The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party

by Michael Tackett

A Simon & Schuster book. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

Genres: Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, American History

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, I am quite familiar with the name of Mitch McConnell.

And to this day it baffles me how a taciturn, curmudgeon man could be so successful in politics. Since McConnell's first, successful campaign in 1977 for Jefferson County Judge Executive, he continued to rise in stature, but not in popularity in Kentucky.

Mr. Tackett's biography of McConnell details perfectly how such a taciturn man could rise so prominently in Kentucky and national politics. Mr. Tackett, quite accurately, attributes McConnell's shrewd political acumen in switching Kentucky, a once blue state-which is actually a Commonwealth- into a reliably red state. The last Democrat presidential candidate to carry Kentucky was Bill Clinton in 1988 and 1992.

Mitch McConnell is also a vindictive man who neither forgives or forgets any slight. McConnell demands absolute loyalty to him and his causes. While true enough that Mitch McConnell has made Kentucky red, he has not managed to elect Republican governors in Kentucky. Only two Republicans have been elected governor in McConnell's forty years in the senate. In short, McConnell enjoys heading the Kentucky Republican Party. He has no intention of sharing that power, either.

Whereas the Kentucky Legislature is supermajority Republican, and the State Office holders are Republican, the governor is a Democrat; who easily won reelection in 2023. Andy Beshear bested his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Cameron, in his early career, worked for Mitch McConnel as legal counselor. But Cameron was endorsed by Donald Trump; and Mitch McConnell truly loathes Donald Trump.

Mitch McConnell's term in the senate expires in January, 2027. He has already announced his retirement at that time.

[M V]

On his death bed the Turtle finally comes clean. Wasn't brave enough to stand up to Don when needed.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty comprehensive biography of Senator McConnell. And for the most part Tackett does not trip over his biases. But those biases come up especially in McConnell's dogged efforts to frustrate democrat aspirations where he has been very successful. I believe that McConnell's successful effort to prevent Merrick Garland from being on the Supreme Court was important and ultimately the right thing to do (based on Garland's performance in the Atlanta bombing case and his roles as AG). And I believe McConnell's skill on changing the composition of the Supreme Court reestablished SCOTUS on the right course. In an NPR interview after the book was published the author was asked whether he thinks he puts party over principle - to which Tackett responded "He (McConnell) does not,(to which he added the gratuitous "and that doesn't mean his view is right, but he doesn't.") The Senator's focus has served him quite well over his entire career.

On the whole this book is a good summary of a remarkable career and the drive which McConnell put into all of the jobs he has undertaken. At the end of the book Tackett looks at what the Senator called his "final chapter" to a distinguished career. He emphasizes two issues most clearly. McConnell is clearly annoyed by the President Elect's volubility. In many instances as the Senate leader he was called to save Trump's priorities. He built the Senate Leadership fund to find and fund conservatives in senate races which is contrasted with Trump's process of endorsements where he offers no additional money. He was clearly annoyed at the post election antics in 2020 by Trump where McConnell thinks (and I think he is right) Trump cost the GOP the Senate majority. He believes that some of Trump's actions around January 6 were at a minimum inappropriate (and I agree with that) and possibly impeachable. The book also gives a good discussion of McConnell's support for Ukraine.

Tackett did numerous interviews with the Senator and with almost every other political source that would be relevant for such a biography- so while I think the thing is not entirely objective (neither am I - I am a big fan of McConnell - where I think he has been more right than wrong) if you want to find out what a seasoned and successful politician does - this is a good place to start.

[Sara Temba · Rating 4 out of 5]

So when I had the crazy idea to check out this book after watching an interview with the author, I came to Goodreads and was surprised that the book had zero reviews or ratings at the time. Most books I read already have a ton of ratings on here so I figured hey, why not write the long form review for this book. It gave me something to do and think about instead of anxiously looking at polls before the election. I planned on reviewing it before the election but in a way I'm glad I waited. While the election did not go the way I wanted at all, after this book I have a sneaking suspicion that it may not have gone the way Mitch McConnell wanted either. 

Below are things I found interesting in the book. 

McConnell had polio as a toddler, something I knew but the author does go into a lot of detail.  I was  impressed by his mother and father who were really devoted to him and he to them. The author was given full access to McConnell's library so lots of letters were Incorporated into the book. Even letters from McConnell's now ex-wife and the mother of his kids, who seemed very sweet. One interesting thing to note, while his ex-wife is mentioned a lot his kids rarely are. Sometimes it was just in passing that he needed to find money for their college tuition. I wonder if that was their choosing as they don't appear to be close to him. It's kind of sad to see someone who was so close to his parents be so distant from his kids.  


An interesting tidbit was that Trump gave him a donation years earlier in his political career and he returned it. He already didn't like the guy and threw some shade saying that he needed to keep it for his bankrupt casinos. 

There was a large section about his early and middle career which to credit the author was interesting enough to listen to. 

