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# Ira Shapiro, Author

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## Posts

- [End this calamitous presidency now — The Hill](https://irashapiroauthor.com/end-this-calamitous-presidency-now-the-hill-2/) - BY IRA SHAPIRO, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR In an opinion column that ran on the day the United States reached three million coronavirus cases, I urged our governors to call for the resignation of Donald Trump. I contended that the nation, already crippled by disease and economic disaster due to mishandling the pandemic, could not have additional
- [As COVID cases top 3 million, it's past time to end the catastrophic Trump presidency — USA Today](https://irashapiroauthor.com/as-covid-cases-top-3-million-its-past-time-to-end-the-catastrophic-trump-presidency-usa-today-2/) - We can't afford to wait for Joe Biden. Governors have the experience, credibility and stature to end a presidency that is literally killing America. Ira Shapiro Opinion contributor Our country is living through a tragedy of unthinkable magnitude. COVID-19 has hammered the world, but America — with 4.25% of the world’s population — has suffered a quarter of its cases
- [Here’s how voters can reverse the decline of Congress — Tampa Bay Times](https://irashapiroauthor.com/heres-how-voters-can-reverse-the-decline-of-congress-tampa-bay-times/) - How do we move toward a Congress that accomplishes more and isn’t reeling so often from one potential government shutdown to another? Published Aug. 16 Over my time working in the Senate as a staffer, running for Congress, serving as the U.S. trade ambassador and writing three books about the Senate, I have undoubtedly given
- [Ira Shapiro: The imperative of a Democratic Senate — Post Gazette](https://irashapiroauthor.com/ira-shapiro-the-imperative-of-a-democratic-senate-post-gazette/) - IRA SHAPIRO, Special to the Post-Gazette, October 18, 2024 As a Senate staffer of an earlier generation who later wrote three books about the Senate, I have plainly spent more time thinking about the Senate than any reasonable person should. But even as public attention focuses on the extraordinarily high stakes race for the presidency,
- [The Democratic Nominee Needs to Put the Supreme Court Front and Center — Washington Monthly](https://irashapiroauthor.com/the-democratic-nominee-needs-to-put-the-supreme-court-front-and-center-washington-monthly/) - The Biden-Harris administration has the right ideas about reforming the out-of-control jurists. Whoever wins the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago should go even further. by Caroline Fredrickson and Ira Shapiro July 20, 2024 The Supreme Court is out of the news, and reporters are focused on the presidential election, including whether
- [Lessons in Leadership from Howard Baker — Washington Monthly](https://irashapiroauthor.com/lessons-in-leadership-from-howard-baker-washington-monthly/) - Fifty years after Richard Nixon’s resignation, the life example of the Republican vice chair of the Senate Watergate Committee still resonates. by Ira Shapiro and Keel HuntAugust 14, 2024 It has been 40 years since Howard Baker, the Tennessee Republican, at the peak of his career, retired from the Senate at the age of 59
- [Trump looks to bypass Senate for polarizing Cabinet picks — The Washington Post](https://irashapiroauthor.com/trump-looks-to-bypass-senate-for-polarizing-cabinet-picks-the-washington-post/) - Experts say the president-elect, in pushing for recess appointments, is asking the Senate to abdicate its constitutional duty to either confirm or reject executive branch nominees. November 14, 2024 By Colby Itkowitz As Donald Trump moves to fill his administration with polarizing figures like former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz and onetime presidential rival Robert F.
