Desk 88 : eight progressive senators who changed America

Title:

Author:

Brown, Sherrod, 1952- author.

ISBN:

9780374138219

Edition:

1st ed.

Physical Description:

354 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Contents:

Prologue: The origins of Desk 88 -- Hugo Black: finding light in the shadows -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Theodore Francis Green: a traitor to his class -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Glen Taylor: the singing cowboy from Kooskia -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Herbert H. Lehman: pursuing a different family business -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Al Gore, Sr.: leading from the South -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- William Proxmire: a workhorse and a showhorse -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Robert F. Kennedy: a warrior for those without a voice -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- George McGovern: feeding the hungry -- Thoughts from Desk 88 -- Further thoughts from Desk 88-about 2020 and beyond -- Epilogue: Carving a place in history.

Personal Subject:

Brown, Sherrod, 1952--Political and social views.

Corporate Subject:

United States. Congress. Senate -- Biography.

Subject Term:

Legislators -- United States -- Biography.

Progressivism (United States politics) -- History.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Politics and government.

Genre:

Biographies

Summary:

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio's Sherrod Brown has sat on the Senate floor at a mahogany desk with a proud history. In Desk 88, he tells the story of eight of the Senators who were there before him. Despite their flaws and frequent setbacks, each made a decisive contribution to the creation of a more just America. They range from Hugo Black, who helped to lift millions of American workers out of poverty, to Robert F. Kennedy, whose eyes were opened by an undernourished Mississippi child and who then spent the rest of his life afflicting the comfortable. Brown revives forgotten figures such as Idahos Glen Taylor, a singing cowboy who taught himself economics and stood up to segregationists, and offers new insights into George McGovern, who fought to feed the poor around the world even amid personal and political calamities. He also writes about Herbert Lehman of New York, Al Gore Sr. of Tennessee, Theodore Francis Green of Rhode Island, and William Proxmire of Wisconsin. Together, these eight portraits in political courage tell a story about the triumphs and failures of the Progressive idea over the past century: in the 1930s and 1960s, and more intermittently since, politicians and the public have successfully fought against entrenched special interests and advanced the cause of economic or racial fairness. Today, these advances are in peril as employers shed their responsibilities to employees and communities, and a U.S. president gives cover to bigotry. But the Progressive idea is not dead. Recalling his own career, Brown dramatizes the hard work and high ideals required to renew the social contract and create a new era in which Americans of all backgrounds can know the "Dignity of Work."

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	920 BRO	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	920 BRO	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio's Sherrod Brown has sat on the Senate floor at a mahogany desk with a proud history. In Desk 88, he tells the story of eight of the Senators who were there before him.

"Perhaps the most imaginative book to emerge from the Senate since Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts produced Profiles in Courage. " --David M. Shribman, The Boston Globe

Despite their flaws and frequent setbacks, each made a decisive contribution to the creation of a more just America. They range from Hugo Black, who helped to lift millions of American workers out of poverty, to Robert F. Kennedy, whose eyes were opened by an undernourished Mississippi child and who then spent the rest of his life afflicting the comfortable. Brown revives forgotten figures such as Idaho's Glen Taylor, a singing cowboy who taught himself economics and stood up to segregationists, and offers new insights into George McGovern, who fought to feed the poor around the world even amid personal and political calamities. He also writes about Herbert Lehman of New York, Al Gore Sr. of Tennessee, Theodore Francis Green of Rhode Island, and William Proxmire of Wisconsin.

Together, these eight portraits in political courage tell a story about the triumphs and failures of the Progressive idea over the past century: in the 1930s and 1960s, and more intermittently since, politicians and the public have successfully fought against entrenched special interests and advanced the cause of economic or racial fairness. Today, these advances are in peril as employers shed their responsibilities to employees and communities, and a U.S. president gives cover to bigotry. But the Progressive idea is not dead.

Recalling his own career, Brown dramatizes the hard work and high ideals required to renew the social contract and create a new era in which Americans of all backgrounds can know the "Dignity of Work."

