The Almanac of American Politics- 2006 (Almanac of American Politics) Description:

The Almanac of American Politics, 2006 (Almanac of American Politics) review:
5 stars (A Fix For Political Junkies) - If you love politics - this is your driver's manual. I only wish it was published sooner after the election. You will find nearly everything you want to know about every Governor, Senator and Congressman plus details from their district - voting results for president, demographics, and history. I have bought this book every election cycle since 1984 and I keep going back to each one for information. If you love politics - this book needs to be in your library! Michael Barone is a genius - catch him on Fox News and don't forget to read another one of his books "Our Country: The Shaping of America From Roosevelt to Reagan."
1 stars (A Once Great Series Contiues Its Slide Down the Tubes) - What was once an indispensable guide to US politics has been steadily ruined over the years by the shrill, sanctimonious editorializing of Michael Barone. I used to by new editions of this series every two years but quit several years ago because I was getting less information and more op-ed preaching. I did pick up a copy of this edition at a local book store and spent a great deal of time flipping thorough it and saw that little has changed. Barone is simply a blind apologists for the Bush administration and contemptuously dismisses anyone who does not subscribe to his philosophy as merely being a part of the "feminist left."



It is such a shame, as a lot of the information in here is valuable to someone with an interest in US politics and elections. It is too bad Barone's ego has gotten in the way and ruined a once great series.
2 stars (The Red State Guide to Congress) - If everything is going to be divided into red state/blue state this is certainly the red state guide to congress with CQ's Politics in America the Blue State one. Barone disgustingly endorses the swift boat people's campaign against John Kerry but as is noted on the back Barone is a Fox "News" commentator. Barone takes the Republican line on a lot of things. This is a biased book.



An expample of Barone's bias is in the Texas section. He defends the Republican redistricting in Texas. Austin was divided three ways after decades of electing its own congressman. He says that Austin now has two voices in congress instead of one, but that is ridiculous because neither of the congressman can make Austin their priority as it was for Lloyd Doggett, who now represents a district that starts in Austin goes south past San Antonio all the way down the Mexican border.



As expected he comments in the Kansas section about Thomas Frank's brilliant book What's The Matter with Kansas? predictably bashing it. I didn't expect it to open the section but obviously it struck a nerve in the conservative Barone.



What this book has going for it are the detailed primary and general election results, the profiles of the governors, and the fact that it goes into possible opponents and successors for the Sens/Reps/Govs profiled.