From Senator Al Franken - #1 bestselling author and beloved SNL alum -- comes the story of an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that. "Flips the classic born-in-a-shack rise to political office tale on its head. I skipped meals to read this book - also unusual - because every page was funny. It made me deliriously happy." -- Louise Erdrich, The New York Times This is a book about an unlikely campaign that had an even more improbable ending: the closest outcome in history and an unprecedented eight-month recount saga, which is pretty funny in retrospect. It's a book about what happens when the nation's foremost progressive satirist gets a chance to serve in the United States Senate and, defying the low expectations of the pundit class, actually turns out to be good at it. It's a book about our deeply polarized, frequently depressing, occasionally inspiring political culture, written from inside the belly of the beast. In this candid personal memoir, the honorable gentleman from Minnesota takes his army of loyal fans along with him from Saturday Night Live to the campaign trail, inside the halls of Congress, and behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic and/or hilarious moments of his new career in politics. Has Al Franken become a true Giant of the Senate? Franken asks readers to decide for themselves.

Since 1792, a total of sixty-six men have represented the Commonwealth in Kentucky's two Senate seats. Through the years, proud Kentuckians have been leaders in that body, including many big names such as Henry Clay, John J. Crittenden, Alben Barkley, and Mitch McConnell, to name a few. In his book, Profiles of Kentucky's United States Senators, author Paul L. Whalen presents biographical essays, with portrait photographs, from everyone who has represented Kentucky in the US Senate since its inception. The book also includes interesting "First and Onlys" for Kentucky US Senators, Senate Salaries since 1789, and US Senators from other states who were born in Kentucky. This is the perfect library addition to anyone interested in Kentucky's rich political history, which provides an insightful look at the men who shaped our nation's history through the years.

In the second edition of The U.S. Congress, Donald A. Ritchie, a congressional historian for more than thirty years, takes readers on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of Capitol Hill, pointing out the key players, explaining their behavior, and translating parliamentary language into plain English. No mere civics lesson, this eye-opening book provides an insider's perspective on Congress, matched with a professional historian's analytical insight. After a swift survey of the creation of Congress by the constitutional convention, he begins to unscrew the nuts and pull out the bolts. What is it like to campaign for Congress? To attract large donors? To enter either house with no seniority? He answers these questions and more, explaining committee assignments and committee work, the role of staffers and lobbyists, floor proceedings, parliamentary rules, and coalition building. Ritchie explores the great effort put into constituent service-as representatives and senators respond to requests from groups and individuals-as well as media relations and news coverage. He also explores how the grand concepts we all know from civics class--checks and balances, advise and consent, congressional oversight--work in practice in an age of strong presidents and a muscular Senate minority.

A systematic examination of how the Senate actually operates covering topics which include the design and operation of Australia's system of government, an analysis of the confrontation betwen the Senate and the house of Representatives in 1975, proposals for reform, the republican debate, minority parties and the balance of power.