Books 24 KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, editor of the Nation, has co-edited ...

KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL, editor of the Nation, has co-edited with Robert Borosage a new book, Taking Back America: And Taking Down the Radical Right, published by Nation Books. Contributors include Bill Moyers, Barbara Ehrenreich, Jesse L. Jackson, William Greider, Robert Reich, Benjamin Barber, Jan Schakowsky, James K. Galbraith and others. New York Press recently asked her about the book and its release into a very crowded genre.

THE NUMBER OF ANTI-BUSH BOOKS JUST KEEPS GROWING. CAN DEMAND KEEP UP?

I've assigned an essay about all the anti-Bush books. The writer emails me almost every day, lamenting that he can't keep up with all the books coming out. Hell, I think the flood of books is some compensation for living with this obscene administration. Why should there be any limit to this healthy marketplace of outrage? And, by the way, as I'm sure you know, it's not just books. By my count, there's at least one new anti-Bush piece of paraphernalia-calendar, doll, button, bumper sticker, thong, poster, cartoon-produced every day. I say, bring 'em on.

HOW IS TAKING BACK AMERICA DIFFERENT FROM THE REST?

Taking Back America is about what we stand for-not just what we're against. Any sane American understands that we're in the fight of our lives-up against the most extremist administration of our lifetime. This book lays out a sassy, savvy and strategic agenda to rally progressives, concerned citizens of all stripes, to counter the right. And it's filled with visionary and practical ideas to drive our passion and principles, our causes, values and ideas into the political debate and electoral arena.

WOULD THE CONTRIBUTORS MAKE A GOOD CABINET?

Absolutely. I think they'd make a terrific cabinet in a Bill Moyers administration. I'd nominate my co-editor Bob Borosage as chief strategist for turning around this country's domestic condition. Put in William Greider as Chairman of the Federal Reserve; Jamie Galbraith at Treasury; Robert Reich as Special Counsel for the Battle of Ideas; Barbara Ehrenreich at Health and Human Services or at Labor; Danny Goldberg over at the newly minted Department of Creative (Popular) Culture; get Jesse Jackson over to the United Nations as our Ambassador; Bob McChesney and John Nichols should run the FCC; Kim Gandy of NOW for Women's Rights Rep; Ralph Neas at Justice and Joel Rogers to develop a real Metro/Urban policy or run the Apollo Project for energy independence.

WHEN AND HOW DID THE IDEA OF A NATION BRAINTRUST ANTHOLOGY COME ABOUT?

After the extraordinary gathering of more than 2000 progressives in mid-2003-at the confab organized by the Campaign for America's Future. For three days, people joined to share ideas and strategy. Leading thinkers, public scholars laid out core elements of an agenda to challenge the current, failed one. Activists detailed new institutions and strategies-from the web action of MoveOn.org to the ground work of Americans Coming Together-to mobilize, register, energize and engage citizens. This book is an attempt to capture that energy, those ideas, that agenda. And then, of course, several seminal Nation authors and pieces fit naturally into the book.

WHO IS THE CO-EDITOR, ROBERT BOROSAGE?

Strategic wizard and master builder of the emerging progressive majority in this country. A key player in the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. Borosage's day job is as founder and co-director of the feisty Campaign for America's Future, a Washington, DC-based center for issue advocacy, communications and coalition-building. Just this past week, the Campaign convened over 2000 progressives from across the country-and worked to shape alliances around strategic policy initiatives to expand economic opportunity, social justice, a healthy environment and a more democratic society. He's also a longtime and valuable contributing editor to the Nation.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ESSAY IN THE BOOK?

I have two. Bill Moyers' "The Progressive Story of America" and William Greider's "The Threat: Rolling Back the Twentieth Century."

IS TAKING BACK AMERICA AND TAKING DOWN THE RADICAL RIGHT THE SAME THING?

Yes, but it will also require more than just taking down the radical right. We must send Bush back to Crawford, but it's more than a matter of changing the occupant of the White House. The challenge to the right requires a coherent critique of their ideas, which have dominated the debate and battle of ideas in this country for the past 25 years-really, since Reagan took office. To restore America to its democratic promise requires bold new ideas and vast citizen mobilization. What is clear is that progressives can no longer continue to play defense in the battle of ideas. The stakes are too high. Nor can we allow ourselves to be cast as mere defenders of the status quo. I believe this is a journey not of a year but of a decade or more.

IS THERE A NATION FILMS TO GO WITH NATION BOOKS? DO YOU THINK NATION CONTRIBUTOR MICHAEL MOORE WOULD JUMP SHIP FROM MIRAMAX?

I don't know about jumping ship. Miramax seems to have saved the day. But if they had forced him to walk the plank-as seemed to be the case a few weeks ago-Moore would have been welcome any day at CinemaNation, our film division at the Nation Institute. Our last film, Stealing the Fire, was about how former Nazis helped the Russians split the uranium atom during the Cold War, and how a defector from a major German corporation later sold the controversial technology to Hussein. That's sort of like a Moore film, no?

WHAT'S THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT?

Haven't bought one for a few months. I get my 13-year-old to (legally) download songs to her iPod, and then I borrow it. Last two songs: Pink's "Trouble," (may make that my anthem for the year) and, of course, "I Believe," belted out by this year's American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. I was addicted to that show this season. There's something mindless and comforting about it. Did you know some 63 million people voted in the final show? Wish there was turnout like that in some of our elections.

ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK