Book Review: Bob Bullock - God Bless Texas
In Bob Bullock - God Bless Texas, Dave McNeely and Jim Henderson tell the life story of the Bob Bullock that we all know, love, and miss still today. In their recount of his life, both authors speak of the Bob Bullock who once took campaign contributions from white supremacy groups and then as Comptroller hired more minorities to work for him than any other state official. The same man who cheated the state out of its taxes as a nightclub owner and then unleashed “Bullock’s Raiders” on Texas to crack down on businesses delinquent on their taxes. And of the campaign consultant who once laundered illegal campaign contributions and then later in life called for stricter campaign finance laws. In short, they tell the tale of who Bob Bullock was, the giant that shaped Texas politics for the better part of five decades.
The biography follows Bullock through his early years as a hell raiser in hometown Hillsboro, on through his service in the military, the law school days, and the career in public service that started out with a seat in the Texas Legislature, included positions with both the Attorney General and Governor’s Offices, then on as Secretary of the State before the 15 year run as Comptroller, and cultivating with 2 terms as Lieutenant Governor. But more intimately, it speaks of Bullock’s personal life, his struggles with alcohol, bouts of depression, the workaholic mentality that drove away multiple marriages and many capable staff members, the volatile man who would dress you down on the Senate floor one second and then hug you and tell you how much he respected you the next. It spoke of Bullock’s passion for public service, his deep love for Texas, and his never take no for an answer attitude that got him the job done.
More than Bob Bullock, the book is also an eye opening history lesson into 50 years of Texas politics that is filled with many fascinating stories that chronicle the height of the Democrat party and the rise of its Republican counterpart. It covers how Texas’ political landscape changed, and how Bob Bullock managed to withstand it while many of his Democrat friends fell victim to it.
Throughout its history tale, such present day names as Rusty Kelley, Reggie Bashur, Ken Armbrister, the Quorum Report, Paul Burka, Rodney Ellis, Tom Craddick and Kent Hance are all referenced. The story talks about the young up and coming Travis County DA Ronnie Earl, and his assistant, Rosemary Lehmberg, who he takes with him to meet with Bullock to discuss the scope of his office’s authority. Readers are also treated to the rise of Rick Perry, an inside look at such recent Speakers as Gib Lewis and Pete Laney, and are placed next to Ben Barns as he storms Texas politics as its Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor before his 40th birthday.
But at the book’s heart, it is a story that is often told, but one that never grows old, that of Bob Bullock. More than a giant, Bullock is portrayed as a human being who made mistakes, shot off his mouth, ran those close to him off, and sometimes bent the law, but always with the sincerest intentions. There are times when you laugh at his antics, other times where you feel frustrated with the way he ran his administrations. There are points in the book where you find yourself saddened by his personal troubles, and others where you feel inspired by his no nonsense style of leadership. It takes you through all the human emotional reactions, and pulls you in so close to Bullock’s life that, at the end, you actually get a sense of what it was like to know him personally, to reflect on his life and tell your favorite Bullock story over a beer, and to mourn his absence in the world.
For anyone even half interested in Texas politics and the legend that shaped it, Bob Bullock - God Bless Texas is an absolute must read. Trust me, you won’t regret it.