The press corps

In the second paragraph of Dana Milbank's mildly humorous Washington Post column, This is an ex-candidate, he gives us a window into the campaign press corps. They are waiting for their flight from DC to West Virginia to cover the Clinton primary victory.

Let's just say they aren't in a flurry of professional activity in the run up of their journey to West Virginia...

"During the security sweep at Dulles, some [journalists] play Hacky Sack with a cigarette carton. Awaiting the candidate on the tarmac, two guys from CNN toss a football. Aboard the plane, one member of the press corps entertains his colleagues by flopping down the aisle on his belly, like a fish." [Emphasis mine.]

First, I want to know which reporter is flopping like a fish. I think this is hilarious. We suspect that television reporters are secretly crazy, attention-seekers, who realized their acting career wasn't going to take off so they went into TV journalism. Print reporters are those slightly imbalanced policy nerds who don't believe they ever receive enough attention or respect. So, who is this journalist that sees fit to entertain his colleagues by acting like an attention-starved 15 year-old? I love it!

Second, this makes me hunger for more insights into the campaign press corps. My visions are mostly informed by West Wing episodes, Doonesbury strips featuring Rick Redfern and Roland Hedley, and highly unreliable, old Hunter S. Thompson portraits of the campaign trail. What's the real deal?

It is pretty tiring to hear the press talk and write about the press. But this is an area that merits an exception. Next time I want names of those acting like buffoons. I might develop a bit more respect for these journalists; or maybe not.

Perhaps this guy has a career in journalism...

DC can't get no respect

Inserted among a million other things in Congress' giant omnibus spending bill is a measure that will add minted quarters to feature Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the District of Columbia. By next year, all 50 states will have a special quarter with their state featured minted. The District of Columbia and U.S. territories were not included in the original program passed by Congress in the 1990s.

Locals in the District of Columbia are excited to get a little bit of respect. Often people in western states complain about being pushed around by the federal government. But truly, the people living in our nation's capital are the ones with a darn good reason to complain. Congress foists itself on every local issue (school vouchers, needle exchange programs, the public hospital, gun control). Their budget can be tampered by Congress and they don't have a single vote in Congress. More people live in the District than in Wyoming, which incidentally has one Representative and two Senators serving their interests. An effort to grant the District a single Representative in the House (but not the Senate) narrowly missed out this year.

So, before the bill is signed, locals are apparently talking about what should go on the quarter. Several in a Washington Post article echew placing any federal landmarks like the Capitol or Washington Monument. But then what should they put on it? Those who have spent time in DC will probably find humor in the suggestions to put Ben's Chili Bowl (a great place near the U Street Metro stop) or the motto "Taxation Without Representation." The quarter would be issued in 2009.

So congratulations to Washington, DC for getting a little overdue respect. Now if only we could get off our butts and give them statehood.

Totalitarianism Today

Today, in the totalitarianism versus democracy match, we have a tie with single victories each.

• Chavez Loses Constitutional Vote - Washington Post, Dec 3, 2007

From the article:

President Hugo Chavez suffered a stinging defeat in a vote on constitutional changes that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely, the chief of National Electoral Council said Monday.

• Russian Voters Turn Out for Putin - Washington Post, Dec 3, 2007

From the article:

"Our result shows that voters gave their support not only to United Russia, but also to the course set by Vladimir Putin," Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the outgoing Duma and the head of United Russia, said on Russian television. "The elections were a referendum on Putin, and we can say he has won the first round."

Although 60 percent represents a major victory, it was still less than some in United Russia had expected and may leave the party with only marginally more seats in the next 450-seat parliament, according to early projections. But that would still be enough to change the constitution at will.

The presidential election will be held March 2, and the candidate Putin endorses is expected to sweep to victory. But the winner's power is likely to be constrained by Putin's enduring influence. Putin is constitutionally barred from serving three consecutive terms, but he could return in 2012, or sooner if the next president were to resign early. He has not said what role he will assume next year or whether he will seek to return to the presidency.

Be nice to the missus, or pay up!

The Washington Post carries a story about the state of marriages in Japan and how new pension regulations may be leading to a dramatic increase in divorce. I have no knowledge on how marriages in Japan work, or whether the picture painted in this article is accurate, but it has a few eyebrow-raising quotes.

From a 60-something married woman:

"Up until my 60th birthday, he had not given me anything at all. But on my 60th, he sent me 60 flowers."

"There was only one time he said he loved me. And that time, he was standing behind me."

Learn to Be Nice to Your Wife, or Pay the Price