After splitting up with his first wife and the mother of his kids, a friend of McConnell mentioned to the author that McConnell said at the time that finding a rich wife would help a lot of his money issues with running for office. He knew another politician who did that and it served him well. Of course we know that McConnell did end up marrying a really rich wife, Elaine Chow. And interestingly, she was the one who proposed to him. 

Many people who knew him in local Kentucky politics said he swore he was pro choice and pro labor early in his career because that was what would get him elected in Kentucky. No one ever saw proof or believe him.  Kentucky was quite blue until McConnell eventually turned it red. 

There was a lot about Democrats starting the filibuster war for judicial nominees which he warned them in 2003 that it was a bad precedence and would likely be used against them when they lost power. So when Obama came in the Republicans of course did the same thing until the democrats, infuriated, eliminated the filibuster all together for judicial nominees in 2013. McConnell again warned them he would turn it against them. And he did. As soon as Trump came in with a republican senate he used it as his greatest weapon. He only needed a simple majority to seat Trump's cabinet which allowed some of Trump's crazier picks. He also got through 228 federal judges and 3 supreme court justices during Trump's term.  He does not credit Trump at all for those and is probably right. He also considers it his greatest political triumph as a Republican and I guess he's right about that too. 🥴


The chapter about McConnell pushing through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett was beyond infuriating. It reminded me of  how it made my blood boil at the time. He was determined to get it through even with members getting covid, something he feared catching. He looked into space suits or plexiglass tunnels to get sick members to vote. They didn't need to resort to that but McConnell was ready to do it. And of course he still says it was OK because the republicans held the senate and presidency unlike with Garland. Still, after reading this book I am very certain he would have just given Democrats the finger and pushed it though because he could. It made a good excuse. 

The chapter on January 6th was really striking - there were lots of personal stories from the people who were there. McConnell even wept when reunited with his staff, reputably one of the most loyal in the senate. I was struck throughout the book how emotional McConnell got, not something I expected. He seemed to weep at many points in the book.

Finally, the part I found the most interesting was McConnell choosing not to indict Trump. Liz Cheney was interviewed by the author along with Romney and they found his decision as infuriating as I did. McConnell believed it was far better to make a tacticle decision to not do it so that Republicans would avoid the ire of the MAGA right. In the interviews right after the decision McConnell sounds so confident that Trump was finished. McConnell gave him a scolding but held it at that. He was confident Trump would be subject to criminal prosecution and that the MAGA years were ending.

It is very clear in the book how much McConnell despises Trump, how he despised him from the beginning. He blames trump for the Georgia seats and losing the majority. He blames him for backing terrible Trumpy senate candidates.  He was so furious with Trump by the end, after January 6th. They wouldn't speak at the end and Trump spent many tweets insulting him and insulting his wife. He continued to insult him at rallies until the 2024 election.

 Reading this book right before the election and then watching the the voters sweep Trump back into power was really something. People blame Biden and yes, he does deserve a lot of blame for not dropping out sooner. But McConnell has to think about his decision not to try to indict that allowed Trump to come back into office. Was it worth it to see Republicans sweep into power, even though it was under Trump - a man who will rub his face in his triumph over him? Who knows. Honestly, it probably was. Power over party over country seems to be the theme of the book. 

 In the final pages of the book the author asks him his plans for his final two years in the Senate, after his leadership role is up in January.

... he plans to use it to argue that the United States should not turn inward, but rather should play an activist role in the international order, maintain strong alliances, with a muscular national defense. “I’m going to make John McCain sound like a dove,” McConnell said. He said he would spend his remaining time in the Senate pushing for strong alliances and robust defense spending. “I’m not ready to have the last thing.” 
McConnell was reaching for a storybook ending, just as he did when telling the story of receiving his first pair of shoes after recovering from polio. At the Republican National Convention in late July of 2024, he got a preview of how difficult that would be to achieve. When he stood to announce the Kentucky delegation’s support for Trump—who had selected JD Vance, a persistent McConnell critic who opposed continued aid to Ukraine, as his running mate—he was roundly booed.

So there you go, folks. Obviously Trump is not going to support any of those things he wants. McConnell will likely be followed by a Trump Acolyte in the Majority Leader role. He will remain wildly unpopular with the new right and continue to be despised by the left. Kentuckians hate him. Even though Liz Cheney no longer has power, at least she is admired on the left by her principles. 

Anyway, a solid 4 stars. Good audiobook narrator too. I mean, I really dislike the guy but feel like the book was fair in criticism  and compliments. And I guess kudos to him for allowing the author free reign to his library, staff and whoever else he wanted to talk to.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written after a myriad of interviews, including the McConnell himself. Still don't like McConnell, but glad I read it.

[Emily Jurlina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned that Mitch isn't actually a turtle. Revelatory!

[Thijmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a lacklustre attempt at rehabilitating Mitch McConnell's image.
There are many points to take fault with: most crucially, Tackett seems to take it for granted that it was Democrats who started to dismantle the Senate, portraying McConnell as a grand institutionalist merely responding in kind. This is not at all in accordance with the facts, and ignores the fact that McConnell created a precedent by refusing Garland a vote in 2016 and then breaking it himself with Barrett scarcely four years later in 2020 is a lot less like 'playing the game' and a lot more like bringing a nuke to a knife fight.
Beyond its revisionist framing, the book is also surprisingly shallow. It never takes us behind the scenes of any serious legislative battle - the effort to repeal the ACA in 2017 only gets a passing mention. Nor does it offer any real insight into how McConnell himself acted behind the scenes, sticking instead to the same few talking points McConnell has carefully curated over the last few decades.
In all, this book is a wasted opportunity.  Tackett had access to some of the most influential people in the Senator's life but wasted the opportunity to write a dull puff piece instead. Whether out of deference or design, the result is a book that tells us little about McConnell that we didn’t already know.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t like to write negative reviews but this book is a waste of time and money. Mitch McConnell will go down in history as the guy who enabled Donald Trump. Instead of taking him down he sat by and waited for others to do so. Michael Tackett could have given us a clear picture of who McConnell is and why and chose not to. History will not be as kind to Mitch as Tackett was.

[Brant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if this was the author’s intent, but I came away from this book thinking McConnell is best described as a “tragic hero,” in the high school English class sense of the word. From humble origins, McConnell overcame the physical limitations of childhood polio and two years of being bedridden to become one of the most powerful, influential Senate leaders. I respect McConnell’s drive, for setting and achieving lofty goals, and for his manic obsession with power to help his team win. But it is that obsession that proved to set the stage for his downfall, as he was able to convince the Senate to make unprecedented political plays again and again: from preventing Obama to seat Garland, for siding with Kavanaugh against sexual assault claims, for refusing to impeach Trump after the Jan 6 riots at the capital. Now a pariah in his own party, booed at the Republican National Convention in 2024, McConnell is respected but despised by Democrats and out of favor with MAGA and Trump. This is the “Price of Power,” I guess.

Good book, overall.

[Kenny Schwarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkably fair book on Mitch McConnell describing his rise to power despite adversity (polio, divorce, covering Kentucky from a blue to red state), and his fall from favor from the GOP as it moved from an establishment ruled party to the Maga faction. The detailed story arc was reminiscent on Robert Caro’s voluminous profiles of LBJ (but much more compact).

Given that McConnell is vilified in so many places, I expected the book to take him to task. Instead I thought the author did a tremendous job highlighting McConnell’s background and how he operated in the Senate. The author of course describes some of McConnell’s more controversial positions such as his actions with regard to not immediately filling Scalia’s Supreme Court seat, while seemingly reversing that stance to rush to fill RBG’s seat. As a person who loves politics and political drama, I found it fascinating.

Whether you like McConnell or loath him, this is a great book!

[Bill Manzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine biography of the longtime Republican Senate leader who has just stepped down from his leadership position, which he has held since 2007. McConnell is the longest serving party leader in Senate history and certainly one of the most consequential Senate leaders to ever occupy the position. As a Democrat I certainly found many of McConnell’s actions objectionable but that is not important for the purposes of the review. McConnell, in several key areas, has had an outsized impact on the results, whether it be campaign finance, the Supreme Court, and politically strengthening the GOP in the Senate.

One of the best aspects of the book is the truth that came from McConnell himself. When called out for some positions he took earlier in his career (he actually supported campaign finance reform at one point) McConnell simply admits to political expediency as a justification. He is also quite open about some of the early career fights that happened in Kentucky in a way that you might not expect from someone as tight lipped as he is. He was even willing to admit gaining political revenge on a fellow student who had worked against him in a run for a student leadership position. When that fellow popped up on his radar screen many years later McConnell exacted revenge. He has a long memory.

Prior to reading the book I was unaware that McConnell had contracted polio as a child. The story of how his mother fought for his health in difficult circumstances, with his father being in wartime service, brought home how mothers can influence, and in some cases save their children with love and care.

McConnell’s actions in so many areas have stoked controversy, and deep animus from Democrats. One of these areas is obviously the Supreme Court. This story does not start with Merrick Garland, but rather with Robert Bork. Bork, nominated by President Reagan to the Supreme Court, was rejected by the Senate in a highly contentious process. McConnell, as he would later on the issue of filibusters, issued a warning that the Democrats were changing the rules of the game in a way that could bring regrets, or gridlock, later. He debated then Senator Biden on the issue.

