Our (almost) House

We moved into our house last Wednesday. I use the term "moved in" loosely. All our stuff is in the house, but whether or not the house is actually a habitable domicile is, well, debatable at best. We are hoping to have more than one working toilet by the end of this week, and maybe even a shower (yippee!). And I'm really hoping that at some point I won't come home to a layer of dust 1 inch thick on EVERYTHING. As it is, all 3 of us are sharing the itty-bitty guest bathroom with its falling-out-of-the-wall shower head and lack of a mirror. Oh the humanity.

I try to remind myself that not being able to breathe will seem like a small price to pay when all is said and done, but my body is rejecting that logic and sending me into coughing fits every time I set foot inside. It really is a sad state of affairs. Thankfully, we should only have to live like this for another (gulp) 2 weeks until everything is finally done (knock on wood). I just hope I can last that long.

Inspiration

It's not very often that I feel inspired after listening to a politician speak. Call it cynicism, disillusionment, realism, whatever. It rarely happens.

Today was one of those rare moments.

Below is the speech that President Nicolas Sarkozy of France delivered to a joint session of Congress (I got to watch from the gallery!). As an unabashed history nerd, I was surprised to find myself overcome with emotion as I heard him refer with such eloquence and passion to the great moments in French-U.S. relations, from the friendship between George Washington and a young Marquis de Lafayette, to the 1944 landing of American soldiers on the beaches of Normandy.

I love the description in USA Today's play-by-play:

"Sarkozy's a lot more interesting to watch than the typical American politician. His speech, delivered in French, is punctuated by flying hands and revealing facial expressions. He has pounded on the podium, pointed his finger and raised his eyebrows in the course of an address that has been warmly received by the lawmakers assembled before him."

Remarkably, the substance of the speech was equal in strength to the impassioned delivery of the speaker. Ironically, his words and recounting of history made me feel prouder to be an American than any of the so-called "leaders" America has decided to settle for. And what a contrast against the petty partisanship so often on display on the House floor! Our leaders don't speak like that anymore, and America is far worse for it.

Somehow, celebrating the ideals on which America was founded has become politically incorrect, and championing the cause of liberty, democracy, and justice has become passé. He was able to successfully articulate the historical context for the challenges we now face - something few, if any, current political leaders have been able to do.

For that reason, it really was a bittersweet experience. I found myself longing to be inspired by my government again.

Here's the full text of his speech:

Speech by President Sarkozy Before Congress
November 7, 2007

Madam Speaker,
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress,Ladies and Gentlemen,

The state of our friendship and our alliance is strong.

Friendship, first and foremost, means being true to one's friends. Since the United States first appeared on the world scene, the loyalty between the French and American people has never failed. And far from being weakened by the vicissitudes of History, it has never ceased growing stronger.

Friends may have differences; they may have disagreements; they may have disputes.

But in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, friends stand together, side by side; they support each other; and help one another.

In times of difficulty, in times of hardship, America and France have always stood side by side, supported one another, helped one another, fought for each other's freedom.

The United States and France remain true to the memory of their common history, true to the blood spilled by their children in common battles. But they are not true merely to the memory of what they accomplished together in the past. They remain true, first and foremost, to the same ideal, the same principles, the same values that have always united them.

The deliberations of your Congress are conducted under the double gaze of Washington and Lafayette. Lafayette, whose 250th birthday we are celebrating this year and who was the first foreign dignitary, in 1824, to address a joint session of Congress. What was it that brought these two men—so far apart in age and background—together, if not their faith in common values, the heritage of the Enlightenment, the same love for freedom and justice?

Upon first meeting Washington, Lafayette told him: "I have come here to learn, not to teach." It was this new spirit and youth of the Old World seeking out the wisdom of the New World that opened a new era for all of humanity.

From the very beginning, the American dream meant putting into practice the dreams of the Old World.

From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person.

America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who—with their hands, their intelligence and their heart—built the greatest nation in the world: "Come, and everything will be given to you." She said: "Come, and the only limits to what you'll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent." America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance.

Here, both the humblest and most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That's what constitutes the moral value of America. America did not teach men the idea of freedom; she taught them how to practice it. And she fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened somewhere in the world. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom was possible.

What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream into hope for all mankind.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The men and women of my generation heard their grandparents talk about how in 1917, America saved France at a time when it had reached the final limits of its strength, which it had exhausted in the most absurd and bloodiest of wars.

The men and women of my generation heard their parents talk about how in 1944, America returned to free Europe from the horrifying tyranny that threatened to enslave it.
Fathers took their sons to see the vast cemeteries where, under thousands of white crosses so far from home, thousands of young American soldiers lay who had fallen not to defend their own freedom but the freedom of all others, not to defend their own families, their own homeland, but to defend humanity as a whole.

Fathers took their sons to the beaches where the young men of America had so heroically landed. They read them the admirable letters of farewell that those 20-year-old soldiers had written to their families before the battle to tell them: "We don't consider ourselves heroes. We want this war to be over. But however much dread we may feel, you can count on us." Before they landed, Eisenhower told them: "The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

And as they listened to their fathers, watched movies, read history books and the letters of soldiers who died on the beaches of Normandy and Provence, as they visited the cemeteries where the star-spangled banner flies, the children of my generation understood that these young Americans, 20 years old, were true heroes to whom they owed the fact that they were free people and not slaves. France will never forget the sacrifice of your children.

To those 20-year-old heroes who gave us everything, to the families of those who never returned, to the children who mourned fathers they barely got a chance to know, I want to express France's eternal gratitude.

On behalf of my generation, which did not experience war but knows how much it owes to their courage and their sacrifice; on behalf of our children, who must never forget; to all the veterans who are here today and, notably the seven I had the honor to decorate yesterday evening, one of whom, Senator Inouye, belongs to your Congress, I want to express the deep, sincere gratitude of the French people. I want to tell you that whenever an American soldier falls somewhere in the world, I think of what the American army did for France. I think of them and I am sad, as one is sad to lose a member of one's family.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The men and women of my generation remember the Marshall Plan that allowed their fathers to rebuild a devastated Europe. They remember the Cold War, during which America again stood as the bulwark of the Free World against the threat of new tyranny.

