I knew I was going to read this book from the time of the first announcement, back in Sept I think it was. So this past Wednesday, when I realized it was available at Audible, I grabbed it.  I had to finish my current read before I started, but I was ready.   

Oath and Office: 
A Memoir and a Warning
By Lynn Cheney 2023
Read by author: 12h 14m
Rating: 10 (for honesty and courage) 
– politics and activism – memoir

Aaaaaaah –  I’ve read a lot of the Trump books over the last couple years, but none about the times after Jan 6. I watched the actual event and I read The Mueller Report: https://mybecky.blog/2019/05/13/the-mueller-report-by-the-washington-post/ .

And then I watched the hours of very slick televised presentation of the  House Investigation. And after all that I watched the follow-up impeachment hearings. Actually, I thought there might not be anything new in the book.  WRONG! 

What I read and saw were only the parts which were made public, but yes, there was plenty not made public or,  a biggie, that I didn’t get to read at the time.  At least some of it is included in Cheney’s book is very informative. Yes, I suppose Cheney evaded or skimped on or shaded some parts; this is a memoir and no matter how careful you are,  you can’t escape your own perspective.  

Liz Cheney has never been a liberal by any means, and she even hung out with the more Conservative Republicans. I can’t expect to share her values. On the other hand, she was never a member of the Freedom Caucus or anything that extreme.  I certainly share her thoughts of Trump’s disregard for the truth and traditions of the United States.  I, too was raised in a home full of Republicanism. My dad worked for the Republican Party (of Minnesota) and after a decade or so of that he became a history teacher and an old “Rockefeller-Republican” politico. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Republican

My mom (an Evangelical Republican) actually dropped a wee bit away from Trump when he didn’t show up for the “peaceful transfer of power.” But I don’t think she could leave the Republican Party. And Trump just kept lying. He’s still lying. I have thoroughly distrusted him since he rode down that escalator at Trump Towers.  I wasn’t fond of him from back in the days of the Central Park rapist scandal but this got stupid.

Oath and Office is not about that though – it’s about Trump’s game-playing with the election, game-playing and breaking the law because … why? He wanted himself to stay in office – it wasn’t about any of his beliefs or ideas – it was about him and his glory and power.

The book though, is about what it took Cheney to put the House Investigation together and it’s fascinating and very well written.  

This book probably challenges those who think that because a Represntative votes conservative (and Cheney certainly does that!) they are a no-good, lying blankety-blank and no one should believe any part of anything they say – they are “Re-thuglicans.”  Fwiw,  Cheney lost her bid for re-election and she was pretty sure she would. but she’s no coward and she didn’t lie or call people names afterward.  We don’t have enough people with that kind of actual integrity in the politics of either party. 

My parents were a lot like Cheney’s, and just like Hillary, I switched to Democrat because during the war in Vietnam, well, it certainly made more sense. But can’t discount all Republicans.  I have come to respect some Republicans like John McCain and Mitt Romney (I think) and George Conway and others who have shown the courage to stand up to their “orange Jesus.” We have a party of cowards over there.    
I’ve had to think about a lot of things lately, freedom vs equality, the nature of honesty, courage, Paul Ryan and some others.  I wish Lynn Cheney all the best from here on out. I can’t see myself voting for her though – not if there’s a good Democrat on the ballot, or a write-in line.