Steering the elephant: how Washington works.

• Author: Mooney, Peter

Steering the Elephant: How Washington Works.

Robert Rector, Michael Senera, eds. Universe, $24.95. The essavists in this volume are true believers, ex-Reagan officials and conservative academics, who know how hard it is to run the federal government (hence the title) and who want to pass their vision on to the James Watts of tomorrow. You wouldn't think liberals have much to learn from the likes of Jeane Kirkpatrick and Bruce Fein, but they would be wise to listen. These essays would help President Dukakis as much as they would President Kemp.

While they cover everything from sweet-talking the Washington press corps to manipulating statistics, one theme...