I remember the Berlin crisis and Kennedy who unhesitatingly risked engaging the United States in the most destructive of wars so that Europe could preserve the freedom for which the American people had already sacrificed so much. No one has the right to forget. Forgetting, for a person of my generation, would be tantamount to self-denial.

But my generation did not love America only because she had defended freedom. We also loved her because for us, she embodied what was most audacious about the human adventure; for us, she embodied the spirit of conquest. We loved America because for us, America was a new frontier that was continuously pushed back—a constantly renewed challenge to the inventiveness of the human spirit.

My generation shared all the American dreams. Our imaginations were fueled by the winning of the West and Hollywood. By Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington, Hemingway. By John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth. And by Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, fulfilling mankind's oldest dream.

What was so extraordinary for us was that through her literature, her cinema and her music, America always seemed to emerge from adversity even greater and stronger; that instead of causing America to doubt herself, such ordeals only strengthened her belief in her values.
What makes America strong is the strength of this ideal that is shared by all Americans and by all those who love her because they love freedom.

America's strength is not only a material strength, it is first and foremost a spiritual and moral strength. No one expressed this better than a black pastor who asked just one thing of America: that she be true to the ideal in whose name he—the grandson of a slave—felt so deeply American. His name was Martin Luther King. He made America a universal role model.

The world still remembers his words—words of love, dignity and justice. America heard those words and America changed. And the men and women who had doubted America because they no longer recognized her began loving her again.

Fundamentally, what are those who love America asking of her, if not to remain forever true to her founding values?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today as in the past, as we stand at the beginning of the 21st century, it is together that we must fight to defend and promote the values and ideals of freedom and democracy that men such as Washington and Lafayette invented together.

Together we must fight against terrorism. On September 11, 2001, all of France—petrified with horror—rallied to the side of the American people. The front-page headline of one of our major dailies read: "We are all American." And on that day, when you were mourning for so many dead, never had America appeared to us as so great, so dignified, so strong. The terrorists had thought they would weaken you. They made you greater. The entire world felt admiration for the courage of the American people. And from day one, France decided to participate shoulder to shoulder with you in the war in Afghanistan. Let me tell you solemnly today: France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes, because what's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance. For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, because we are not afraid of this barbarism. America can count on France.

Together we must fight against proliferation. Success in Libya and progress under way in North Korea shows that nuclear proliferation is not inevitable. Let me say it here before all of you: The prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The Iranian people is a great people. It deserves better than the increased sanctions and growing isolation to which its leaders condemn it. Iran must be convinced to choose cooperation, dialogue and openness. No one must doubt our determination.

Together we must help the people of the Middle East find the path of peace and security. To the Israeli and Palestinian leaders I say this: Don't hesitate! Risk peace! And do it now! The status quo hides even greater dangers: that of delivering Palestinian society as a whole to the extremists that contest Israel's existence; that of playing into the hands of radical regimes that are exploiting the deadlock in the conflict to destabilize the region; that of fueling the propaganda of terrorists who want to set Islam against the West. France wants security for Israel and a State for the Palestinians.

Together we must help the Lebanese people affirm their independence, their sovereignty, their freedom, their democracy. What Lebanon needs today is a broad-based president elected according to the established schedule and in strict respect of the Constitution. France stands engaged alongside all the Lebanese. It will not accept attempts to subjugate the Lebanese people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

America feels it has the vocation to inspire the world. Because she is the most powerful country in the world. Because, for more than two centuries, she has striven to uphold the ideals of democracy and freedom. But this stated responsibility comes with duties, the first of which is setting an example.

Those who love this nation which, more than any other, has demonstrated the virtues of free enterprise expect America to be the first to denounce the abuses and excesses of a financial capitalism that sets too great a store on speculation. They expect her to commit fully to the establishment of the necessary rules and safeguards. The America I love is the one that encourages entrepreneurs, not speculators.

Those who admire the nation that has built the world's greatest economy and has never ceased trying to persuade the world of the advantages of free trade expect her to be the first to promote fair exchange rates. The yuan is already everyone's problem. The dollar cannot remain solely the problem of others. If we're not careful, monetary disarray could morph into economic war. We would all be its victims.

Those who love the country of wide open spaces, national parks and nature reserves expect America to stand alongside Europe in leading the fight against global warming that threatens the destruction of our planet. I know that each day, in their cities and states, the American people are more aware of the stakes and determined to act. This essential fight for the future of humanity must be all of America's fight.

Those who have not forgotten that it was the United States that, at the end of the Second World War, raised hopes for a new world order are asking America to take the lead in the necessary reforms of the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and the G8. Our globalized world must be organized for the 21st century, not for the last century. The emerging countries we need for global equilibrium must be given their rightful place.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to express one last conviction: Trust Europe.

In this unstable, dangerous world, the United States of America needs a strong, determined Europe. With the simplified treaty I proposed to our partners, the European Union is about to emerge from 10 years of discussions on its institutions and 10 years of paralysis. Soon it will have a stable president and a more powerful High Representative for foreign and security policy, and it must now reactivate the construction of its military capacities.

The ambition I am proposing to our partners is based on a simple observation: There are more crises than there are capacities to face them. NATO cannot be everywhere. The EU must be able to act, as it did in the Balkans and in the Congo, and as it will tomorrow on the border of Sudan and Chad. For that the Europeans must step up their efforts.

My approach is purely pragmatic. Having learned from history, I want the Europeans, in the years to come, to have the means to shoulder a growing share of their defense. Who could blame the United States for ensuring its own security? No one. Who could blame me for wanting Europe to ensure more of its own security? No one. All of our Allies, beginning with the United States, with whom we most often share the same interests and the same adversaries, have a strategic interest in a Europe that can assert itself as a strong, credible security partner.

