Ben Barnes

Ben Barnes is back on the trail, talking to people, discussing politics, hearing the views of America’s citizens. No, he’s not running for office again – he’s promoting his new book, "Barn Burning, Barn Building." The former Lieutenant Governor of Texas simply has an itch that needs to be scratched; he needs to be around people, needs to be in the mix, communicating with someone, anyone, making changes for the betterment of the American people. Whether he is in Washington D.C. lobbying on behalf of one of his clients (he is the founder and CEO of the Ben Barnes Group, a lobbying firm with offices in Austin, Texas and D.C.), chasing down donors for John Kerry’s presidential campaign (Barnes headed up Kerry’s southwestern fundraising in the 2004 election), or mixing it up on political radio shows or Fox News’s popular political talk show, Hannity and Colmes, Ben Barnes is, as former Texas Governor Ann Richards once said, like "an oscillating fan."

"Barn Burning, Barn Building" is not an autobiography. Ben Barnes doesn’t spend 250 pages waxing poetic about the bygone days of political battles fought and won. There are certainly reminiscences, but this book is as much about today as it is about the past. It is equal parts memoir, historical non-fiction, political analysis and insider information. Barnes describes, with unmatched insight, how the Democratic Party rose to dominance in Texas in the 1960s and how the same party lost its grip on the Lone Star State in the early 1970s. Along the way Barnes peppers pages with amusing recollections, captivating characters (President Lyndon B. Johnson, Sam Rayburn, John Connally), and universal social issues, (the Vietnam War, education, racism and equal rights).

The strength of "Barn Burning, Barn Building" lies in Ben Barnes’ aversion to partisanship. He is a Democrat and makes that abundantly clear, but he refrains from the mudslinging tactics of today’s politicians. Party loyalty is one thing, but personal attacks have spiraled out of control in the modern political arena. Barnes calls on politicians, from the right and left, to go beyond petty personal attacks and refocus their energies on issues that affect Americans today. The only question here is: Will they listen? Sadly the answer is probably no.

This isn’t the first time Ben Barnes has been up against insurmountable odds. In 1960 Ben Barnes was a college student who decided to run for the Texas House of Representatives. Everyone he spoke with told him it couldn’t be done, he was too young, he should go back to law school. Barnes ignored their advice and spent the next thirteen years climbing through the ranks of the Texas Democratic Party. So today when Ben Barnes is faced with an uphill climb, trying to teach a new generation how to lead their constituents with dignity and integrity you can be sure he won’t quit, no matter how steep the hill is.