LOSING AMERICA Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency

Hoping seniority will command credibility, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd blasts the Bush II Administration with venom and acrimony, using inflammatory words like "pigheaded," "reckless," and "arrogant." Like Churchill, the senator pads his book with old speeches overloaded with the pronoun "I"; their anachronistic references generate minor confusion. Narrator Grover Gardner doesn't distinguish the direct quotes enough. At one point he pauses and says, "Hermann Göring," indicating that Göring has just spoken. Without a change of voice or other indication at the beginning, listeners can't guess where Byrd's words leave off and where the Third Reich's air minister's words begin--an important distinction. The overdose of partisanship and generic performance destine this production for someone's B list. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]