At the same time, I want to affirm my attachment to NATO. I say it here before this Congress: The more successful we are in the establishment of a European Defense, the more France will be resolved to resume its full role in NATO.

I would like France, a founding member of our Alliance and already one of its largest contributors, to assume its full role in the effort to renew NATO's instruments and means of action and, in this context, to allow its relations with the Alliance to evolve.

This is no time for theological quarrels but for pragmatic responses to make our security tools more effective and operational in the face of crises. The EU and NATO must march hand in hand.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to be your friend, your ally and your partner. But a friend who stands on his own two feet. An independent ally. A free partner.

France must be stronger. I am determined to carry through with the reforms that my country has put off for all too long. I will not turn back, because France has turned back for all too long. My country has enormous assets. While respecting its unique identity, I want to put it into a position to win all the battles of globalization. I passionately love France. I am lucid about the work that remains to be accomplished.

It is this ambitious France that I have come to present to you today. A France that comes out to meet America to renew the pact of friendship and the alliance that Washington and Lafayette sealed in Yorktown.

Together let us be worthy of their example, let us be equal to their ambition, let us be true to their memories!

Long live the United States of America!

Vive la France!

Long live French-American friendship!

The "L" Word

Although I have zero free time, this article was so good I just had to pass it along. Enjoy!

Clueless
The New Republic
Editorial: November 5, 2007 issue; P. 1

Forget "liberal": Given a few more weeks like the ones congressional Democrats just endured, and the dreaded L-word they'll be struggling to shake is "losers." Children's health care, government spying, the atrocities of the Ottoman Empire, the toxic ramblings of Representative Pete Stark--you name the issue, Dems managed to get their clocks cleaned in the P.R. battle with a fractured Republican minority led by a lame-duck president only marginally more popular with the American public than Chinese toy manufacturers.

Indeed, watching Democrats' political advantage dissolve virtually overnight has been a bit like sitting through one of those Very Bad Day comedy movies, in which the hapless hero loses his job, his wife, and his faithful dog all before dinnertime, getting himself arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct in the process. On October 17, backed into a corner by the fancy procedural footwork of Republicans, House Democrats were forced to pull legislation aimed at scaling back the expanded wiretapping powers Congress granted President Bush in August. That same day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi felt compelled to walk back her pledge to call a House vote on whether the Ottoman Empire's slaughter of Armenians during World War I officially qualified as genocide--a matter of little interest to American voters but of such intense concern to our Turkish allies that even many Democrats had abandoned Pelosi on the issue. The next day, Pelosi's caucus also failed to override President Bush's veto of the bill reauthorizing and expanding the wildly popular s-chip program that provides health care to poor children. More galling still, in the heat of the s-chip debate, California Democrat Pete Stark let loose a tirade about how Republicans refused to fund health care but were content to let our military men and women be shipped off to Iraq to "get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." As a result, rather than spending their post-vote hours spotlighting the uncompassionate conservatism of today's GOP, Democratic leaders found themselves beset by Republican calls for Stark's head. All told, it was enough to make you long for the comparatively carefree days of September's "General Betray Us" scandal.

Not to kick a party when it's down, but what in God's name is wrong with congressional Dems? It's one thing to lose all your battles when you're the beleaguered minority crushed beneath the boot heel of a well-liked commander-in-chief and a power-mad congressional majority. But, when you can't manage to win even one lousy spin cycle under the current politically felicitous circumstances, voters are going to start wondering if you simply don't have what it takes to govern--if perhaps you really do deserve that 25 percent approval rating.

To be fair, the party is in a tough spot, having essentially regained power on a promise to get us out of Iraq, only to find that ending a war isn't exactly an easy task. And some Dems are whining about the continued difficulty of getting anything done when the party has only a slim majority in the House and an even narrower edge in the Senate--while dealing with a president who doesn't seem to understand that he is supposed to quietly sit out the rest of his term in the White House gym. If the Republicans aren't willing to play nice, what's a well-intentioned Democrat to do?

Grow a pair--that's what. Whatever concrete challenges Democrats face, there is no excuse for the party being repeatedly, consistently outgunned in the area of pure public relations. In part, this can be blamed on Dems' talent for picking the wrong battles. Yes, genocide is a terrible thing. But sticking one's finger in the eye of a major (and temperamental) Muslim ally for the sake of symbolically denouncing atrocities committed nearly a century ago by a political entity that no longer exists suggests a troubling inability to prioritize. Worse yet, when a majority of Armenian-Americans reside in the home state of the House speaker, it opens one up to charges of naked pandering.

Equally disturbing, you get the sense that Democrats still don't grasp the extent to which Republicans regard congressional politics as war. Or maybe they do get it (one would hope so, after the past few years) but lack the stomach for the fight, whether because of some high-minded notion of congressional comity or some self-congratulatory sense of their superior character. Either way, they need to wake up and smell the napalm. House Republicans are proudly committed to thwarting Dems at every turn, and their success in tying up the wiretapping bill was no fluke. Minority members have assembled a working group known as the Floor Action Team--or FAT--charged with learning how to use the House's most arcane rules to derail legislative progress. Classy? Not especially. Effective? Clearly.

It's not as though Dems are completely clueless. In the midst of her Very Bad Week, Pelosi sent a letter to her caucus announcing a P.R. push to improve the party's image before the accelerating presidential race pushes Congress off stage. Hoping to remind the public of all the things the 110th has achieved thus far--ethics reform, a bump in the minimum wage, an increase in student aid--House Dems are being instructed to hold more town-hall meetings and press conferences, as well as to up the flow of e-mail and snail mail to constituents. Majority Whip James Clyburn will track which members are the most enthusiastic cheerleaders.

But the next few weeks are likely to bring more heated confrontations than outright victories. (Bush has, among other things, vowed to veto upcoming spending bills.) And, unless Dems get better at the crucial spin battles-- especially in cases when things don't break their way--they aren't going to have a majority to squander for very long.