- [The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party](https://irashapiroauthor.com/the-price-of-power-how-mitch-mcconnell-mastered-the-senate-changed-america-and-lost-his-party/) - The Kentucky senator long intended to bend Congress to his will. By Michael Tackett, Simon & Schuster, 416 pp. Reviewed by Ira Shapiro, November 19, 2024 The Kentucky senator long intended to bend Congress to his will. In 2021, Senator Mitch McConnell learned that Michael Tackett, a respected veteran journalist and author, was planning to
- [A Second Trump Term Poses a Crucial Test of the Senate's Independence — The New York Times](https://irashapiroauthor.com/a-second-trump-term-poses-a-crucial-test-of-the-senates-independence-the-new-york-times/) - President-elect Donald J. Trump is threatening to challenge the institution’s historic role, and the Constitution, with his prospective nominees and threats to push the boundaries of executive authority. The New York Times By Carl Hulse, Reporting from the Capitol, Dec. 1, 2024 President-elect Donald J. Trump’s determination to crash over traditional governmental guardrails will present
- [An Interview with Ira Shapiro — Washington Independent Review of Books](https://irashapiroauthor.com/an-interview-with-ira-shapiro-washington-independent-review-of-books/) - An Interview with Ira Shapiro By Leah Cohen, August 6, 2024 The former U.S. Senate staffer unpacks the dysfunction on Capitol Hill. With his latest book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, Ira Shapiro completes his critically acclaimed trilogy on the U.S. Senate. In addition to writing, the former Senate
- [Lessons in Leadership from Howard Baker](https://irashapiroauthor.com/lessons-in-leadership-from-howard-baker/) - Fifty years after Richard Nixon’s resignation, the life example of the Republican vice chair of the Senate Watergate Committee still resonates. Washington Monthly by Ira Shapiro and Keel HuntAugust 14, 2024 It has been 40 years since Howard Baker, the Tennessee Republican, at the peak of his career, retired from the Senate at the
- [Time to End McConnell's Reign  — Newsmax](https://irashapiroauthor.com/time-to-end-mcconnells-reign-with-richard-a-arenberg-newsmax/) - Time to End McConnell's Reign On March 13, following the U.S. House of Representatives passage of emergency relief legislation to support those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recessed the Senate so he could fly to Louisville to celebrate the installation of one of his proteges, 37 year
- [As COVID cases top 3 million, it's past time to end the catastrophic Trump presidency — USA Today](https://irashapiroauthor.com/as-covid-cases-top-3-million-its-past-time-to-end-the-catastrophic-trump-presidency-usa-today/) - As COVID cases top 3 million, it's past time to end the catastrophic Trump presidency We can't afford to wait for Joe Biden. Governors have the experience, credibility and stature to end a presidency that is literally killing America. Our country is living through a tragedy of unthinkable magnitude. COVID-19 has hammered the world, but America
- [End this calamitous presidency now — The Hill](https://irashapiroauthor.com/end-this-calamitous-presidency-now-the-hill/) - End this calamitous presidency now — The Hill In an opinion column that ran on the day the United States reached three million coronavirus cases, I urged our governors to call for the resignation of Donald Trump. I contended that the nation, already crippled by disease and economic disaster due to mishandling the pandemic, could
- [Ira Shapiro predicts dark legacy for McConnell in The Betrayal — The Blueprint](https://irashapiroauthor.com/ira-shapiro-predicts-dark-legacy-for-mcconnell-in-the-betrayal-the-blueprint/) - While Shapiro covers the Senate’s response to the Trump administration in chronological order, somehow his book reads as a horror story that continues devolving until the insurrectionist denouement. Stephen Wentzell — May 26, 2022 Fewer presidencies have resulted in more controversy than that of Donald Trump. From firing the FBI director and mischaracterizing the Mueller Report,
- [Saving American Democracy: Focus on the Senate Elections, Corporate Leaders Need to Include Impact on Democracy in Company Political Spending Decisions](https://irashapiroauthor.com/saving-american-democracy-focus-on-the-senate-elections-corporate-leaders-need-to-include-impact-on-democracy-in-company-political-spending-decisions/) - Guest Column Saving American Democracy: Focus on the Senate Elections, Corporate Leaders Need to Include Impact on Democracy in Company Political Spending Decisions By Ira Shapiro There was a time, in early 2021, to believe that our nation coming out of Covid, having elected Joe Biden president, and responding to the shocking January 6 attack
- [How Joe Manchin Could Make the Senate Great Again  — The New York Times](https://irashapiroauthor.com/how-joe-manchin-could-make-the-senate-great-again/) - How Joe Manchin Could Make the Senate Great Again The United States urgently needs a functioning Senate, which operates, in the words of the former vice president and senator Walter Mondale, as “the nation’s mediator.” Unfortunately, what we have instead is a body that, among other things, cannot pass a bill to create an independent
- [In praise of Susan Collins’ persistent bipartisanship — The Hill](https://irashapiroauthor.com/in-praise-of-susan-collins-persistent-bipartisanship/) - In praise of Susan Collins’ persistent bipartisanship — The Hill After Susan Collins, the veteran Republican senator from Maine, cast the decisive vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in October 2018, she instantly became the target of angry Democrats across the country determined to defeat her in 2020. Yet despite a tidal wave
- [How Mitch McConnell Wrecked the Senate](https://irashapiroauthor.com/how-mitch-mcconnell-wrecked-the-senate/) - Obstructionist under Obama, battering ram under Trump, and a threat to democracy in both guises. An exclusive book excerpt. The disgraceful performance by the Senate Republicans at the confirmation hearings of Judge Ketanji Jackson shows that they pose a continuing threat to the mutual respect, civil discourse, and good faith that are essential to the
