Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor

(Paperback)

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When Matt Latimer arrives from the Midwest in Washington, DC, he dreams of joining other true believers in championing smaller government and greater self-sufficiency, lowering taxes and strengthening defense. Then he learns how Washington really operates, as a series of increasingly lofty jobs with powerful figures on Capitol Hill quickly reveals that all his idols have feet of clay, and that the institutions they represent are hopelessly broken. Finally, Matt lands at the White House, hoping that, here at last, he will be surrounded by the country's best and brightest. But he soon discovers that life in the nation's most storied office building is more like The Office than The West Wing, and almost everything the public has been told about the major players--Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove--is wrong. New York TimesBestseller .From aformer White House speechwriter comes adeliciously candid memoir about official Washington-a laugh-out-loud cri de coeur that shows what can happen to idealism in a town driven by self-interest. " An entertaining book about what goes on-or doesn't-in Washington."-American Spectator Despite being raised by reliably liberal parents, Matt Latimer islured by the upbeat themes of the Reagan Revolution and, in the tradition of Mary Tyler Moore, sets off from the Midwest for the big city. Determined to "make it after all," Matt daydreams of eradicating do-nothing boondoggleism and leadingAmerica to new heights of greatness. But first he has to find a job. Like an inside-the-Beltway Dante, Matt descendsinto Washington, D.C., hell,andsnares a series of increasingly lofty-but unsatisfying-jobs with powerful figures on Capitol Hill.When Fate offers Matt a job as chief speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Matt finds he actuallyadmiresthe man (causing his liberal friends to shake their heads in dismay), his youthful passion is renewed. But Rummy soon becomes a pinata for the press, and the Department of Defense is revealed as alarmingly dysfunctional. Eventually, Matt lands at the White House, his heart aflutter with the hope that, here at last, he can fulfill his dream of penning words that will become part of history-andmaybe pick up some cool souvenirs. But reality intrudes once again. More likeThe OfficethanThe West Wing,the nation's most storied office building is run by staffers who arein way over their heads, and almost everything the public has been told about the major players-Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove-is wrong. Both a rare behind-the-scenes account that boldly names the fools and scoundrels, and a poignant lament for the principled conservatism that disappeared during the Bush presidency,Speech-lesswill forever change the public's view of our nation's capital and the people who joust daily for its power. Praise forSpeech-less "Deft, surprising, darned entertaining." -Christopher Buckley "It's a good read... quite frankly, the stories are funny!" -Pat Buchanan

Reviews

"Probably the most important political book of the year [Matt is] one heck of a great conservative. It seems to me [it is] getting a very good reaction from conservatives around the country The last time I read a book that was this funny was Christopher Buckley's White House Mess."Jed Babbin, Editor, Human Events

"Lots of people write accounts of their time at the White House. Virtually no one has done it as well... This book is excellent: funny, sensible, informative, interesting as hell, and beautifully written. If only there had been more Matt Latimers in the Bush administration."Tucker Carlson, Fox News anchor

"Matt Latimer's hilarious account reads like political satire, except it's all trueLatimer's description of government bureaucracy should be framed and placed in every government office completely accurate and completely hilarious."Ann Coulter, Bestselling Author and Fox News analyst

"It's fair to say that President Bush left office having disappointed many conservatives, despite his success at keeping the American homeland free from terrorist attack for seven years after 9/11 Mr. Bush said, 'but I redefined the Republican Party.' That may have been true, but how well did that work out for the Republican Party" John Fund, Editorial Page, The Wall Street Journal

"[G]ives Republicans in particular a lot to think about if they ever hope to reclaim powerEven more than the messagesthis bookconveys, at its heart this is a compelling story aboutidolswho sometimes disappoint you..."Stephen F. Hayes, Senior Writer Weekly Standard, Fox News contributor

"A lot of really positive things about President Bush in this book I like knowing more about what's happening in these halls of power. And as a conservative, I'm fascinated by this because this can't happen again to the Republican Party. This party can't go down this road of big spending... That's not conservatism. Matt Latimer, Speech-less... Be your own judge. Pick it up and check it out and don't believe everything necessarily that you're hearing." Laura Ingraham, Host, The Laura Ingraham Show

"A lot of conservatives that have read [Matt's] book have called me up and just said, 'Ok, so this was the problem with [Bush] all along.'" Joe Scarborough, Host, MSNBC's Morning Joe

Author Bio

Matt Latimeris aNew York Timesbestselling author with more than a decade of experience at senior levels in Washington, D.C. Latimer served as deputy director of speechwriting to President George W. Bush and chief speechwriter to former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He was a senior communications staffer for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Jon Kyl. Latimer is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. He is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University and partner at Javelin, a literary agency in D.C.