“McConnell had his law journal article on Supreme Court nominations entered into the record and stood by its central thesis, that the Senate should judge nominees by their qualifications more than their philosophies, which he argued was the province of the president. ‘It was pretty clear to this Senator back in those days, and it is still clear to him today, that if we decide that the Senate and the President are on coequal footing on these nominations -in other words, any inquiry that is relevant to the Senate-we have a formula for gridlock in the future. What disturbs me is that if a majority of the Senators in this body today decided for whatever reasons that the test is no longer competence or qualifications or a variety of other questions of fitness, but that we instead should look at all of the criteria that a President, any President, might take into account, we have a formula for gridlock. If the Senate happens to be conservative at a given moment and the President is a liberal, he might never be able to get a nominee approved.’”

“The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party” pg. 132

Without getting into the argument on Bork McConnell’s prediction ended up becoming reality.

On the filibuster McConnell objected to the Democrats filibustering many George W. Bush nominees to the federal appellate courts. Filibustering judges had not been the norm, and McConnell issued a warning:

“The sad thing for the Senate as an institution is that the old view that you would never kill a judge on a filibuster is over, and one day there will be a Democratic president and those chickens will come home to roost, McConnell said in December 2023. Democrats, he said, were being ‘very short sighted because they’re just living in the present and not thinking of the impact of this on them when they get somebody they like in the White House. Now there will be no barriers against defeating liberal judges in the future…I think it’s unfortunate but I think it is with us forever.”

“The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party” pg. 185

Another McConnell prediction that was prescient. And to boot there was the course of action chosen by Democratic Leader Harry Reid, who, tiring of GOP filibusters against Barack Obama nominees, enacted the so called “nuclear option,” eliminating the filibuster by a rule change on nominees for the lower courts. McConnell issued the requisite warnings of payback there as well, and when the time came that rule change came back to bite the Democrats hard. They were unable to filibuster Republican nominees in the future (see Trump, Donald) but McConnell, using Reid’s actions as precedent, moved to abolish the filibuster with a GOP majority, for Supreme Court nominees as well, paving the way for straight party line votes for Supreme Court justices. McConnell, to his credit, did indeed play a long game. Democrats, to his point, played a very short game.

McConnell was a major player in the ultimate destruction of the campaign finance reforms pushed by John McCain and others, including Massachusetts Congressman Marty Meehan. He was a block of granite, fighting against campaign finance reform, and ultimately prevailing. The current system, essentially a free for all allowing money to flow largely unregulated, can be laid at his feet. And he is not at all regretful.

The book gives a quick reflection, by McConnell, on the Senate career of Lyndon Johnson. McConnell read “The Master of the Senate” by Robert Caro, and while acknowledging the LBJ skill also pointed to “luck” as a factor in the Johnson success. If he did read it he likely did not do so with great attention, as luck had very little to do with the Johnson ascension to Leader in the Senate.

McConnell’s blocking of Merrick Garlands nomination to the Supreme Court in Barack Obama’s last year cannot be attributed to past actions by the Democrats. It was simply a naked power play designed to stop Obama from making an appointment. Much like his earlier admonitions to the Democrats on the filibuster this action will likely, at some point, rebound to the dismay of the GOP. So be it.

The Mitch McConnell we see is someone geared towards winning elections for the GOP, and willing to use the levers of power to achieve his objectives. He has to be considered one of the greatest legislative tacticians in the history of the Senate, even if you are on the other side of the political fence. Joe Biden has shown that McConnell can be a productive legislative partner where there is perceived benefit for his side. He has been considered, by Democrats, to be the personification of everything bad about the GOP. But as McConnell brings his career to a close he is increasingly seen that way by the MAGA movement that has taken over the Republican Party. Donald Trump has referred to him as that “old crow” and he has been openly attacked, both in the Senate and outside the Senate, for opinions that no longer match up with MAGA beliefs. McConnell has been old school on NATO, and especially on U.S. aid to Ukraine. These views, his desire for legislative order, and his open dismissal of MAGA affiliated candidates for Senate, have not endeared him to the MAGA faithful. Tackett’s title says it all. He lost his Party, even while producing for them, great victories.

This is an outstanding book, and I highly recommend it. Even for Democrats.

[Andrew Dittmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 8th & 9th, 2024
(written just before midnight and finished after)

This isn't a formal review, but a collection of thoughts a few days after finishing.

I had a hard time reading this book. That fact has almost everything to do with the topic, not the presentation.

I had a few narrative issues, particularly in what the author chose to emphasize. The early days of McConnell's life are given a great deal of airing. Some of that is valid: that McConnell had polio is well-known, but the author posits that that diagnosis became a driving force in McConnell's entire life. Other parts, the parts particularly pertaining to his parents' marriage and lives before McConnell, might feel more valid if they had some kind of payout. Some of this early material seems to have been included at the expense of greater explication of McConnell's later career.

I don't know if this was just my experience, but big portions of McConnell's Senate career seem to go by very quickly, with only some chosen episodes given a fuller airing.

There are aspects that humanize McConnell throughout. His close relationship with his parents was jarring to read, fairly or not. Scenes where McConnell gets genuinely emotional are nonexistent in his public persona, but apparently happen with greater regularity behind closed doors, particularly with his staff.