A Long Time Coming

So you might be able to tell by the number of posts so far this month (I believe this makes a grand total of 2), but the last 28 days have been one of the most stressful, exhausting, insanely busy months of my life. Thankfully though, we are now nearing the end of that adventure, and were able to spend the weekend starting the move into our new house.

Our contractor finally finished staining the hardwood floors in the main level on Thursday, so we started moving little things in Friday night, and spent the rest of the weekend taking trips over with cars loaded full of still-packed boxes from our last move. We just got back from our last trip, and we'll take a couple more trips tomorrow after work. Tuesday night will be just Brian and Rob since I have choir, and Wednesday morning we have movers coming to move the furniture. If all goes as planned, we'll spend our first night in our new house on Wednesday!

It will be so nice to finally be moved in. It started looking like a house again about a week ago once they finished painting, and now all the finishing touches are going into place. We still won't have a master bathroom for another week or two, and the English Basement isn't finished yet, but it's almost there, and I am so relieved.

More pictures and updates to come soon, I promise. I just need a few days to breathe. :)

Amazing

That's the only word I can use to describe last night and Thursday night.

I'm singing with the Choral Arts Society of Washington again this year, and we had our first performances this weekend. We performed Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Slatkin. It was my first time ever performing Beethoven's 9th, and to get to do it with the NSO in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Brian, Becky and Robbie got to come on Saturday night, which meant so much to me. It's always so much better performing for people you love.

Music is one of my great loves. I've been singing and playing the piano and performing with different choirs and other groups since I can remember, and it's the one thing that truly feeds my soul. I'm still a little jealous of my friends who were able to pursue music as a career (I hate [love] you Doug!). But it is wonderful to be able to continue performing, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity. I always feel so energized and refreshed after a performance. It's such a wonderful outlet and escape from the stress of daily life.

Here's a little bit of the performance for those of you who weren't able to be there (I'm 3rd from the left in the 2nd row):



Our next performance is a concert of all Russian music, which is probably the most difficult language to sing other than maybe Czech. It is gorgeous, though, and so emotional and expressive. That's our only concert before Christmas, which I am so excited about! I LOVE Christmas music!!

On that note, the leaves are starting to change and I stepped on my first crunchy leaf of the year last week... I'm so excited for fall! There was a wonderful chill in the air for about 2 weeks, but then apparently the weather decided it missed summer and so has decided to revert back to 90 degree heat with awful humidity. I am not a happy camper. Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in DC (other than Spring and Winter), and I'm feeling a bit shortchanged. Oh well. I hear it's supposed to snow for Christmas this year, which should definitely make up for it. Did I mention I love Christmas here? 'Cause I do. A lot. :)

Sorry for the tangent. I'm going to head to bed now... even though I don't have to go to work in the morning! (Yay for federal holidays!!) Night everyone!

Our New House!

We bought a house! We closed escrow on Friday and it will take about 2 weeks for the initial work to be finished. We're basically restoring the original floor plan by getting rid of all the terrible decisions the previous owners made that destroyed the integrity of this beautiful historic home (random walls, raised floors, etc.). Once the work is done, then we can move in!

Here's a picture of the outside...

Here's the view down the street...

The absolute best thing about the house is the location. It's about 2 blocks from the Capitol, 1 block from my office, 2 blocks from the Metro, and has views of the Washington Monument out the front window. I am so excited!! I took tons of "before" pictures so that we can see the difference when it's completely finished, so I'll be sure to keep you all posted!

The Truth about Fresno

Regarding Jim Boren's recent article (a definite must-read)... I have to congratulate The Bee on publishing what is probably the most honest assessment of Fresno I have ever read. I'm usually not a big Bee cheerleader, but kudos to them for having the guts to speak the truth to power - especially in a city that seems to be allergic to the truth at the expense of the city and its citizens.

I was born and raised in Fresno, graduated from Fresno Pacific, and moved to Washington DC after graduation where I lived and worked for 2 years. I then naively thought that I could come back to my hometown and be able to be taken seriously -- maybe even make a positive difference -- as a young woman with an excellent education and management-level experience in something other than data entry. Wow, was I wrong.

The Good Old Boys are alive and well in Fresno, and unfortunately, their quest for self-preservation has driven away or silenced some of the most intelligent, creative young minds that Fresno has produced (and when I say "creative." I don't mean all the artsy-types; I mean people who actually work for a living, and not as teachers). This "leadership" has clearly demonstrated that they are incapable of effecting any kind of real, positive change, but they are so invested in the status quo that they won't let anyone else even try. The irony is that once these changes happen, it will affect everyone's bottom line (not to mention quality of life) in a positive way. But then, it would take long-term vision for someone to realize that -- something obviously lacking in the current group of "All the Same People" now running the city.

Unless these folks either go away or wake up, Fresno will eventually die economically because people like me get so fed up with the ineptitude of the city establishment that we see no reason to stay, especially when we can easily find and move to other cities that welcome us and allow us to grow and thrive, both professionally and personally.

Unfortunately, the dirty little secret is that I would have liked to stay in Fresno and be closer to my family and friends, if only Fresno had given me a reason to stay (a good economy, decent jobs, things to do after 8pm, a fun downtown, less corruption). But it didn't, so I didn't. I hope that someday the leadership of the city will realize that preserving the status quo will eventually mean not having a city to run. I would love to see Fresno adopt some of the proven strategies that have made cities like Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, and San Diego, CA such great places to live. But again, I'm probably being naive.

Let's hope people keep speaking the truth.

Quick Update

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post a quick update on non-news-related life events...

Brian's parents came into town on Friday and will be here until Wednesday night. It's the first time they've ever been to Washington, and the first time they've come to visit us since we moved here 3 years ago.

