It sounds like a movie pitch: "The story is like Tom Clancy crossed with John Grisham set in the Washington D.C. political world." But David Baldacci's Saving Faith successfully fuses elements from both of these chart-busters in this political thriller spiced with techno-wizardry.
Deborah Devonshire is a natural writer with a knack for the telling phrase and for hitting the nail on the head. She tells the story of her upbringing, lovingly and wittily describing her parents (so memorably fictionalised by her sister Nancy); she talks candidly about her brother and sisters, and their politics (while not being at all political herself), finally setting the record straight. Throughout the book she writes brilliantly about the country and her deep attachment to it and those who live and work in it.
When the MP for Bootham East was fished out of the Thames, it looked like a clear case of suicide. But as the by-election for his successor got under way, some very murky political waters were stirred up. The local Labour party had been hijacked by the Looney Left, the Tory Party had a most unpleasant young candidate (with dubious City connections) foisted upon it, and the Alliance candidate had something nasty in his past he was trying to conceal. By polling day it was very obvious that the political suicide was no suicide - but murder.
Privatizing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks - Why and How?
The first question everyone asks about a project to privatize Fannie Mae,Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively, the housing GSEs) is, Why? This question has two levels. The first is substantive: The U.S. housing finance system performs very well, or at least adequately; there are few complaints; why do you want to change it? The second is political: Yes, there are problems, but they can be addressed through better regulation; why bother to privatize these companies when there is very little political opposition to improving how they are regulated and quite a bit of opposition to privatization?
Fallis is actually intent on making a serious point, or maybe a few serious points. Fallis writes in pictures and even his bit players are well-defined characters that the mind’s eye can see clearly… anyone with even a passing or cynical interest in the political process should enjoy The High Road, and after the romp be left with some food for thought, as the author clearly intends.
