Barn Burning Barn Building by Ben F. Barnes: Book Cover

    Barn Burning Barn Building: Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyond by Ben F. Barnes, Lisa Dickey (With), Robert Strauss (Foreword by)

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    (Hardcover)

    • Pub. Date: April 2006
    • 256pp
    • Sales Rank: 592,623
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      Product Details

      • Pub. Date: April 2006
      • Publisher: Bright Sky Press
      • Format: Hardcover, 256pp
      • Sales Rank: 592,623

      Synopsis

      How did the Democratic Party-party of JFK, LBJ, and civil rights-fall from glory? How did Texas, home of its most promising players, become Bush territory? What do politicians on either side need to do today to get our country back on track? Ben Barnes has the answers.

      Barnes had a front-row seat through it all. His political savvy and bravado made him a standout in the rough-and-tumble world of Texas politics. He won a seat in the Texas Legislature in 1960, at the unheard-of age of 22, and four years later became the youngest Speaker of the House since the Civil War. In 1968, he helped Congressman George Herbert Walker Bush get his son into the National Guard-a controversy that would rage during the 2004 presidential election. In 1970, Lyndon Johnson told the public that Ben was destined to be the next U.S. president to hail from Texas.

      How did his party lose its place in Texas . . . and the nation? How did Barnes-affectionately dubbed the "51st Democratic senator"-remain a force on the Democratic scene despite his departure from public office? In this exciting new book, Barnes takes readers inside the rise and fall of the party he loves. Pulling no punches, he uses lessons learned in the Texas trenches as a guiding light for a new generation of lawmakers and political hopefuls, and a calls for a return to bipartisan consensus building for our nation. Barnes's rollicking memoir recalls the glory days of his Texas past and blazes a trail for our country's future.

      Author Biography: BEN BARNES is an American lobbyist and former Lieutenant Governor of Texas. He was a vice-chair and top fundraiser of the John Kerry campaign in the 2004 presidential elections. He has served asSpeaker of the House in Texas from 1965-1969, U.S. representative to the NATO Conference in 1967, and United Nations Representative to Geneva, Switzerland in 1968. He founded the Austin-based lobbying firm, EntreCorp.

      Philadelphia Daily News

      "...Barnes is an American before he is Democrat, and he shares my concern about the current state of the nation."

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      Biography

      Ben Barnes is a consultant and former lieutenant governor of Texas. He was a vice-chair and top fundraiser of the John Kerry campaign in the 2004 presidential elections. He has served as Speaker of the House in Texas from 1965 to 1969, U.S. representative to the NATO Conference in 1967, and United Nations Representative to Geneva, Switzerland in 1968. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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      Barn Burning Barn Building: Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyondby Anonymous

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      June 16, 2006: Old school politician Ben Barnes is back in the spotlight ? this time with his new book, ?Barn Burning, Barn Building.? The former Lt. Governor of Texas, confidant of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and John Kerry fundraiser, Ben Barnes has written a compelling book on Texas political history and how politicians can regain a modicum of decorum. ?Barn Burning, Barn Building? provides an insider?s look at JFK?s assassination (Barnes recalls this tragedy with striking clarity), racism in Texas in the 60s, Richard Nixon?s personal war on Texas Democrats, his personal favor that helped a young George W. Bush avoid the Vietnam War and new, intriguing ideas on how politicians can best serve their constituents. Whether you?re a Republican, Democrat, or non-partisan, Ben Barnes? book discusses topics that appeal to all Americans. Democrats need to heed this experienced man?s words and Americans in general should not dismiss his ideas. Ben Barnes burst on the political scene in the early 1960s with great ideas, boundless energy and a commitment to constituents. He?s not a politician anymore but he is still full of ideas, working tirelessly, and continuing his dedication to make America a better place for Americans.

      Barn Burning Barn Building: Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyondby Anonymous

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      April 20, 2006: If all politicians would read Barnes' book and take his advice, we would have a better country. But for his political fate as an elected official being destroyed by Nixon and his cronies, there is no doubt that Barnes would have been President and a very good one. Hopefully, there will be many young people with political ambitions who read this book and learn from history.