I do wish there had been more about McConnell's personal life. I don't know how comfortable they would have been with sharing, and I have to admit that I didn't read all of the notes, but I got the impression that neither of McConnell's wives nor any of his children were a part of this book in a meaningful way. Even with stories that humanize him - see previous comments about parents and staff - this book still leaves a rather hollow impression of McConnell as a man.

I started this book the day before the 2024 election. My anticipation was that this would be a historical look at a present-but-diminished leader. I finished this book the day after the 2024 election, when it became clear that while McConnell's leadership may be ending, we are going to be stuck with his legacy for a long time. It was an illuminating and horrifying shift in my perception.

That McConnell is one of the most successful politicians in American history is likely indisputable. But I view him as a malignant force in American life, with a legacy of deeply damaging the country he purports to love. This book didn't just confirm, but furthered my belief in both of those facts.

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting study of one of the most chimerical and impactful characters in modern American politics. What exactly makes Mitch McConnell tick? It seems to be, quite simply, the pursuit of power. He's obviously a conservative, more in the late 20th century Reagan mold than the modern MAGA, but what really seems to motivate him is the consolidation of power and the advancement of the Republican Party, almost as an end in itself. He is not an institutionalist for the Senate, but rather a radical partisan, which contrasts with Trump, who does not care at all about institution building. For example, MM's most passionate policy issue is campaign finance, where he has long supported huge leeway for donors and PACs to fill party coffers and fuel campaigns. Ironically, the post Citizens United court shifted power from parties to Super Pacs, ultimately weakening party leaders like MM.

MM is an interesting figure in the history of conservative ideas in that he is not a racial reactionary; he actually supported the Civil Rights movements and even withdrew his vote from Goldwater bc of his opposition to the CRM. He's definitely a Republican-style internationalist who has been instrumental in ensuring the flow of aid to partners like Ukraine. And he's much more of a small-govt, pro-business, pro trade conservative than the Trumpites.

The apparent contradiction of MM is that he is simultaneously uncomfortable with the MAGA takeover of the GOP but also one of its greatest enablers. On one hand, he vaguely opposed Trump's takeover of the party in the 2010s, clearly hates his guts, and has supported non-MAGA Republican candidates at the primary level. However, he has always sided with Trump when it really matters, particularly in his norm-crushing decisions to not vote on an Obama SC nominee in 2016 (which helped Trump win) and then voting on a nominee after RBG died in 2020. He also refused to impeach Trump after J6 and obstructed efforts for a J6 committee that would get the full story of this event. He's a ruthless wielder of the filibuster and someone who really does not respect the norms of political competition. he has helped solidify the Trumpist turn in American politics more than any other individual, but at great cost to our system of government.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

A meh book about a meh politician. Its astounding that such a charisma free man, and doesn't like to talk much, became the Republican Senate leader for an astounding 16 years. Of course, he was in the minority for 10 of those 16 years, and what he did really didn't matter that much.

The most interesting part about the book is how McConnell used his Super-pac to more or less control his fellow senators. If you didn't play ball with Mitch, you didn't get $$ come election time.

The 2nd big plus, is that McConnell in his oral interviews confirms what all us knew - Mitch was GOPe DC uniparty all the way. He wanted the Tea Party distroyed, he was OK with Hillary or Biden getting elected, he hated Trump and called him a dispictable human being, and he was glad Roy Moore lost election . Mitch opposed firing Comey, and supported the Mueller investigation, and was angered by J6 and doubts about the 2020 election. His opinion about Trump in December 2020 is worth quoting :

Trump is not only, well, stupid, he's ill-tempered and can't even figure out where is best interest lie. The American people were fed up with his misrepersentations, and outright lies, and they fired him. And a Narracist like him couldn't take it... I'm pretty safe in saying its not just Democrats who will be glad to see him gone in January 2021".

McConnell privately agreed with Liz Cheney on J6, and thought Trump should have been impeached and convicted. However, Mitch decided against voting to convict Trump because it would damage his career and hurt the Republicans in the mid=terms.

In other parts of the book and with unconscious irony, McConnell describes Trump as "having no agenda". Because the entire book shows Mitch wasn't a conservative and had no agenda other than helping Big Business and the Uniparty Establishment. Tax cuts, Amnesty, bad trade deal, Big Bank bailouts, Open borders, 1000 page omnibus bills, Invade the world, invite the world.

On social issues Mitch was either AWOL or liberal. He didn't want to discuss affirmative action, abortion, religious freedom, DEI, Gun rights, etc - except when campaigning for re-election.

Finally, Mitch's first loyalty was always to himself and the Uniparty. He wanted to reach accross the aisle and make the trains run. Paul Ryan says they were peas in a pod.

Sidenote: Probably the biggest minus of the book? Tackett never identifies the big donors who were bankrolling Mitch.

