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Political humorist Christopher Buckley has done it again. Probably most famous for writing the novel "Thank You For Smoking," which became a relatively popular feature film in 2006, Buckley goes right back to doing what he does best: exposing the "true" Washington and all back ended deals that no one really wants to know about, but he does it in such an imaginative and humorous way that it makes me wish Washington was this fun.
Cassandra Cass has gone through some tough times in life. Her dad sold her college savings, forcing her to join the army instead of going to Yale. She blew up in a minefield with a Senator unlawfully driving, causing rumors that they were having sex to run amock. And then she convinces the "Whatever Generation" to attack nursing homes and golf courses as a reaction to the dwindling (if any) social security that they will get because of the Baby Boomer generation. This turns her into a celebrity and lets her progress with her "Voluntary Transistioning" plan.
With the help of Nick Naylor protege, Terry Tucker, her boss at successful Washington PR firm, Tucker Strategic Communications, and Senator Randy Jepperson (from the minefield incident), they get the ball rolling on the "Voluntary Transistioning" plan, causing a stir with the U30 crowd that eventually leads to Jepperson running for president. There's also an asshole of a president who has done everything possible wrong, putting the United States in tough shape financially; a religious Pro Life nut Gideon Payne who greatly opposes Cass' plan and goes through hell with her because of it (he also wants a memorial built for the millions of aborted fetuses and has to face rumors about him killing his mother by driving her off a cliff); Cass' estranged father who made it rich and denounces her on the president's orders; and Payne's friend, Massimo Cardinal Montefeltro, who gets in trouble when Payne gets drunk and orders a Russian hooker.
Like the majority of novels written by Buckley, this is a must read for anyone interested in public relations or politics. Its a rough, down and dirty job, but Buckley takes the reader into the heart of the occupation. This is a hysterical look at a possible crystal ball, as I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of the political problems written about in this book happen in real life. Hopefully, the downfall will be this entertaining.