One of my absolute favorite things is seeing the city with people who have never seen it before. There's just something about seeing the Capitol, the monuments, the Supreme Court, and all the other beautiful and awe-inspiring symbols of our nation with someone who is seeing them for the first time. It reminds me to take time to appreciate getting to live in such a beautiful city that people come from all over the world to visit, and walking past landmarks on my way to work that people dream their whole lives of seeing.

On Friday night we did my favorite thing to do with "new people" - take a driving tour of the city at night, when all the monuments and buildings are lit up. The city takes on a completely different feeling at night... almost magical, and very dramatic. I love it.

Saturday we all went over our soon-to-be new house (!) and spent about 3 hours with our contractor, our realtor (both of which are fantastic), and Brian's parents going over all the renovations we're going to be starting as soon as we close escrow on Friday. The prior owners basically destroyed the integrity of the house, so we're going to be getting rid of all their awful choices and try to restore it back to its original 1875-era beauty (with some modern conveniences, of course). Oh, and we get to live there! I'm pretty excited about that, too. Not only is it about a 3 minute walk to my office and 2 blocks from the Metro, it's 2 blocks from the Capitol and has views of the Washington Monument. Not that I'm bragging. Well, okay, maybe just a little.

Saturday night we went to dinner at our favorite Irish Pub in Old Town Alexandria (Pat Troy's), then had dessert at La Madeleine (one of my all-time favorites).

Yesterday we drove down GW Parkway and went to Mount Vernon. It could not have been a more perfect, beautiful day for it. After that we had dinner at La Tasca and went through two pitchers of Sangria between the four of us, so we were all feeling pretty good afterward. Today they're doing the Tourmobile and we're going to get together for dinner at Ruth's Chris tonight after Brian and I get off work.

So that's the latest. I'm starting to get pretty excited, but also pretty stressed out about the house stuff, and balancing all of that with stresses and demands of work and making sure I see my husband every now and then. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I know how beautiful it will be when it's all finished, which is comforting. I'll be sure to post some before and after pictures and keep you all posted!

Bush on Iraq

Here is the full transcript of President Bush's address last night regarding Iraq.

Kudos to our troops and commanders who have worked so hard to turn the tide in Iraq and are now seeing success. We owe you more than we can ever repay.

News Digest

The House Republican Conference (www.gop.gov) sends out news clips every morning for all of us aspiring wonks on the Hill. Today's were especially interesting, so I thought I'd pass them along for all of you to enjoy...


House Republican Conference Morning Clips – Friday, 9/14

Iraq
LA Times
Bush redefines 'victory'
Troop cut could be less than reported
Big N.Y. Times discount for MoveOn.org Betray Us ad
Bandow and Hewitt: Rethinking the war on terrorism
Opinion: Debating Iraq? Pop a pill first

NY Times
Success Allows Gradual Troop Cuts, Bush Says
Multiple Messages and Audiences
Why Officers Differ on Troop Reduction
Number of Soldiers to Be Left in Iraq Remains Unclear
Editorial: No Exit, No Strategy

Wall Street Journal
President Sees 'Enduring' Role For U.S. in Iraq
Brothers in Arms: Sheik Backs U.S., Sibling Is Suspect
Opinion: 'Media Is Half the Battle'
Strassel: Political Surge

USA Today
Analysis: Bush Buys More Time on Iraq
Dems Vow to Fight Bush “endless” Strategy in Iraq
Bush: Continue US Presence in Iraq
Editorial: In for the long term? Maybe, but not with a blank check

CQ Today
Bush Attempts to Shore Up Support

The Hill
Bush: Surge allows some troops to come home

Investor’s Business Daily
Editorial: The Democrats’ Moral BankruptcyEditorial: Subsidizing Sedition

The Washington Times
Op-Ed: Political tug of war
Op-Ed: Digesting the dual reportsBush to start pullout
War policy change gives GOP momentum for ‘08

The Washington Post
Editorial: The Least Bad Plan
Krauthammer: A ‘Realistic Chance’ for Success
Robinson: Patchwork in Progress?
GOP Moderates React with Concern
Fact Checking the President
Bush Tells Nation He Will Begin to Roll Back ‘Surge’
Bomb Kills a Key Sunni Ally of U.S.

Associated Press
Attack kills U.S. ally in Iraq al Qaeda fight

New York Post
Rep. Putnam: The Risks of Running Away

Economy/Finance
Investor’s Business Daily
Editorial: Recession Antidote

Christian Science Monitor
Credit crunch likely to spur GOP reforms

International Relations
Investor’s Business Daily
Editorial: Bombs, Babies, and Bolsheviks

Christian Science Monitor
Editorial: Unpredictable Putin

Agenda
LA Times
Editorial: Democracy for D.C.

NY Times
Editorial: More Help Needed for Tougher Times

CQ Today
House, Senate Ponder Different Timelines for Temporary Spending Measures
The Week Ahead

The Washington Times
Rep. Tancredo: Protect America’s children

Administration
Wall Street Journal
Editorial: Borking Mr. Olson

The Washington Times
Blowing a chance for a smackdown

The Washington Post
Gonzales Ready to Leave the Stage
Tree in AG Contender’s Past Could Needle Democrats

2008
LA Times
Brownstein: Republicans run right

NY Times
Angered by an Antiwar Ad, Giuliani Seeks Equal Space

The Washington Post
Editorial: The Presumed Favorite (M. Warner)
Dionne: Painting the Suburbs Blue

Items of Interest
LA Times
Opinion: Petraeus on Britney

NY Times
Sideline Spying: N.F.L. Punishes Patriots’ Taping

People
Alyssa Milano Scores MLB Reporting Gig

Observations

Very interesting analysis of the events of the past week...

Political Surge (Wall Street Journal)
Look who won Petraeus week.
BY KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL
Friday, September 14, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT

Had anyone suggested six weeks ago that the GOP would emerge from the Petraeus hearings on the political front-foot, they'd have been laughed at all the way to Anbar. There's a lesson here for Republicans, in particular those most worried about how Iraq will play in next year's elections: Good military policy is good politics.