- [Longtime Senate staffer sears McConnell and his caucus in 'The Betrayal' — JPR](https://irashapiroauthor.com/longtime-senate-staffer-sears-mcconnell-and-his-caucus-in-the-betrayal-jpr/) - Published May 16, 2022 at 10:01 AM PDT Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is comfortable using all the tools at his disposal to achieve the goals of his Republican caucus. Ira Shapiro is one of several people looking on the scene in dismay. Shapiro was a senate
- [An eighth term for Sen. Chuck Grassley?](https://irashapiroauthor.com/an-eighth-term-for-sen-chuck-grassley/) - As printed in The Gazette.com Ira Shapiro Jun. 29, 2022 1:29 pm With the Senate primary elections over, Iowans face the decision between Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democrat Admiral Mike Franken. There will be time between now and November for Admiral Franken to try to convince Iowans that his record of military service would
- [What I'm reading Six books now on my nightstand — Robert Reich](https://irashapiroauthor.com/what-im-reading-six-books-now-on-my-nightstand-robert-reich/) - Several of you have asked for my summer reading recommendations. I know this is a bit late, (whatever happened to June and July?), but all of these are worth the wait (and the weight — these aren’t exactly light books). Dirt Road Revival, by Chloe Maxmin and Canyon Woodward. This is the most thoughtful
- [How Mitch McConnell ‘wrecked’ the Senate under Trump  | THE LAST WORD with Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC](https://irashapiroauthor.com/how-mitch-mcconnell-wrecked-the-senate-under-trump-the-last-word-with-lawrence-odonnell-msnbc/) - In a new book, author Ira Shapiro writes that Sen. McConnell saw the Trump presidency as an opportunity to push his agenda – cut taxes for the rich, attack the ACA, and turn the Supreme Court far to the right. “With the exception of the Affordable Care Act, he accomplished them very well,” Shapiro tells
- [How Mitch McConnell Made the Senate Even Worse](https://irashapiroauthor.com/how-mitch-mcconnell-made-the-senate-even-worse/) - Republican power grabs and hyper partisanship are just part of his grim reign as Senate Republican Leader. by Norman Ornstein, May 17, 2022 met Ira Shapiro in 1976, when I joined a Senate committee as staff designee for Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson; Ira was working for Nelson at the time, and we became friends. (We
- [Can the Senate’s comeback continue in an acrimonious 118th Congress? — The Hill](https://irashapiroauthor.com/can-the-senates-comeback-continue-in-an-acrimonious-118th-congress-the-hill/) - BY IRA SHAPIRO, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 01/04/23 1:30 PM — The Hill As the House Republicans made extraordinary history battling each other in an acrimonious and chaotic effort to pick the next Speaker, the Senate quietly convened, swore in seven new members, and generally seemed to enjoy being the “adults in the room,” far from
- [Mitch McConnell, You’re No Mike Mansfield — TNR](https://irashapiroauthor.com/mitch-mcconnell-youre-no-mike-mansfield-tnr/) - The Kentucky Republican just passed the Montana Democrat as the longest-serving Senate leader. Unfortunately, he’s dismantled everything Mansfield worked to build. As the 118th Congress convened, public attention understandably focused on the spectacle in the House of Representatives, as Kevin McCarthystruggled through four days and 15 rounds of voting before winning the votes to succeed
- [Mitch McConnell Morphs From Obstructionist to Bipartisan Dealmaker — The Daily Beast](https://irashapiroauthor.com/mitch-mcconnell-morphs-from-obstructionist-to-bipartisan-dealmaker-the-daily-beast/) - It’s a low bar, but compared to the GOP renegades holding the House hostage, Mitch is a pragmatic diplomat. by Eleanor Clift, Updated Jan. 13, 2023 9:21AM ET / Published Jan. 12, 2023 4:54AM ET The string of legislative victories that President Joe Biden is touring the country and taking credit for were made possible by a dozen or more Senate Republicans
- [Make the Senate Great Again — Editorial, American Heritage](https://irashapiroauthor.com/make-the-senate-great-again-editorial-american-heritage/) - Why can't the U.S. Senate be more like it was in the 1960s, when members of “the world’s greatest deliberative body” put the interests of the country first? Editor's Notes: The author of this editorial, Ira Shapiro, is a former Senate staffer who has written three books about the Senate: The Last Great Senate: Courage
- [Shapiro and Marquette: The Betrayal](https://irashapiroauthor.com/shapiro-and-marquette-the-betrayal/) - Ira Shapiro with Chris Marquette — Oct 24, 2022, 6:00-7:00 pm EDT Author, Senate commentator, and former Hill staffer Ira Shapiro joins congressional ethics and accountability reporter for CQ Roll Call, Chris Marquette, for a discussion on Shapiro's new book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, our current political climate, and the state of
- [The U.S. Senate: America’s First and Last Lines of Defense with Ira Shapiro and Rabbi Eric Yoffie](https://irashapiroauthor.com/the-u-s-senate-americas-first-and-last-lines-of-defense-with-ira-shapiro-and-rabbi-eric-yoffie/) - BY MOMENT Latest, Zoominars Today’s Senate looks very different from the Senate of the 1960s and 1970s, a time when those serving in Congress put “country over party.” Ira Shapiro, a former longtime Senate staffer and author of the new book The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, discusses the
- [American democracy in peril: The US Senate's crucial role — United States Studies Centre](https://irashapiroauthor.com/american-democracy-in-peril-the-us-senates-crucial-role-united-states-studies-centre/) -  Ira Shapiro's recent book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, chronicles the US Senate during the Trump presidency. As a veteran scholar and former Senate staffer with bipartisan experience, Shapiro determines that the Senate and its Republican members, led by Mitch McConnell (R-KY), ultimately abandoned late Senator John McCain's
- [New Congress in 2023  — The German Marshall Fund](https://irashapiroauthor.com/new-congress-in-2023-the-german-marshall-fund/) - New Congress in 2023 Panelists discussed the impact of the 2022 midterm elections on the 118th Congress and potential presidential candidates in 2024. The German Marshall Fund hosted this virtual discussion.
