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See the primitive primates on the Potomac, in 'Homo Politicus'
The D.C. species of the political animal is humorously dissected.
By Claude R. Marx, Special to the Times
Published January 13, 2008
Just as you wouldn't enter the jungle without a field guide to the animals, you need a tip sheet to understand the federal government. Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank effectively fills this vacuum with a wry analysis that approaches the subject as an anthropologist would an exotic culture. Homo Politicus: The Strange and Scary Tribes That Run Our Government uses social science metaphors to describe the rituals and personalities that dominate contemporary politics. It reads like a long version of Milbank's "Washington Sketch" columns, focusing on hubris, hypocrisy and sleaze, which, contrary to popular belief, is not a Washington law firm. Milbank is a fun read, and a clever satirist, though not quite in the league of masters like Russell Baker and Christopher Buckley. Operating under the assumption that truth is stranger than fiction and the real scandal lies in what is legal, Milbank is an equal opportunity critic. Fortunately for him, both parties have done more than their share to provide plenty of material. Take the case of a certain former Florida secretary of state: "Potomac Man admirably tolerates those of deviant character even at substantial personal risk. For example, Potomac Republicans openly welcomed Katherine Harris as a congresswoman from Florida even though there were numerous signs of trouble in her mental state," he writes. Democratic insiders worried how to solve a problem like Howard Dean, of nationally televised scream fame. "In other cultures, Dean would have been marginalized, perhaps institutionalized. But in Potomac Land," to keep him from running for president again, party leaders pushed him upstairs to party chairmanship. Though Milbank's anthropology metaphor can get a bit tired, his book is an enjoyable look at current politics. Claude R. Marx is an award-winning journalist. Homo Politicus: The Strange and Scary Tribes That Run Our Government By Dana Milbank Doubleday, 276 pages, $26
[Last modified January 9, 2008, 18:29:10]
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