Andy Borowitz is known for his scathing political humor, and in The Republican Playbook he turns up the heat on the Bush Administration with an hilarious and all-too-scarily-true parody of the actual playbook our illustrious President just might indeed be using to run this country…into the ground, that is.

The book is designed to appear just like a stolen notebook with Bush’s own handwritten notes throughout, along with plenty of tips and ideas for how to lie, cheat and steal your way into office, and how to do everything possible to blame the other guy once you are in and screwing up big-time. There is so much humor, yet when you read such entries as “The Fog of War: How To Create It” or “Manipulating the Terror Alert System for Maximum Impact,” or the final entry, “October Surprises: The Nuclear Option,” you shudder at just how close to the truth this fictional fun really is.

Borowitz hits all the Republican talking points, strategies and procedures, showing us an inside glimpse into the workings of the red Congress and their Commander in Chief. And there is plenty to poke fun at, with lessons on how to claim all Democrats are French, the beauty of a well-timed leak, and my favorite: the official Republican slogan generator. Of course, throughout we get Bush’s own notes, which read like a kid at camp playing with matches.

The Republican Playbook is funny as hell, until you realize this might actually be the playbook Karl Rove has supplied each of his minions with. In which case, consider yourself forewarned. As Bush’s note on the back cover states, “If it ever gets out, we’re toast.”