[Randall Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to start by saying I find Mitch McConnell one of the most despicable characters in DC. He has done everything he can to assure his retention of power, even when doing so at the expense of Senate norms, human decency, and the betterment of his country. The next time he does the right thing for the country will be the first time. The ultimate double-dealer was done in by Trump.

His flipflop on whether to vote to impeach Trump on his second Senate trial will go down in history as the apotheosis of "Profile in Cowardice". He was a threat and a danger to the country, but Mitch couldn't press himself to vote to convict him and keep him from being eligible to run again for President.

OK, with my clear prejudices on the table, have to say Tackett's book will serve as a fitful elegy for O'Connell. Hackett uses McConnell's own words - in over 50 hours of interviews with him -to show his duplicity, mendacity, and self-dealing outlook. Whatever Mitch needed to do to keep his office, he did. Whatever he needed to do to keep his majority leader status he did, tradition, convention, and bipartisanship be damned.

Mitch McConnell has hoisted himself on his own petard. His own words are enough to indict him in the court of public opinion. Not sure why he though talking to Tackett was a good idea.

Hackett has done extensive research and told the story of his self- and double-dealing with friends, and foes alike. Whatever good he thinks he may have done for his party, he's mistaken. His legacy, and what history will demonstrate was his greatest failing was the self-serving nature of his political actions, specifically refusing to grant Merrick Garland an up or down vote in the Senate nine months before a Presidential election, then ramming Amy Coney Barrett through in 12 calendar days.

Great book about a despicable person, only concerned about himself. His legacy is already damaged permanently and in perpetuity by his own words. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

[Lit Folio · Rating 4 out of 5]

As smooth and smartly written as this bio is, I found it very hard reading. Why? I detest this man. He's a wily, calculating monster who 'let the dogs out', full throttle; a singular man who let loose one of the most toxic and destructive presidents to ever wield power. It is why our entire government is in complete disarray and we are not even into 20 days of the Trump II presidency. So, yes, I was curious to see exactly how this man ticks.

Surprisingly, McConnell is more humane than I ever thought, or deemed possible. The fact that he detests Trump, yet plays the power strings to keep the Republican party from its rightful collapse is dazzling to this reader. But it's all wrong. And he knows it and history will tell that McConnell will go down as a far worse creature than any Benedict Arnold. Because of his penchant for choosing ridiculously conservative justices, he let Trump off the hook in his first Impeachment. But to do so with the second was just too much.

McConnell indubitably knew Trump was off the rials, but still advised his caucus to restrain from conviction, thus damaging the whole point of Impeachment, which in these instances reduced the public to thinking it was a "witch hunt" after all, when it was not. The USA will never get over the damages this nobody little white dude from a nobody state like Kentucky ruined our democracy--all for power. All for keeping the GOP on life-support when it clearly fell once Trump became its presidential candidate back in 2016. It was over then and it is over now and here we are facing complete destruction. Because of all this, I detest this man, but this read was quite polished and professional making it even more clear the kind of wily character we're dealing with; one that made all the chaos we're currently in possible. Thanks, Mitch.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew at the start this wouldn’t be five-star, due to the relative thinness. And, I eventually wound up at two stars, not because of my opinion of Mitch the Turtle, contra the one other two-star reviewer at the time I wrote this up, or most three-star reviewers, but simply because this book isn’t good and is a disappointment. It's a disappointment in part because of being touted by professional reviewers. (Edit: It "gets" me that, with a book like this, most low-star reviewers rate it lowly for the wrong reason — that they don't like the book's subject rather than the book itself being problematic.)

It may be somewhat unfair to compare journalist Tackett to professional historian Robert Caro. Nonetheless, even on a first draft of history of the most powerful Senate Majority Leader since LBJ, only 350 pages in one volume is not that good.

Specifics? Even if McConnell played his cards close to his vest, more backgrounder info from high school, college, and early post-college friends and acquaintances of McConnell’s are missing. Definitely missing are more detailed comments from early political opponents of his.

Also missing? A fully accurate assessment at times. Take page 221: “This fit with McConnell’s view of the limited role that government should play in business and regulation.” Au contraire. McConnell is totally favorable to government largesse to business when it benefits his election hopes, like tobacco industry bacon, or anything that might help the shipping and transportation industry, even if it doesn’t directly benefit his father-in-law.

Also missing? Some follow-ups. Why did so many people in Old Kaintuck think, back in the early 1980s, that McConnell was pro-choice? Tackett says they thought that, but doesn’t ask them why and doesn’t delve deeper.

Tackett cites early McConnell support for civil rights. Then, what’s his take on Supreme Court dilutions of the Voting Rights Act?

The fact is, that as indicated here and there, Tackett did do some interviewing of Mitch the Turtle, so he just failed in not doing these follow-ups.