Author Notes

Sherrod Brown , Ohio's senior U.S. senator, has dedicated his life in public service to fighting for what he calls "the dignity of work"--the belief that hard work should pay off for everyone. He resides in Cleveland with his wife, Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author. They are blessed with a growing family, including three daughters, a son, and seven grandchildren.

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

A senior senator from Ohio highlights the careers, accomplishments, and proposals of mentors and former colleagues.Brown (Myths of Free Trade: Why American Trade Policy Has Failed, 2004, etc.) arranges his text chronologically, from Sen. Hugo Black, who served from 1927 to 1937, to Sen. George McGovern, 1963-1981. Some of the names will be familiar to readers (Al Gore Sr.; Robert F. Kennedy), but a fewTheodore Francis Green, 1937-1961; Glen Taylor, 1945-1951are less well known. Desk 88 is the number of Brown's desk in the Senate chamber, and he reveals that senators traditionally sign the inside before they leave office. Desk 88 bears the signatures of four of the senators he writes about: Black, Gore, Herbert H. Lehman, and McGovern (and now his own). "What drew me to the names at Desk 88 was the idea that connected them: progressivism," he writes. For each of his eight men, the author provides a brisk biography and a description of his Senate career; following each chapter is a section called "Thoughts from Desk 88," ruminations about his own experiences, thoughts about issues dear to him, and comments about Republicans and Donald Trump (who, he writes, "promote a racist, phony populism"). In his "Thoughts" sections, Brown writes about his own family and background, the birth of Social Security, minimum wage laws, Wall Street corruption, race, health care issues, world hunger, and policy (with some nasty stories about GOP opposition to the Affordable Care Act"death panels" and the like). The author argues that Democratic candidates should pound away at the GOP's opposition to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, minimum wage protections, and so on. At times, in fact, his text reads almost like a campaign biography, but in March 2019, Brown withdrew from 2020 presidential consideration.Earnest, committed, and even contentious, a text that will cause liberals to smile and conservatives to gnash their teeth. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

In this well-researched group biography, Ohio senator Brown discusses with sincerity and honesty his initial experiences on the Senate floor in 2006 and the unexpected significance of selecting a desk. Of the many senators who occupied desk 88 before him, Brown portrays eight influential progressive senators, telling the remarkable stories of Hugo Black, Al Gore Sr., Theodore Francis Green, Robert F. Kennedy, Herbert Lehman, George McGovern, William Proxmire, and Glen Taylor. In this refreshing and well-conceived work, Brown recounts political battles, tough choices, dirty tactics, key compromises, successes, and failures. As Brown looks back to the public lives of these eight distinguished senators, he notes that we have arrived at a pivotal point in our nation's life at which another progressive era could emerge. With a depth of political knowledge and understanding only participation in Congress can impart, Brown has created an uplifting set of senatorial profiles that counters the negativity of this time of political divisiveness, lies, corruption, hatred, and intimidation with factual accuracy, respect, admiration, and appreciation.--Jennifer Johnson Copyright 2019 Booklist

Hugo BlackTheodore Francis GreenGlen TaylorHerbert H. LehmanAl Gore, Sr.William ProxmireRobert F. KennedyGeorge McGovern

Prologue: The Origins of Desk 88	p. 3
1 Finding Light in the Shadows	p. 19
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 38
2 A Traitor to His Class	p. 51
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 64
3 The Singing Cowboy from Kooskia	p. 73
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 97
4 Pursuing a Different Family Business	p. 107
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 129
5 Leading from the South	p. 143
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 175
6 A Workhorse and a Show Horse	p. 189
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 216
7 A Warrior for Those Without a Voice	p. 231
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 260
8 Feeding the Hungry	p. 279
Thoughts from Desk 88	p. 302
Further Thoughts from Desk 88 - About 2020 and Beyond	p. 308
Epilogue: Carving a Place in History	p. 321
Bibliography	p. 329
Acknowledgments	p. 339
Index	p. 343

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Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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