It wasn’t really Harry Truman who said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” And if he had, he would have been wrong. Though the nation’s capital has no shortage of egos, misanthropes, and bores — inside and outside the corridors of power — it has its share of engaging personalities as well. If you can’t enjoy common ground with at least a few, you’re probably not trying very hard.
Senator Daniel Inouye, a Democrat who passed away last week after representing Hawaii in Congress for over 50 years, counted more friends than most. In one of his last public appearances, he spoke a month ago at a memorial service for New Hampshire GOP Senator Warren Rudman. Their friendship was unusual, given the geography and ideology that separated the two. Yet it was emblematic of the personal bonds that used to be quite common and strong among US senators.
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Nice story. Too bad the tea party put an end to those days.
As nearly as I can remember, no party has ever adopted a mantra to make a president a one-and done leader by taking a blood oath to defer, deter or defeat any initiative or program that president introduces, then followed through with that intent even if it meant harming the country. Now Boehner is getting a taste of intransigience and cannot control his own House with his own plan. During the first term, President Obama gave up many initiatives to attempt compromise, all to no avail. This term, with re-election over, I think you will see the President use the clout of his office more frequently with better results.
I doubt it. In fact, as his term progresses, you'll be surprised at his veering to the right.
Republicans are shaking in their collective boots. Nothing is going right. They are (rightly) blamed for creating the fiscal cliff, then drawing us nearer to it with a "No" vote on Plan B. They are on the wrong side of the gun-control debate, from every angle. They are stuck with Norquist and his foolish pledge. They are down to the bottom of the candidate barrel. They suffered a crushing Electoral College defeat, and what's next? Next is Armageddon! They are not looking forward to mid-term elections! They have already loaded the gun and shot themselves in the foot (to be current) and now, barring any progressive action with a more liberal slant, they will re-load the gun and shoot themselves in the other foot. It's no great feat to predict a Democratic President with a majority in both the House and Senate after the mid-terms! Out-of-touch is endemic in the Repuibliocan party. Friendships have little to do with it. Sununu longs for the days gone by when Ted Kennedy was able to forge alliances with anyone for the common good. Not now. You either toe the line of dogmatic Republicanism or you are ostracized.
Generally, you don't want to have a few drinks and then make a comment. Best to wait awhile.
Who are you? What have you done with that insufferable bore John E. Sununu?