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The Politics of Laughter It’s all in the glasses. You know what I’m talking about, David Caruso. [comic] The man who inadvertently live-blogged the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound. [Twitter] Moths to a flame [comic] Some people just can’t handle their winged insects. [image] Catching a foul ball – like a boss. [YouTube]
Last July, 2010, Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia appointed me to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of Senator Robert C. Byrd – one of the true lions of the Senate and West Virginia’s most beloved public servant. Senator Byrd cast quite a long shadow, and it was daunting to contemplate being appointed to fill the seat previously occupied by the longest serving legislative member in the history of the United States. I could not begin to replace Senator Byrd or ever hope to fill his enormous shoes, but what I could do was emulate his work ethic and commitment to West Virginia – which is precisely what I strove to do during my four months in Washington, a town ruled by Congress, blackberries and Members-only elevators, and a place where fame (and infamy) can come and go in a matter of hours.  Stacey King, Michael Jordan and teammates celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first NBA title (Side note: Years ago, former Oklahoma standout and Chicago Bull forward Stacey King saw limited action in an NBA game, hitting a single free throw. That same night, his teammate Michael Jordan poured in sixty-nine points. Afterwards, King joked that he would always remember that game as the night that he and Jordan “combined for 70 points.” Similarly, rather that describing my term as “four months,” I usually characterize it by saying that Senator Byrd and I combined to serve over 52 years in the United States Senate. ) Within days of my arrival, men and women I had studied in law school were introducing themselves to me, welcoming me as one of their own, then asking for my vote in the same sentence. And I wasn’t alone; I was immediately put at the helm of a full Senate staff – many of whom had served for decades under Senator Byrd. I was given a personal secretary and press secretary – no longer would I be the one answering the phone in my own office. However, I declined the offer of a personal driver and did the unthinkable – walked myself to work. In no particular order, here are some random recollections and highlights from that heady time: Press coverage & John Daly’s Pants?  John Daly's pants I had to adjust quickly to the media attention. I’d considered myself prepared for the press, after having spent four years as a senior staffer in the Governor’s office, doing the occasional TV or radio interview. Yet, the appointment shot the level of attention into the stratosphere, with newspapers, television, blogs and everything in between weighing in with their thoughts on the relative merits of my appointment. Nothing was off-limits. To the delight of my buddies, one website offered an online poll debating where my looks stacked up against my fellow Senators, while a local West Virginia paper registered their enthusiasm for the appointment by describing it succinctly as “a letdown.” Indeed, the temporary burst of attention became so intense that on the day that my appointment was announced, I briefly topped Google’s Hot Searches, besting former NBA star Penny Hardaway, the iphone 4, and golfer “John Daly’s pants.” I haven’t had the inclination to go back and find out why Daly’s pants made the top 10 that day. Read the rest of… Today’s addition of Where in the World is the RP takes us to RP nirvana. Back during his tour of duty in the nation’s capital, the RP and his BFF, the late great Alex Haught, used to hang out during cherry blossom season at the Jefferson Memorial. So the RP communes with cherry blossom trees whenever possible. This past weekend, the RP attended a Japanese-themed cherry blossom festival far from his home in Kentucky. He made some new friends as well. Guess the precise location of this particular cherry blossom festival, and win an autographed copy of the RP’s The Compassionate Community: Ten Values to Unite America. (Family and close friends of the RP are strictly disqualified). Hint: It ain’t Tokyo:
The one question that recovering politicians always get is “do you miss it?” Many elected officials have politics in their blood, and they go through a sort of withdrawal when they’re not in office. Fortunately for my peace of mind, I don’t have it that bad, and I can honestly say that I don’t miss it. My business partner in my public affairs firm, Julie Raque Adams, ran for state representative last year and won. I love hearing her tales of all the hijinks in Frankfort, but that’s enough for me for now. I wouldn’t change a thing about the six years I served on Louisville’s Metro Council. I’m very proud that I had a hand in the fabulous KFC Yum! Center, the smoking ban, and the Fairness Ordinance. I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to advocate for an expansion of our library system. But I am so happy in the private sector that it’s hard to imagine jumping back in. So count me in the ranks of a very content recovered politician. Smoking Ban Senate President and gubernatorial candidate David Williams deserves kudos for coming out in favor of a statewide smoking ban. That’s not an easy position for a candidate to take in a Republican primary, and I really appreciate it. When I served on the Metro Council, we finally passed a comprehensive smoking ban in Louisville. One year, I served as the Chair of the committee studying the smoking ban, so I had the opportunity to meet with many bar and restaurant owners who were concerned about the economic impact of a ban. One local restaurateur I met with told me at a high volume that his business would be doomed if we passed a smoking ban. He got so hot