That wisdom was a hard sell this spring, when the news out of Iraq was glum, the war supplemental debate raged, and dozens of Republicans were threatening to call it quits. The White House instead made an impassioned plea that the party hold tight through the summer and let Gen. David Petraeus do what they'd sent him to Iraq to do. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. John Boehner were subject to endless moaning and fretting and even a few senatorial mini-defections, but for the most part succeeded in keeping their political troops in formation. In July, when House Democrats forced yet one more vote on Iraq withdrawal, only four Republicans joined the other side.

And slowly, slowly began a trickle of good news: fewer car and suicide bombings here; fewer violent civilian deaths there; Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar and elsewhere who had joined with the U.S. against al Qaeda. These good tidings, and many more, were confirmed this week, as Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker assured the U.S. public that Iraq really is making strides both militarily and politically, and that the U.S. still very much has the opportunity to deliver victory.

The military commander also went out of his way to explain that it was entirely because of the U.S.'s growing strength on the military front, that we might now begin to talk about limited force withdrawals. This is what the vast number of Americans have been aching to hear--not talk of a dishonorable cut-and-run--and polls show they are increasingly willing to grant Gen. Petraeus, and by extension the Bush administration, more time to build on this success.

In short, the war is in a better place, and by extension those politicians who have supported the war are in a better place. The most obvious winners are congressional Republicans. The pressure they had faced to join with Democrats on withdrawal deadlines has now ebbed, primarily because Gen. Petraeus is himself advocating bringing troops back home--and from a position of strength. Those members who have fought the hardest for a principled stand in Iraq, say Sen. Joe Lieberman, are looking smarter, and will be able to tackle upcoming legislative battles--over the defense budget and a later war supplemental--with renewed firepower. One senior House staffer reports that some amazed Republicans are even allowing themselves to hope--should the upcoming months deliver as much positive news as the preceding few--that Iraq might be a "second tier" issue come the election.

The White House, for its part, has cracked itself a small opening to recoup some credibility on the war, and potentially revitalize what's left of its tenure. Few things are more dangerous than a weak presidency, in particular when it comes to foreign policy. A stronger President Bush in Iraq will hopefully mean a stronger President Bush on the growing regional threats of Iran and Syria. Continued good news also wouldn't hurt the administration's case on domestic security battles, say wiretapping or Guantanamo.

Then there are those Republicans who'd like to have Mr. Bush's job. Sen. John McCain stands to get the biggest bump, and his team is already noting that it was the Arizonan who for "four years" "consistently advocated for a new strategy in Iraq"--meaning, of the sort today yielding success. But in general, Gen. Petraeus's testimony has given other GOP candidates, in particular Rudy Giuliani, a chance to remind voters that he's stood for success in Iraq all along and that his Democratic opponents haven't.

Speaking of Democrats, they've conversely had a bitter taste of the perils of investing their political fortunes in military failure. Their decision to throw in with the antiwar left has left them with nowhere to go now that the better news is rolling in. That much has been obvious by the speed with which they've been blowing through new political strategies--each one less convincing than the one before.

The grand plan this summer was to claim the surge was a failure, no matter what Gen. Petraeus said. But then even some in their own party started returning from congressional trips to Iraq to report progress. Next up was to say that military success mattered little, given the lack of political progress. That became harder as reports surfaced of some political reconciliation. A final, desperate ploy in the past week was to besmirch the honor of a respected general, suggest he had "cherry picked" data and was a puppet of the Bush administration. That went over like an IED with the public.

Don't think it hasn't occurred to Democratic presidential contenders that their political terrain is also shifting, and uncomfortably. The likely effect of the Petraeus report is to buy the Bush administration another six or nine months in Iraq. Even if the general feels confident enough to follow through on his initial withdrawal proposals, an estimated 130,000 U.S. troops will remain on Iraqi soil come next summer or fall. Should the Democrats win the White House, those troops will be their responsibility. And they'll also take the blame if they cave to a politically motivated withdrawal that results in an Iraq that descends back into chaos. This unpalatable thought helps explain the bombs Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were lobbing at Gen. Petraeus this week.

Republicans would do well to absorb the military-success lesson, and quickly, because big challenges remain. The John Warners and Chuck Hagels of the world aren't yet ready to relinquish their self-proclaimed roles as "brave" GOP war dissenters; expect them to team up with Democrats on creative legislative language that might yet tie the military's hands. An even bigger challenge for Republicans will be to find the courage to follow President Bush's lead and make clear to the American public that true success in Iraq may involve a troop presence for many years.

That sort of public acceptance will be crucial if Republicans hope to weather Iraq next year. Yet that acceptance will only come if Americans continue to see success. That means giving the generals all the freedom they need to keep doing their job. Good policy, good politics.

Ms. Strassel is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board, based in Washington. Her column appears Fridays.

Side Note

Just to brag about my wonderful boss a little bit...
Forbes would make a terrific senator (Tidewater News)

Also, this is just for fun. Is anyone really surprised by this? Yet another black eye on the face of "unbiased" American journalism...

Fresno's Folly

Quick shout-out to my hometown on how the mayor's race is shaping up.

Ashley Swearengin would make a phenomenal Mayor, but unfortunately the Good Ol' Boys Club back home would be more likely to collectively jump off a bridge rather than allow an intelligent, articulate, competent, authoritative, attractive woman under 40 to be elected Mayor. At least that's my prediction after dealing with the mind-blowing backwardness that pervades most local politics there for the last year. I hope I'm wrong, for Fresno's sake.

It's too bad, too. She might actually change things for the better.

Move On, MoveOn

Below is an excellent op-ed from today's Wall Street Journal about the unfortunate and dangerous takeover of the Democratic Party by MoveOn.org. A definite must-read for anyone who cares about the future of political discourse in the United States.

Update: Another interesting analysis, this one from Politico.

