Taking the Hill: From Philly to Baghdad to the United States Congress

[RamboLiberal]

From Amazon.com

From Publishers Weekly
Murphy, a first-term representative from Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, recounts the story of his unlikely political journey in this partisan autobiography. Born to a policeman and a legal secretary in 1973 Philadelphia, Murphy's early life was unexceptional. After meeting President Clinton in 1996—a defining moment in my life—Murphy graduated from Pennsylvania's King's College and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the army. He attended the Widener University School of Law before joining the army's Judge Advocate General's Corps. As an army lawyer, he served at West Point and was deployed to Bosnia before joining the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2003, he was deployed to Iraq and led a Brigade Operational Law Team (BOLT) for seven months. After leaving the army, he challenged Republican Rep, Mike Fitzpatrick—a rubber stamp for George Bush on Iraq—in the 2006 congressional election. A staunch critic of the Iraq War, Murphy won a narrow victory and now serves on the front lines in Washington at a defining moment in our history. Short on self-awareness and long on hyperbole, Murphy's narrative fails to rise above conventional campaign biography. (Feb. 19)
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Review

“From Bosnia to Baghdad to the Kerry campaign and Murphy family’s dinner table in the working neighborhoods of Pennsylvania, the pages of Taking the Hill overflow with hair-raising adventures, thoughtful observations, and a story of service, sacrifice, and good old fashioned courage. Accomplished as a professor, paratrooper, and now a public servant—Patrick Murphy is an American original with a voice we’ll be hearing for decades to come.”—John Kerry

“Taking the Hill shows us why Patrick Murphy is one of the brightest stars in the next generation of American leaders. With characteristic passion and candor, Murphy gives us a powerful indictment of the Bush administration's failures in Iraq. And his inspiring life's story offers hope to all who have the courage and determination to reach for the American Dream.”—Barack Obama

"Political observers have buzzed about Patrick Murphy as the only member of Congress to have served in Iraq. Yet in these pages, he thinks of himself as the son of a cop and legal secretary whose best friend works for Budweiser. And therein lies the lesson he offers in this account of his meteoric political rise. This is a story of humility, honesty, and honor which will serve the politician and non-politician well."—Michael Smerconish, radio host, columnist and author

[Blue State Bandit]

1. PA did well electing Patrick Murphy!

One of my favorite "Fighting Dems".