Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power: Making Washington Work Again

Prizewinning journalists John Harwood and Gerald F. Seib show how today’s Washington power game really works. With unprecedented access to capital insiders and with deep understanding of the unspoken rules of the political road, the authors illuminate what it takes to succeed in the high-stakes game of governing and provide insights and examples for how President Obama might affect real change in Washington. Through stories of party strategists, moneymen, policy-makers, fixers, socialites, lobbyists, spinners, and deal-makers, many of whom now have prominent positions in the Obama administration, Harwood and Seib explore the great political transformations that have altered the relationship between Americans and their government. They showcase both D.C. veterans of the game and the up-and-coming new breed of power brokers who have ushered Capitol Hill into a new age Featuring a compelling new Foreword on how Barack Obama might find success, Pennsylvania Avenue shows how our government really functions and reveals the insiders who make things happen.

John Harwood is the chief Washington correspondent for CNBC and a political writer for The New York Times. Harwood began his career in 1978 at the St. Petersburg Times, where he served as state capital correspondent, Washington correspondent, and political editor. In 1989 Harwood was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. He subsequently spent sixteen years at The Wall Street Journal beginning in 1991, covering the White House, Congress, and national politics. In addition to CNBC, Harwood offers political analysis on MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, and PBS’ Washington Week. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and their three daughters.

Gerald F. Seib is an assistant managing editor and the executive Washington editor of The Wall Street Journal. He writes the paper’s “Capital Journal” column and is a regular commentator on Washington affairs for CNBC and Fox Business Network. Seib is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Merriman Smith Award, the Aldo Beckman Award, the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize, Georgetown University’s Edward Weintal Prize for his coverage of the Gulf War, and the William Allen White Award of the University of Kansas. Along with Harwood, Seib was part of the Wall Street Journal team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in the breaking news category for its coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife and three sons.


From the Hardcover edition.