In addition, it’s not that well-written, and/or not that well copy-edited. (Don’t get me started on the state of that in the nonfiction book industry.) For example, Tackett refers to Brett Kavanaugh and his nomination and confirmation process in one chapter, then in the next, references him by first name plus last name again, almost as if starting de novo. In other words, some of the more recent, current events chapters come off as though they’re expansions of some of Tackett’s AP stories that weren’t woven together that well.

So, even as a journalistic-style first draft of history, this just isn’t that good.

[Earl Ecklund III · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitch McConnell is one of the most powerful Senators in recent history and best remembered for his controversial handling of the Supreme Court appointments of Merrick Garland (which he blocked) and Amy Coney Barrett (which he fast tracked).

In this book, which McConnell cooperated with, Michael Tackett traces McConnell life from his struggles with polio as a child to his lengthy career as Senator from Kentucky. Tackett frequently points out where McConnell worked to strengthen Republican control of the Senate and where he passed on opportunities to build bipartisanship and bemoans some of the missed chances.

This book doesn't sugarcoat or attempt to excuse McConnell's partisanship but rather narrates the choices McConnell made and provides insight into the how and why McConnell made those choices and where in hindsight they led.

My main complaint is that the author occasionally gets some background facts wrong, such as confusing Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson decisions, but overall I feel I gained a great deal of respect for McConnell's career even if I don't always agree with his politics.

A well written book and a must for anyone interested in recent American history.

[Steve Peifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are in a post Robert Caro era of political biography, where we get details of what went on a ham and cheese sandwich besides ham and cheese (lettuce and tomato). I guess it is supposed to show the level of research that went into this book but what it reveals is an author in desperate need of an editor who might inform him the what really is of importance.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? This is the story of Mitch McConnell, whose only goal is power. It’s a sad tale of someone who gets what he wants, and has no idea of what to do with it but cling to it.

The Supreme Court miscarriage of justice, the lack of courage in failing to impeach Trump after J6; you can go on and on with the utter failure of this man.

In regard to the book, there is a curious lack of personal information about his second wife and children. Maybe it is intentional; nothing seems to move him but politics.

It’s not a great book. McConnell is not a great man. They deserve each other.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page. 185 on Democrats new position to block GW Bush appointees to the federal appeals court with a filibuster: the filibuster had never been used to block appointments. On 2003, McConnell observed that the tactic was short sighted and now will be used to block liberal appointees in the future. He was not one to forget.
Senator Reid had blocked 10 of Bush’s appointments by 2008.

In 2013 Harry Reid moved to have all judicial nominations other than the Supreme Court, including Federal judges, moved from a 60 vote requirement to a simple majority of 51. By 2017 the move provided McConnell with increased runway. “Both parties have blood on their hands when it comes to our constitutional obligation to advise”

And there you have it.

On Trump in 2018: Trump has every characteristic you would not want a President to have. Not very smart, irascible, nasty, just about every quality you would not want somebody to have.

A great biography. McConnell wants his legacy to be using power to build the courts for years to come. He’ll likely be remembered for not stepping on the Trump cockroach when he had the chance, putting Republican power ahead of integrity

[Matt- History on the Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party, Michael Tackett delivers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of Senator Mitch McConnell’s life, one of the most influential and polarizing figures in American politics. Tackett, a seasoned Congressional affairs reporter for the Associated Press, crafts a detailed biography that delves into McConnell's early years, including his battle with polio, and chronicles his rise to political power. McConnell himself was an active and willing participant in the project, granting Tackett full access to the extensive oral histories he has been compiling since the 1990s. With this unparalleled access, Tackett sheds light on some of the most contentious aspects of McConnell’s five decades in public service. This book offers a compelling look into the mind of the man who engineered the resurgence of conservatism, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the dynamics of contemporary American politics.

[Kathy F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always knew this man was dastardly and really had no interest in doing what is right for the country, but this book proves it. McConnell is power hungry and slimy as he has demonstrated time and time again. As someone who agrees with virtually nothing that this man stands for, I read this because I wanted to know the back story to this man. Thinking perhaps there has to be a reason why he is the way he is. But there isn't a reason. He just seems to have been born this way. I thought the entrance of his current wife, Elaine Chao was a little glossed over. There were few details offered there, except that Mr. McConnell did say he needed a rich wife and Ms. Chao filled that bill.
The writing is good and the author supplies a lot of details about how McConnell managed to fail, but still land on his feet. But basically the book confirms what I already knew about this so-called 'public servant'. Mr. Tackett does a good job of showing you that McConnell is out to serve himself and not the public at all.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about Mitch and the rise and fall of his power over what used to be the Republican Party.
This is a detailed and well researched story of a lifelong Republican with a masterful ability to consolidate and wield power who witnessed the Trump years and the rise of an almost unrecognizable Republican party, suffused with a reactive populism that even he couldn't control.
"The GOP has become whiter, more rural, less educated, and angrier."
Trump operated more on whim than on data.
"I think Trump was the biggest factor in changing the Republican Party from what Ronald Reagan viewed and he wouldn't recognize today."
The era of the Reagan Republican was rapidly fading away.
What Mitch said in public often differed from what he felt. His goal was to obtain and maintain power for himself and the Republican party.
A better title for this book would be:
Say Anything: Mitch McConnell and the Art of Pandering for power. 🤷‍♂️

