Many terms can apply to political institutions throughout the world – some I can say here on this blog, some I choose not to. One word can apply to them all, a word which I have observed myself personally – tradition. Whether for everyone or just for those who hold office themselves, activities have happened in these legislative bodies over the years that continue throughout their existence.

A tradition in the US Senate is where Senators sign the drawer of their desk in the Senate chamber. One desk is number 88, which has been occupied by members of the Democratic party. The current occupant of the desk, Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, wrote a book several years back about some of the people who preceded him there in the aptly titled Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America.

When I, someone who does not align with any political persuasion, received this book from a friend who is closely aligned in political ideology with the Senators in the book, I was intrigued about what I would learn and, of course, take away from the stories.

History through a partisan lens – Senator Brown is a progressive Democrat and he doesn't hide that fact. That being said, I was able to separate historical details and tales from his opinion and did learn about the individuals who sat at this desk over the years. What I read also inspired me to do other research on these Senators outside of the book. As I digested these stories from the book, I was reminded of another book I read, The Fight for the Four Freedoms, which was written by a college professor who also had strong political opinion woven through its pages.

A former KKK member was on the Supreme Court – Senator Hugo Black of Alabama, who was later nominated to the US Supreme Court by President Franklin Roosevelt, was previously a member of the Ku Klux Klan, or KKK as it’s abbreviated. In his story, Brown opens stating Black’s membership, saying political motivation drove him and said Black didn’t really have a choice in order to fulfill him political ambitions. Clearly I don’t buy that justification! Black most certainly had a choice not to join a domestic terrorism organization. As this book was written in the early days of the cancel culture that has sadly permeated our society, to simply gloss over Black’s one-time membership in the Klan, though he later renounced it, is hypocritical.

A fitting bible quote – I noted the following bible quote from the book, "for they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind." - Hosea 8:7. This is very applicable for the spin and churn that goes on daily in Washington, DC that yields little to nothing.

Where Desk 88 is a partisan book, I did enjoy the anecdotes and tales told to Sherrod first hand from people who personally knew the subjects of the book, from Robert F. Kennedy to George McGovern to William Proxmire. In between each Senator’s story is “Thoughts form Desk 88” which is Brown’s political opinions that is loosely inspired by each Senator’s story.

If you are interested in political history, or are a progressive Democrat, Desk 88 may be a book for you. As I give away all books I read, this one is going to a friend who is more aligned with the overarching theme of the book than I am.

This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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