Trashing Petraeus
The Wall Street Journal
September 11, 2007; Page A18; Editorial

Important as was yesterday's appearance before Congress by General David Petraeus, the events leading up to his testimony may have been more significant. Members of the Democratic leadership and their supporters have now normalized the practice of accusing their opponents of lying. If other members of the Democratic Party don't move quickly to repudiate this turn, the ability of the U.S. political system to function will be impaired in a way no one would wish for.

Well, with one exception. MoveOn.org1, the Democratic activist group, bought space in the New York Times yesterday to accuse General Petraeus of "cooking the books for the White House." The ad transmutes the general's name into "General Betray Us."

"Betrayal," as every military officer knows, is a word that through the history of their profession bears the stain of acts that are both dishonorable and unforgivable. That is to say, MoveOn.org didn't stumble upon this word; it was chosen with specific intent, to convey the most serious accusation possible against General Petraeus, that his word is false, that he is a liar and that he is willing to betray his country. The next and obvious word to which this equation with betrayal leads is treason. That it is merely insinuated makes it worse.

MoveOn.org calls itself a "progressive" political group, but it is in fact drawn from the hard left of American politics and a pedigree that sees politics as not so much an ongoing struggle but a final competition. Their Web-based group is new to the political scene, but its politics are not so new. More surprising and troubling are the formerly liberal institutions and politicians who now share this political ethos.

In an editorial on Sunday, the New York Times, after saying that President Bush "isn't looking for the truth, only for ways to confound the public," asserted that "General Petraeus has his own credibility problems." We read this as an elision from George Bush, the oft-accused liar on WMD and all the rest, to David Petraeus, also a liar merely for serving in the chain of command. With this editorial, the Times establishes that the party line is no longer just "Bush lied," but anyone who says anything good about Iraq or our effort there is also lying. As such, the Times enables and ratifies MoveOn.org's rhetoric as common usage for Democrats.

Late last week, for instance, we heard it said of General Petraeus that, "He's made a number of statements over the years that have not proven to be factual." This was from Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate.

The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos, said Thursday that General Petraeus would not be the author of his report; it would be written "by Administration political operatives." He opened yesterday's hearing, moments before General Petraeus was to speak, by saying, "We cannot take anything this Administration says on Iraq at face value."

So far, only two Democrats that we are aware of have repudiated this political turn. Joe Lieberman, already ostracized from the party for dissent, called the MoveOn ad an "act of slander that every member of the Congress -- Democrat and Republican -- has a solemn responsibility to condemn." And Joe Biden, after the MoveOn ad was read to him on "Meet the Press" Sunday, replied: "I don't buy into that. This is an honorable guy. He's telling the truth."

These are the exceptions. Another of the party's activist groups, Democracy for America, released a statement about the time General Petraeus began to speak: "It is offensive that our commander-in-chief has ordered a four-star general to mislead Congress."

As General Petraeus finished his statement yesterday, Senator Chris Dodd's Presidential campaign spammed an email about "the accuracy" of the report: "The fact that there are questions about General Petraeus's report is not surprising given that it was brought to you by this White House." Thus in Mr. Dodd's view, General Petraeus, returned from the Iraq battlefield, is a complicit ventriloquist's dummy.

Can this really be the new standard of political rhetoric across the Democratic Party? There was a time when the party's institutional elites, such as the Times, would have pulled it back from reducing politics to all or nothing. They would have blown the whistle on such accusations. Now they are leading the charge.

Under these new terms, public policy is no longer subject to debate, discussion and disagreement over competing views and interpretations. Instead, the opposition is reduced to the status of liar. Now the opposition is not merely wrong, but lacks legitimacy and political standing. The goal here is not to debate, but to destroy.

Today General Petraeus testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Its Democratic Members include Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Barbara Boxer and Jim Webb. This would be the appropriate setting to apologize to General Petraeus for the MoveOn.org ad. Or let it stand.

Petraeus Continued

In the way of a quick update (and as part of my futile but passionate quest to encourage Americans to make decisions based on facts rather than after-the-fact synopsis and spin) here is the link to the full text of Gen. Petraeus' report to the House Armed Services Committee.

I would encourage you to read it (all of it). Also, pass it along to your friends and family in order to educate people that there is more to what's going on over there and in the broader War on Terror than what you hear about on the evening news.

Petraeus Report

Well, the Petraeus Report hearing is happening less than 100 feet down the hall from my office in about an hour. One of the fun perks of working on the Hill: you get to wait for elevators with media types and capitol police with bomb-sniffing dogs. Fun times.

Wanted to pass this along, too. This is our good friend Pete on Fox News today. He's an Iraq vet and a really great guy. He's talking here about MoveOn.org's disgusting political ad in the New York Times today. I was livid when I heard about it. Regardless of your feelings on Iraq, calling a United States General a traitor, especially when your country is at war, is absolutely despicable, if not treasonous. I just (probably naïvely) wish that all the politics of this war would just go away, and people would instead spend their energy trying to help our country and our troops win.

Click here to watch the clip.

MoveOn Ad: "Absolutely Despicable"
Iraq Veteran: Democrats "Invested in the Fact that Things Must Get Worse in Iraq"

Anyway, that's about all the excitement for today. I think that's about all the excitement I can handle. :)

I Left My Heart in Clovis

Just a quick update on Nathan Hubbard's story:

Mr. Hubbard and Jason spoke to the media today for the first time since everything happened last week. I was on the phone with my mom yesterday as the casket was being driven from the Fresno airport to the Hubbard's house (which is 2 doors down from my in-laws' in Clovis). She was in tears. She went to the funeral home last night for Brian and I, to pay respects on our behalf.

This is one of those times when I really wish I was back home. It feels so strange to watch the news and see the people and places I love as if they're so far away. They don't feel far away.

Not All Dumbs Are Blonde

I realize that everyone and their mother has now seen this about a million times, but I just had to preserve it for posterity.

Enjoy!

Miss South Carolina attempts to answer a simple question and ends up inventing a new dialect of sentence fillers...



God help us.

The Art of Self-Destruction

One more for the road...

