By Steve Leser, OpEdNews
As a fellow writer who appears on at least one of the same publications, I’ve read a lot of David Swanson’s articles over the years. Every one of those articles was sharp and had strong back up from good sources. I was therefore very excited when I heard that he had written a book. David and I sometimes disagree on the issues. He is more critical of Democrats and Obama than I tend to be, and that is reflected in the book, but that is no reflection on the quality of his work.
On account of past experiences with David’s writing, I had high expectations for “Daybreak – Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union”. Somehow, he managed to exceed those expectations and by a wide margin. This book is an important read for anyone with an interest in politics or good government. Those coming from the Republican right will find much with which they disagree, but everyone who is honest will have to agree with David’s assessment that the powers of the Presidency have grown far beyond what was intended and dangerously beyond what is good for our system of government.
Swanson painstakingly documents the ways executive power has exceeded its mandate and also shows how Congress and the Supreme Court have proven themselves inadequate to address those infractions. One comes away from Daybreak wondering if there is much of anything that a President could do that would cause them to face punishment and accountability. Just the part of the book that provides this information is worth the price of the book.
A huge added bonus for me and most Democrats is the fact that this documentation provides a record of the Bush administration’s many abuses of power. From lying his way into the Iraq war, to signing statements that make or alter law rather than interpret it to torture, warrant-less wiretapping and much more, Swanson exceeds his former boss Dennis Kucinich in detailing the Bush administration’s utter disregard for the law and the Constitution.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, Swanson leaves the writers of many other political books behind with the final three sections that provide 130 or so pages worth of detailed suggestions on how to remedy the issues he uncovered in the previous sections of the book. If the documentation of executive power abuses made the book worth its price and the record of Bush administration abuses were a bonus, these suggestions are a magnum opus for which I will keep the book in a prominent section on my shelf and refer to regularly.
Daybreak quickly rose to the number one position in the New York Times bestsellers list for nonfiction and deservedly so. If making ours a more perfect union is something that interests you, I recommend you buy this book. It can be obtained here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583228888?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwfutuor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1583228888
An OEN Editor, Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.