with me at one point that he said, “If you were a man, I’d punch you in the face!” I said, “Well, it’s a good thing I’m a girl!” By the way, his restaurant business has expanded in the years since the smoking ban passed. Good for him. CPAC I am so glad that Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul ignored the silly boycott of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington in February. Several conservative groups skipped the conference because a gay Republican group, GOProud, was invited to co-sponsor the event. GOProud was co-founded by my friend and former Louisvillian, Jimmy LaSalvia. The groups that protested GOProud’s inclusion need to remember that politics is a game of addition, not subtraction. Julie Hits Frankfort When Senator Williams filed his papers to run for Governor, a reporter at the press conference got a good chuckle from a freshman State Representative. Right before the press conference began, the new legislator blurted out, “Oh my gosh, my dress is on backwards!” Now, in her defense, the front and the back looked exactly alike. Of course, it was Rep. Julie Raque Adams, the only woman I know who would say that out loud instead of just thinking it. Thanks to Courier-Journal reporter Joe Gerth for that scoop!! The Politics of Laughter *Not actual size [image] I love Conan. You probably love him too! Relive some of the greatest moments from his shows through the years (before the Tonight Sh0w fiasco). [Funny or Die] Oh. My. Word – So evil. [image] A man who’s story just has to be told: Timothy Dexter. [Wikipedia] “Parents, don’t dress your girls like tramps.” A scathing, witty article by the great LZ Granderson. [CNN]
As we begin to celebrate a series of 150th anniversaries of the Civil War and its aftermath, we flash back just four years to a Presidents’ Day commemoration on the floor of the Oregon State Senate. There, our very own Contributing RP Jason Atkinson does his best — and funniest — Abe Lincoln imitation, in a debate with a scary looking “George Washington.” If you can suffer through the poor video quality, it is worth the punch line to Jason’s masterful oration. Enjoy: Homer Simpson has three phrases that work in every political situation: “Cover me.” ”You’re right that is a good idea”; and “It was like that when I got here.” Brilliant! Gone are the quotes of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, and stage right steps America’s three-fingered yellow skinned, balding “herald to the masses,” keeper of pop-language. Roll over Danny Webster. Cover me! A great phrase used liberally in the western United States in close association with “Hey, hold my beer; I want to try something.” It is not as used too much today across party lines and is more used safely inside the bounds of a politician’s registration; however in days past, I would find rural and urban legislators from different parities “covering” each other just to insure the process keep moving. “Cover me” can be viewed as a phrase over cards in the smoky back room, but I think cover me is more of loyalty in friendship over partisan. “Cover me” — used between politicians, mostly for the good. “You’re right, that is a good idea” This is perhaps the ultimate way to defuse hostility. Since politics is the anvil and our words are the hammer, this Homerism works in nearly all situations. I’ve been teaching my eight-year-old son how to be a conversationalist, which I believe begins with being a good listener. While no one would claim Homer in the same breath as Mark Twain or Shelby Foote, the phrase does work if we first listen. “It was like that when I got here.“ Lastly comes the great one. The phrase used by politicos ranging from Obama to freshly elected city counselors. The universal deflection in which a politician keeps their status, deflects criticism, and champions all reform: “It was like that when I got here.” It worked as children standing in a messy room; it worked in junior high when the bunsen burner caught fire; it performed brilliantly on Saturday morning chores with younger siblings; and does it ever work in politics! It’s pass-the-buck-plus. After I thought about it a while, I can’t use it without laughing, blowing my already tissue-thin cover, but for our RP readers, lovers words, students of political survivors, listen for it in our public discourse and smile yourself. Welcome back to your favorite game show — with the winner receiving a free, signed copy of The RP’s The Compassionate Community: Ten Values to Unite America. Below is a picture of The RP with his gorgeous posse (Mrs. RP and the RP-ettes). For a hint about the location, take a careful look at what is protruding in the back center of the photo. The first person to guess the correct location in the comments section below this piece wins. (Close friends and family are disqualified — but they already have a signed copy of the book anyway.)
I humbly present to you: a small penguin being tickled. [Tumblr] When given the choice of joining the Dark Side or battling Darth Vader a young girl decides where her allegiance lies. [YouTube] Net worth in America – funny or depressing? You be the judge. [comic] Worst anti-drug ad ever? Probably. [image] Tracy Morgan breaks down social media [image (Twitter)] Tonight begins the eight-day long celebration of Passover, one of the most religiously significant Jewish holidays. (Far, far more significant than Chanukah — but we’ll get back to that in December.) Jews around the world celebrate tonight with a family seder, a dinner in their homes during which they read the story of Moses, the Pharaoh, and the exodus from Egypt. What would the exodus have looked like if it happened with today’s technology and social media? The following video (h/t to my sister Jennifer for finding it) tries to answer that question. Enjoy and Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday!): |
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