An Independent Man

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
In May 2001, James Jeffords, a lifelong Republican and a U.S. senator from the GOP stronghold of Vermont, tipped the balance of power in Congress in the Democrats' favor when he declared himself an independent. Though this maverick act may have been one of the most newsworthy legislative stories of the year, it's far from the only story Jeffords has to tell after some 30 years in public service. The son of the Green Mountain State's chief justice, Jeffords had a childhood so idyllic he could have served as a model for Norman Rockwell (in fact, he was asked to sit for a local artist but passed up the chance due to self-consciousness). After studying at Yale, serving in the Navy, and earning his law degree at Harvard, Jeffords began a career in public service. Beginning as a state senator, he then served as Vermont's attorney general before heading to Washington as a congressman and, ultimately, a senator. Along the way, he distinguished himself for going against the Republican party line on issues as diverse as the environment and arts funding (he's pro) and Reagan's budget and Clinton's impeachment (both of which he voted against). For a figure known for his unconventionality, he relates the narrative of his life with undeniable genuineness. Though there are no bombshells here -- one gets the feeling Jeffords already let off as much steam as a plainspoken man could when he voiced his unhappiness with the extreme conservatism of the Republican party as he bolted from its ranks -- but for anyone interested in national politics, this is an inspiring picture of an admirable figure in the corridors of power. Katherine Hottinger

The New York Times

In the end, the Senator tells far more about decades of personal anguish than about the political pain of being a maverick. — Alison Mitchell

Publishers Weekly

This political autobiography by Vermont senator Jeffords will disappoint readers expecting a no-holds-barred, sensational expos of why he left the Republican Party, an act that gave control of the Senate to the Democrats in one of the biggest political stories of 2001. Instead, consistent with his endangered-species status as a moderate Republican, Jeffords writes with the sensibilities of another vanishing breed, the gentleman politician who eschews political diatribes and partisan name-calling to offer considered and principled explanations. According to Jeffords, and contrary to the pundits who attributed his actions to "mishandling" by the Bush administration, he left the party he had served for 35 years because the gap between his beliefs and party dogma had grown too wide to breach. As he describes his political service, which included time as a Vermont state senator and attorney general, the only real question is why he stayed with the party so long. His differences with Republican orthodoxy began early in his career and included his support for environmental regulations, expanded federal funding for health care and federal involvement in education, and his opposition to Clinton's impeachment. Jeffords is generally reticent about his personal life, but he does provide insights into the stresses and strains in political marriages. As it turned out, Jeffords's flight had little lasting effect since the Republicans retook the Senate in 2002, but his articulation of the difficulties moderate Republicans face working with their party's mainstream may foretell a growing polarization within the political establishment. (Feb. 21) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Always a bit of a maverick (he voted against Ronald Reagan's budget and against Bill Clinton's impeachment), three-term Vermont senator Jeffords rocked the political world in spring 2001 when he left the Republican Party to become an Independent and vote with the Democrats, thereby giving majority control of the Senate to the Democratic Party. Little known before his "short walk across the aisle," Jeffords is today a hero to some and a villain to others. Clear, straightforward, and to the point-like the man himself-this book is part autobiography, part explanation for his painful decision to bolt the party, part a call to public service, and part a plea for increased funding for the issues closest to Jeffords's heart (e.g., education). This work is particularly revealing for its slice-of-life view of the inner workings of the United States Senate and for its exposure of the inner thoughts of a man tormented by the direction of his party and struggling to make a positive difference in the sometimes seamy world of politics. Recommended for public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/02.]-Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.