Death of the Senate, Ben Nelson
Death of the Senate, Ben Nelson
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Death of the Senate
My Front Row Seat to the Demise of the World's Greatest Deliberative Body

Author: Ben Nelson

Narrator: Ben Nelson

Unabridged: 8 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/26/2024


Synopsis

Something is rotten in the U.S. Senate, and the disease has been spreading for some time. But Ben Nelson, former U.S. senator from Nebraska, is not going to let the institution destroy itself without a fight. Death of the Senate is a clear-eyed look inside the Senate chamber and a brutally honest account of the current political reality.
In his two terms as a Democratic senator from the red state of Nebraska, Nelson positioned himself as a moderate broker between his more liberal and conservative colleagues and became a frontline player in the most consequential fights of the Bush and Obama years. His trusted centrist position gave him a unique perch from which to participate in some of the last great rounds of bipartisan cooperation, such as the “Gang of 14” that considered nominees for the federal bench—and passed over a young lawyer named Brett Kavanaugh for being too partisan.
Nelson learned early on that the key to any negotiation at any level is genuine trust. With humor, insight, and firsthand details, Nelson makes the case that the “heart of the deal” is critical and describes how he focused on this during his time in the Senate. As seen through the eyes of a centrist senator from the Great Plains, Nelson shows how and why the spirit of bipartisanship declined and offers solutions that can restore the Senate to one of the world’s most important legislative bodies.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kim on October 24, 2021

I have lived in Nebraska most my life, 30 of my 41 years on this planet. I have met Senator Nelson on a couple occasions. My impression of him then, after his tenure as a Senator, was that he is a quiet, thoughtful, and contemplative man. I also knew very little of his politics because I was a new m......more

Goodreads review by Mackenzie on September 06, 2022

Really interesting history but I mostly skimmed it. Great writing style It seems like Nelson wanted to make a call to action, but his audience is Congress and that doesn't help me much.......more

Goodreads review by Emanuel on January 13, 2022

Senator Nelson approaches the chaos of the modern U.S. Senate with a delightful midwestern chipper as he explores the once-present human side of a once-great institution that is dying in its absence. His humor and charm elevate the text by invoking themes of collegiality which go on to underlie his......more

Goodreads review by Sherry on February 05, 2022

When I saw that Sen. Ben Nelson had written a book, I HAD to read it! Sen. Nelson is as rare as an ice cube in the Sahara: a Democrat elected to multiple higher offices (governor and senator) in bright-red Nebraska. I will ALWAYS be grateful to him for his pivotal negotiations and vote for the Affor......more

Goodreads review by Zoe on February 25, 2022

Having interviewed Senator Nelson for a magazine article, I found his writing to be in his voice. Pragmatic, hopeful, and no nonsense. His is the hope of adding and multiplying; not subtracting and dividing. I may not always agree with his position on issues, however, I always appreciate his love if......more