Three Posts

Just after Congress left town for the August recess,  Congressmen Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor flew to New Mexico.  They were invited by the Koch brothers who rented the entire posh resort hotel where the two Congressmen met with them.  No media allowed within a mile of the hotel.  The ultimate in privacy. 
 

 

Around the time Ryan met with the Kochs, a resolution was being passed in his Wisconsin district in an effort to repeal the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.  The people of Kenosha, WI are in sync with other Americans who understand that corporations aren't people.  And like most of America, they want to get the big corporate money out of politics.  I heard John Nichols of The Nation say he “wonders” whether Ryan will be listening to his constituents or the Kochs.   What do you think? 

 

I believe the Kochs and a handful of other mega-wealthy Republicans are pumped up about running this country.  They’ve been buying whatever their cold, cold hearts desire, including total privacy‚ to talk about things they wouldn’t want “the average person” to know.  They’ve invested in defeating “Obamacare” at the zero hour by encouraging uninsured people not to sign up for a plan.  Unconscionable?  Yes! 

 

Dear God, don’t let me wake up one morning and learn the Kochs have bought a major media outlet. 

                                                                  
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I’m reading This Town, Mark Leibovich’s insider book about Washington, DC.  For a political geek like me,  it’s a romp of a read.  A person who still sees our nation’s capitol and what happens there through the last pair of rose colored glasses on earth might not agree with me:  Some of the content might come across as cynical or come as a surprise.   No shocks for me so far.   Sure, the reality of the way DC works—or doesn’t— isn’t something that makes me happy; however, mostly it's not news.

 

 It seems a reasonable take on the town Leibovich calls home.  There's some substance and interesting insights—sometimes served in bite-size tidbits as quotes from inhabitants of the “swamp.”  Some of the characters can be seen regularly on cable news TV or C-Span.  If you’re a fan of the annual National Correspondents Dinner, you’ll enjoy some-behind-the scenes access.  You might even want popcorn for that part.   It has something of the Academy Awards red carpet “feel”—actually there is a red carpet at the Dinner for politicians,  news people and some Hollywood celebrities.

 

Yep, I put away my outraged activist hat—still within reach—long enough to enjoy my geeky read.   And I’m loving it.


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Got back home just in time to watch the President’s press conference Friday afternoon.    And I felt something I had felt when he spoke from the heart about the Zimmerman verdict a few weeks ago:  I was immensely proud of him.  Proud to call him my president.

 

I watched him thinking, striving to give honest, accurate responses.  He managed to “be” presidential and also very much “with” members of the media.  Without Bush bashing,—and I have no desire to do that—it’s hard to imagine even hard-core Republicans not feeling good about having a thoughtful President whose affect is unfailingly appropriate for whatever occasion.  Just to know he can process complex thoughts on the spot and respond to multiple, sometimes sensitive and hard hitting, questions without floundering.  I remember cringing more than once for our Chief Executive when President Bush would literally shrug off a serious question, or give a flippant answer—as if he’d been asked for his Super Bowl pick.  His affect, and response, rarely reflected the magnitude of the issue or event in question.  Embarrassing. 

 

Complicated as our world is, it’s a wonderful thing to know we have a leader  capable of complex critical thinking.  And a man who, at his core, has managed to remain a kind and decent human being.  Despite the unprecedented disrespect, ill will, and even hatred that have come his way from the minute he took his hand off the Bible at the first swearing in.  There’s a lot to be grateful about with President Obama.  I say that as someone who likes and respects him immensely, even though I don’t agree with all of his policies.   I imagine most "rational Republicans" feel the same.