speaking, somebody who reads Christopher Buckley's work doesn't need inane little notes explaining who the first man on the moon was, Bush v. Gore, or how the Constitution is amended. Seriously. It's fucking annoying.