[Diener · Rating 4 out of 5]

But for the inexcusable error of confusing the holdings of Plessy v Ferguson and Dred Scott v Sanford for one another, this book would have earned five stars. But it is hard for me to trust the accuracy of lesser known “facts” that fill this otherwise highly readable and downright interesting biography of the most consequential senator of our time when the author refers to Plessy as “the Supreme Court decision that sanctioned slavery” (p. 296) and to Dred Scott as the Supreme Court decision “which upheld the separate but equal doctrine” (page 184). Although these two well-known cases have almost nothing to do with Mitch McConnell and their inclusion in this biography was not necessary, by confusing them with one another, the author and his editor(s) lost a lot of credibility with this reader. That said, I otherwise found the book quite interesting, a “Caro Light” treatment on power for the reader who does not have time for a tome.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Tackett wrote a clear unbiased history of the most powerful senate leader since LBJ. Mr. Tackett received the full support of Mitch McConnell in preparing this book. He presents Mr. McConnell at his best and worst. What comes out clearly is McConnell's devotion to obtain and weld power and his mark on history.

For Mr. McConnell to reach these goals, he mastered senate rules, thwarted opposition through obstruction, delay, manipulation, and hypocrisy. Hypocrisy could have been the book's title. There are so many examples of it running throughout the book. Yet, to Mr. McConnell's credit, he readily admits to it and in some instances was ashamed of it.

His partisanship foiled the bills, and policies of the opposition party for so long, it's ironic that the Senate leader is done in by his party's right flank.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, eminently rradable, and fair account of the life and impacts of Mitch McConnell, the longest serving Senate party leader in American history.

Told from a left-wing perspective of President Trump and his movement, the book nevertheless does not shy away from covering both McConnell's positive and negative achievements. Though the author's subjective political opinion (supportive and opposed) on McConnell's actions are abundantly evident, the account is objective enough to (usually) provide the space for the reader to form their own opinions on McConnell's actions; if the reader so chooses.

I'm no great admirer of McConnell, and I do not envy his one-dimensional life, but this account has brought home to me the importance of stubborn persistence in the pursuit of your true aspirations.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This being an authorized biography, I wonder if it was intentional in completely avoiding any information about mcconnell’s personal life. McConnell is kinda described as having no personality or hobbies outside of politics, so maybe it was intentional, but it doesn’t even mark in time when each of his kids were born. Just suddenly he has 3 girls. There’s extremely little, outside of the section about his early childhood, that talks about his personality. Except that he’s stoic and keeps his emotions very closely guarded. So in that element, it felt a little lacking.

Other than that, The Price of Power is an extremely apt name for this book. Was it worth it, Mitch? For the Supreme Court super majority alone, he’d probably say yes. Which is indicative of the morally corruptive yet extremely savvy political operative I believe him to be.

[Pegeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

McConnell Gave author complete acccess so I guess even if subconsciously, the author gives McConnell a white wash on enabling Trump — even as he has McConnell himself at the end saying those guys are crazy . ( torpedo- ing border reform bill, blocking aid to Ukraine. ) McConnell ‘s Two HUGE mistakes: 1) not voting to impeach Trump for the insurrection of January 6. McConnell thought Trump would slide off to Mar Largo and disappear from politics ; not doing a real politik analysis of his party’s rot of MAGA — a narcissist never will just lose and walk away. 2) The Garland block followed by the Barrett slam thru . Congratulations Mitch your actions may just have enabled the end of our American Democratic Republic. The rest of this book, except perhaps the influence of his childhood polio is just surface and not and analysis of any depth.

[Tom Sands · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I am glad that I read, but it was painful to remember how many horrible things that a right wing jerk did in the past and how it will be affecting the future of the US, and the world, for years to come.

The author did a good job with keeping this book far away from being a 'hit piece' by pointing out the few decent things about McConnell. The details about the horrible things that he did were clearly stated allowing the reader to feel the disgust either this mean and self-serving politician on their own, given these facts.

I think that most people will forget about McConnell and his hand in moving right winged politics to the next stage of allowing horrible people like tRump move in. But several of us will never forget what this person has done.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Print] A very detailed and effortful accounting of Mitch McConnell's Senate Career and rise to power. While generally informative, the author seemed to struggle to form any coherent thesis. The book also gave the impression that the author had a difficult time picking out which details were most important in portraying his subject. Many of the facts, especially when it came to naming significant people, came without context and often without follow-up. In this regard, the book is not kind to the reader, even one with a decently strong background in modern politics and history. It is clear that a lot of work went into this book, and it illuminates the essentials of an influential figure in American history, but the book does not seem to firmly believe in its own effectiveness.