- [Impeachment trial: The six Republican senators Trump and McConnell should worry about — USA Today](https://irashapiroauthor.com/impeachment-trial-the-six-republican-senators-trump-and-mcconnell-should-worry-about-newsmax/) - Impeachment Trial: The Six Republican Senators Trump and McConnell Should Qorry About Historic Trump impeachment calls for a new chapter in 'Profiles in Courage.' From Alexander and Collins to Murkowski and Romney, 6 possible authors. Since the 2018 elections produced a Democratic majority in the House, every discussion about impeachment has begun and ended with

## Pages

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- [ARTICLES](https://irashapiroauthor.com/articles/) - American democracy in peril: The US Senate’s crucial role — United States Studies Centre August 23, 2022 November 2, 2022  Ira Shapiro’s recent book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, chronicles the US Senate during the Trump presidency. As a veteran scholar and former Senate...More→ The U.S. Senate: America’s
- [BOOKS](https://irashapiroauthor.com/books/) - LEARN MORE The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America By Ira Shapiro In two previous highly regarded books on the U.S. Senate, Ira Shapiro chronicled the institution from its apogee in the 1970s through its decline in the decades since. Now, Shapiro turns his gaze to how the Senate responded to
- [EVENTS](https://irashapiroauthor.com/events/) - Publicity Inquiries Johanna Ramos-Boyer, JRB Communications, LLC | johanna@jrbpr.biz Susan Hershberg | Publicity Manager | shershberg@rowman.com UPCOMING INTERVIEWS The release of The Betrayal has generated much discussion and generous reviews. Be sure to check back to listen to upcoming interviews. Past Speeches and Interviews Center for Ethics and the Rule of
- [Privacy Policy](https://irashapiroauthor.com/privacy-policy-2/) - Who we are Our website address is: https://irashapiroauthor.com. Comments Visitors are not allowed to leave comments. Media If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website. Cookies If you
- [THE BETRAYAL](https://irashapiroauthor.com/betrayal/) - Publicity Inquiries Johanna Ramos-Boyer, JRB Communications, LLC | johanna@jrbpr.biz Susan Hershberg | Publicity Manager | shershberg@rowman.com The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America By Ira Shapiro Praise for The Betrayal: “Anticipating the possibility of a corrupt, rogue president, our Founders created a strong Senate to provide the ultimate check on abuses
- [AUTHOR Q & A](https://irashapiroauthor.com/author-q-a/) - Biography — Ira Shapiro Q: You were not an academic or a journalist. What prompted you to start writing books? A: I started out on the road to academia, as a graduate student in political science. And I considered being a journalist. But ultimately, I realized that I wanted to be in government and politics.
- [BROKEN](https://irashapiroauthor.com/broken/) - Broken: Can the Senate Save Itself and the Country? By Ira Shapiro While the hyper-partisanship in Washington that has stunned the world has been building for decades, Ira Shapiro argues that the U.S. Senate has suffered most acutely from the loss of its political center. In Broken, Ira Shapiro, a former senior Senate staffer and
- [ABOUT THE AUTHOR](https://irashapiroauthor.com/about-the-author/) - Biography — Ira Shapiro Ira Shapiro’s new book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, completes what William A. Galston, Brookings scholar, called an “epic trilogy,” capturing sixty years of Senate history. Shapiro’s passion about the Senate began with a 1969 summer internship with Jacob Javits, the liberal Republican from New York.
- [THE LAST GREAT SENATE](https://irashapiroauthor.com/the-last-great-senate/) - The Last Great Senate: Courage and Statesmanship in Times of Crisis By Ira Shapiro Journalists have called the U.S. Senate an empty chamber; politicians have lamented that the institution is broken—yet the Senate was once capable of greatness. Senators of the 1960s and 1970s overcame southern opposition to civil rights, passed Great Society legislation,
- [Sample Page](https://irashapiroauthor.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger

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