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No Retreat, No Surrender |
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| Book: Hardcover | 5.98 x 9.01in | 208 pages | ISBN 9781595230348 | 15 Mar 2007 | Sentinel | 18 - AND UP |
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The candid memoir of one of the most effective, controversial figures in modern politics
The candid memoir of one of the most effective, controversial figures in modern politics
Very few people are on the fence about Tom DeLay, who was nicknamed “the Hammer” for his hard-charging, take-no-prisoners style of leadership. Liberals despise him, but for conservatives he’s a hero—one of the architects of the 1994 Republican revolution. For twelve years afterward, he was the driving force of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
In this eagerly awaited memoir, DeLay will share fascinating stories from his entire career, starting with his early, raucous days in Texas; his personal conversion to Christ and how that changed his personal and political life; his work with other rebels to sow the seeds of the shocking 1994 takeover; and his ascension to the top leadership in the House. He offers a behind-the-scenes view of the most talked-about stories of the past decade, involving George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and many others.
DeLay will also discuss his victories against the odds with the slimmest of margins; his passionate dedication to abused and neglected children; and his battle to fend off a ten-year barrage of malicious and frivolous allegations of wrongdoing, which ultimately led to his decision to resign from Congress.
Perhaps most importantly, DeLay will unveil a blueprint agenda for the country’s next group of elected leaders, and show conservatives how to make it a reality.
In this fascinating memoir, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay opens up about his controversial career, from his raucous days as a legislator in Texas to his final days in Congress. He reveals what really happened behind closed doors during the most dramatic moments of the Republican Revolution. And he shows how the Democrats plotted to destroy him personally because they couldn't beat him on ideas. Here’s an excerpt:
In 1959 I was twelve and more focused on settling into a new school than on my father’s career. My claim to fame in those days was my involvement in a junior high gang called—get ready for this one—“The Broken Pistons.” We tried to be Fonzi-style cool, but the fact is that all the members of this gang were dorks just like me. For all my posing I made straight A’s, had a mouth full of braces and played the coronet and the flugelhorn in the school band. There was absolutely nothing cool about me.
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I can still remember my conservative epiphany as though it happened yesterday. It was July 13, 1964, and I was sitting in our living room in Calallen, Texas, watching the flickering, black and white images of the Republican National Convention broadcast from the Cow Palace in San Francisco. My interest in politics was nothing new, thanks to the influence of caring teachers, but I was unprepared for what was about to happen to me. After the usual speeches and convention business, a man named Senator Barry Goldwater strode to the rostrum. It is hard for me to describe what happened as he spoke.
In a matter of less than an hour, my world changed forever. This man seemed to know my mind, to speak my language. He was no Nixon or Rockefeller. He was certainly no Kennedy or Johnson. He was a man with guts, speaking truth in plain language designed not to impress people but to lead them. He clearly wanted to break from the pack of “more of the same” Republicans. He offered an alternate world. America is good, communism is bad. Freedom is good, big government is bad. Strength is good, weakness is bad. Clarity is good, ambiguity is bad. The phrases resonated in my soul: “swampland of collectivism”; “bully of communism”; “extremism in defense of liberty.”
Sitting on our couch, fixated on that flickering black and white image, I knew I belonged to something. This man’s square jaw and angular, black glasses only added to an image of command and nonconformity that called to me. And there, in that convention, were people who thought as he did—as I did. I understood. I’m a conservative. This man had sounded a clear trumpet and everything in me rose to the call. It still does.
Over the years people have often asked me why I had to become a Republican. After all, in the 1960s Texas was full of conservative Democrats who were as anticommunist and as in favor of free enterprise as Goldwater. Why couldn’t I just feel at home with them? The reason is that conservative Democrats want to do conservative things through big government. I want to shrink the size of government. I think that government is part of the problem. This was Goldwater’s position and why he so captivated me. He said he wasn’t interested in streamlining government or making it more efficient. He wanted to reduce its size. This was my brand of conservatism and it defines me to this day. In fact, it is what distinguishes me from George W. Bush and his “compassionate conservatism.” He wants to achieve conservative goals with liberal doses of government. I want to reduce the size of government and free the people to achieve their own goals. This was the dream I began to carry in my heart when I heard Goldwater speak in 1964.
This conservative epiphany occurred in the summer before my senior year of high school. It has shaped me ever since.
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