Congressional Anecdotes

By Paul F. Boller Jr.

Book Overview

You can count on Congress to provide a good laugh. Take, for instance, the Senator who talked about the war in "Indigo China," or the Representative who asked why the Israelis and Arabs couldn't settle their differences "like good Christians." But the U.S. Congress has always been much more than a good source of comedy. It has been home to brilliance as well as buffoonery, to integrity as well as corruption, to statesmanship as well as demagoguery. And in Congressional Anecdotes, Paul F. Boller, Jr., captures it all with a sweeping, informative, and delightful look at the history of our national legislature.
A professional historian and author of the bestselling Presidential Anecdotes, Paul Boller again shows his gift for lively--and revealing--stories. In this collection he provides a fascinating view of the history of our Congress, a history that reflects the life and character of the nation in often surprising ways. The first Congress, for example, was serious about its task of setting precedents for the new republic, earnestly debating how the President should be addressed. But some Congressmen erupted in laughter when Vice President John Adams proposed "His Mighty Benign Highness," and they suggested in turn that Adams be hailed as "Your Rotundity." At one time dueling among members of Congress was common, and in the nineteenth century they often came to the Capitol armed with swords, pistols, and Bowie knives. In one session, as animosities flared between North and South, a general free-for-all broke out on the House floor and ended only when one Congressman pulled off another Congressman's wig, reducing the whole House to laughter. In the twentieth century, Boller reminds us, racial and sexual equality lagged on Capitol Hill just as it did across the country. For a long time black Congressmen were banned from the Congressional Dining Room because of their race, and the first women members waded in male condescension. Boller's book is filled with informative essays and entertaining stories about the sharp debates and fierce battles that took place in the nation's legislature during its first two hundred years. It also provides fascinating insights into its leading figures: John Randolph, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Robert LaFollette, Sam Rayburn, Gerald Ford, Tip O'Neill, Robert Dole.
Organizing the anecdotes by subject, Boller has written ten chapters about Congress, each of them containing essays and stories about such topics as "Congress-Bashing" (a practice almost as old as the Constitution itself), "Manners and Morals," "On the Floor" (Congressional debates), "Oratory," "In the Chair" (about Speakers and Vice Presidents), and "Congress and the President." Amusing, dramatic, and poignant, Boller's tales about Congress reveal the rich and vital past of one of America's greatest institutions, as well as the indispensable part it has played in the nation's development.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019506092X
• ISBN13: 9780195060928
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Congressional wit, jocularity and occasional buffoonery on display

With hundreds of Congressmen over more than 200 years, Boller had plenty to choose from, and it's hard to go wrong with good material. That said, especially in the earlier days of the Republic, Congress tended to attract men of more real humorous wit (as opposed to Huey Long type buffoonery or the Neanderthal behavior of some other 20th-century Southerners) so, early stalwarts like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster deservedly get a new lease on life through these pages.

This book is delightful!

This book is a must for anyone interested in politics be they Republican or Democrat. The anecdotes are humorous, thought provoking, and interesting. Simply delightful!

The REAL World of Congress, Warts and All!

This book is an easy and entertaining read about our first branch of government. It deals with Congress from a variety of angles, providing brief context for each section before each group of ancedotes. It provides insight to political junkies and the average reader alike about the greats and not-so-great who have served in the National Legislature. It reminds us that Senators and Representatives are imperfect human beings, just like the constituents they represent. Unlike the sometimes surreal press coverage of Congress, Paul Boller's effort gives those who have served, are serving, and by inference will serve, on Capitol Hill the respect they deserve while desmistifying its reputation among the naive among us all.