The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III

Peter Baker has written books on Presidents Clinton, W. Bush, and Obama and contributed to oneon the history of impeachment. He covers Trump for the NY Times along with Maggie Habermanand others, and is generally fair. His wife Susan Glasser founded Politico, probably the most importantof the new online journals, and now is with the New Yorker. The New Yorker is very liberal and generallynot a fan of President Trump under David Remnick. They do TV separately with MSNBC and CNN.Jim Baker, no relation, was the first secretary of state that I knew. So it was surprising for me tolearn that foreign policy was not his specialty (it was that of Bush 43, who had served in themilitary, UN, CIA etc.). He was not a specialist in languages, but was street smart and could readbody language and emotions. This was in contrast with Kissinger and Nixon, who were very booksmart. The authors interviewed Baker a lot, but this is not an authorized biography because hedidn't review the finished product. They also relied a lot upon Margaret Tutwiler.Baker's friendship with Bush Sr. went way back, decades before they became prominent politicians.Beginning in the 70s, we are introduced to the GOP establishment with figures like Gerald Ford,Bob Dole, Al Haig, Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. Baker campaigned against Reagan twice, forFord in 1976 and Bush in '80. But when Reagan won, he became the chief of staff and part of the"troika" with Deaver and Regan, eventually becoming the most influential of the competing factions.As a figure of the establishment, he emphasized getting things done, and contributed to Reagan'sworking with Speaker Tip O'Neill, who was as liberal as the Gipper was conservative. He knew thepolitical history of LBJ when he was a Senate leader working with Eisenhower, and then Sen. EverettDirksen doing the same with LBJ. Baker was not trusted by the more ideological Reaganites, butwas affirmed by Reagan as a true Reaganite at the end of his service. Later in the Reagan administrations,Baker served as Treasury secretary, and so the book's emphasis moves to economic issues, taxes andthe stock market, along with Iran-Contra.Baker was a strong partisan, but in multiple directions-against the Democrats but also the moreconservative Republicans, such as Dan Quayle, Newt Gingrich and Jack Kemp, who had an infectiousintellectual passion unbounded by his field of responsibility. On the international level, MaggieThatcher generally pulled Reagan and Bush Sr. toward more hardline views. This is understandable-with Germany's reunification, it was only a few decades after the attacks on Britain. As Bush'ssecretary of state, the book turns to the all-important end of the Cold War on all its levelswith Gorbachev and Yeltsin. The election of 88 brings the "Read My Lips" speech written by PeggyNoonan (along with 1000 points of light and kinder gentler), Lee Atwater and Willie Horton.As a kid I often heard about "Reagan and Bush" but they were two very different men withdifferent strengths and weaknesses.It's a fascinating book as the different eras bring up the names of the various politicians and journalistswho were part of the scenery. In the 2000 election with the Florida recount, Baker negotiated withWarren Christopher, his successor as Secretary of State for Bill Clinton. Another thing I learned wasthat Dick Cheney, while one of the hawks for the first Gulf War, was not as rigid as he was in his laterdays. This would be an interesting thing to explore. The authors also have great respect for CondiRice throughout her career.In the Obama era, Baker lamented the loss of the solid center. With Trump's defeat of Jeb, most ofthe Bush clan were very anti-Trump. Baker remained a loyal Republican through all the differentiterations, and was not a never-Trumper in 2016. But as 2020 came along he finally followed hisgrandfather's advice and stayed away from politics! The saga continues with Trump's covid hospitalizationand this week's contentious debate.

What I wouldn’t give now for another James Baker. A brilliant biography of a man who “ran” Washington and our country, and someone who is sorely missing in today’s political climate. Full of great stories about how government really works. Well worth the time to read it.

It was a pretty good book, but at the end the authors just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to subtly trash Trump via Mr. Baker. Maybe if there is another printing...along with an opportunity to speak with Baker about the Biden’s business dealings and what has been revealed...this book will be even more valuable to future readers and future Secretary of States and Chief of Staffs.

I had high hopes for this work, the first full-length biography of the very capable James A. Baker III, counselor to Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush 41. But the result was disappointing. The authors, a married couple who have worked at The New York Times and The Washington Post, failed to leave their leftist media views behind. The result is as one might expect from those who run in today's media circles. For example, the book starts with Baker's views on President Trump, and goes out of its way to have Baker assert that Trump is "crazy". No Republican is given fair-minded treatment; Democrats are always treated as "respected" or "pros" at what they do. Baker is portrayed as a political operative who yearns to be something else. While sympathetic to Baker in most respects, even he is treated as a schemer of sorts who applies his talents in service of a number of below-average Republican Presidents. To the the extent Baker sought out these authors to write this work, it's a lesson to others: avoid agenda-driven media partisans who really don't have an appreciation of the nuances and challenges that face those that hold high appointive office. Not recommended for those who hunger for fair-minded political biography.

The book was very well written and very fair. Secretary Baker had so many major accomplishments, I wish he had ran for President.

The book provides a useful narrative of Baker's career and has a lot of inside information, but doesn't have much useful insight into the man, the politics of his time, or his impact. It's mostly regurgitated conventional wisdom, plus every chapter grinds to a halt at least once for clunky editorializing about how Washington "used to get things done" that's as clueless as it is predictable. Someone else will need to write a biography that does more than just chronicle events.

Superb. This book does a terrific job of explaining how government and politics work at institutional and personal levels. This is the best book in this genre I have read since Harry McPherson's A Political Education. The authors cite plenty of criticisms of Baker's performance, but he nevertheless emerges as a public servant of the highest caliber.

Very interesting book Good price fast delivery

Superbly written book.

A real Republican!

For anyone who lived and worked in bakers time it’s a great history well written

A real inside look at Washington's ultimate "insider"! Takes one right into the workings, both good and bad, of the Oval Office. Jim Bakes is a very exceptional guy!!