A Senator's Wide Stance: 'I Am Not Gay'
Best quote from the article: "Though he has been writing laws for the past 32 years, the senator spoke yesterday as if he lacked the most basic grasp of the legal system."

This story has been the buzz on the hill for 2 days now, but my take on this ridiculous mess is a little different.

Personally, I'm actually pretty Libertarian when it comes to sex and what one does behind closed doors (even closed bathroom doors). Honestly, I don't really care if he's gay or not.

I think the capital offense here is not hitting on a guy or engaging in "lewd conduct", but rather Craig's utter and profound stupidity.

Utter. And profound.

What U.S. Senator does not know that he should consult an attorney before pleading guilty to anything?! Or does not realize that police statements can be made public? Or does not know that he should consult with political and legal advisors when dealing with such a potentially explosive matter? Or does not realize that getting arrested in a bathroom stall for "lewd conduct" could turn into a politically explosive matter??! Seriously??!!

Bottom line: this guy is an idiot. And if it wasn't clear by his actions in June, he proved it even more by going on national television, defiantly trying to make lame excuses and yelling at the media for blowing [poor choice of word, sorry] the whole thing out of proportion, when in reality he was the one who acted like he had something to hide and they were just doing their jobs. I don't think anyone that stupid should be trusted to make our nation's laws. Although it might explain why we have so many stupid laws.

Side Note: All you aspiring political types should take a note on what not to do if you want to succeed in politics.

Here's some more fun bedtime reading...

Police Report (a must-read)
Craig's Official Statement
Issued Complaint
Register of Actions
Petition to Plead Guilty of Misdemeanor
From FindLaw: Complaint (Minn. v. Craig)

I'm curious what reaction (if any) there has been to this outside of the DC bubble. Anyone else care? :)

Stating the Not-So Obvious?

"...after doing lots of reading and giving it extensive thought, Karelis concluded that the reason some people are perpetually poor is that they don't have enough money."

That is an actual quote from what turned out to be one of the most insightful articles on poverty in America that I've read in a long time. I don't necessarily agree with his conclusion, but his premise is pretty spot-on. Let me know what you think!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082801669.html?hpid=news-col-blog

August Update

I know it's been a while since I've posted, and I'm sure all 3 of you who read this have been waiting with bated breath for the next one to appear, so here it is. :)

We've spent the past few weeks traveling, celebrating birthdays, settling into our new jobs, and cautiously testing the waters of the DC housing market. We went back to California for a week and spent one last wonderful and romantic day at Disneyland and California Adventure before our season passes expire in September. We also got to spend time with our families and some close friends to celebrate Robbie and Brian's respective birthdays. It was a great time. I still miss California and probably always will, but mostly for the people. I missed DC a lot while we were there, and I'm really glad to be home.

Seven hours after we landed back in DC (literally), I left to travel to my boss' district in Virginia. It was a really fascinating trip through a beautiful part of the country.

After one meeting we had with one of the cities, during which we learned how they had successfully revitalized their downtown, restored their historic buildings and brought in tons of new business, I wanted to go back to all the incompetent Fresno politicians and tell them to get their act together and just get it done. No rivers. No stupid trolleys. No more random art galleries. Just common sense economic incentives for housing and business, centralized planning and focused development on a concentrated geographic area. It's obviously possible if you have the right people with the right vision, and the results benefit the entire region. But I digress.

Speaking of housing, we may be buying a house soon! But I'll update with more details if and when everything falls into place for that.

I re-auditioned for my choir on Monday, and had so much fun singing again. I miss it so much when I'm not performing, and I love Norman. He was so encouraging to me. After I nailed the sight reading he even went into voice lesson mode and gave me some pointers, but overall he was very complementary. I'll find out in the next week or two if they have a spot for me.

My little sis is coming into town this weekend to visit us!! I'm so excited and can't wait to see her. She's about 11 going on 17, and I so love watching her grown up. I also hate it, but I know that it's inevitable. Sometimes I wish there really was a Neverland so we could have just stayed 7 and 20 forever playing all the time with no worries at all.

So that's the latest. Just working through the daily grind, catching my breath every time I walk out of my office building and see the Capitol, and saying a prayer of thanks that all things work together for good.

More to come soon... :)

Prayers Please

Brian and I would greatly appreciate your prayers this week. Yesterday, we learned of a horrible tragedy for our hometown and our families. One of his childhood friends, Nathan Hubbard, was killed in the Blackhawk crash on Tuesday that’s been on the news. The Hubbard’s live two doors down from Brian’s family in Clovis, CA, and they have been very close friends with them for many years.

Brian grew up with and was close to all three sons, another of which, Jared, was killed in Iraq alongside his best friend in 2004. Nathan, the youngest son, and Jason, the oldest, were inspired to enlist and go to Iraq in their brother’s honor, and they fought together until this tragedy on Tuesday. Jason was actually in a helicopter next to the one that crashed, watched as his brother’s went down and then was involved in the rescue effort. He is accompanying his brother’s casket home right now.

ABC News did a tribute for them on the evening news last night, and here are a couple of local news stories in case you haven’t heard any of the details:

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/119663.html
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=5599260

Obviously, it is an unimaginable tragedy regardless of the connection, but it is especially heartbreaking for our families right now. We would just really appreciate your prayers for their family and for ours. Brian’s mom, especially, is taking this very hard.

Thanks everyone!

Dems: Bad News = We're Winning?

It actually pained me to read this.

Let me preface my comments by saying this: I have many, many wonderful friends that fall on every point along the political spectrum (and no point at all), and I love them all dearly. They have helped me define my own viewpoints through many deep and insightful conversations over the years, and for that I am deeply indebted to each of them.

I am a firm believer that differences in political beliefs are merely a question of where you place your priorities (i.e. freedom vs. security, free markets vs. social justice, etc.), and that most people genuinely want to make the world a better place for themselves and their children. Surprisingly, working in Washington has only confirmed these observations for me.

Having said all that... I have never espoused very strong views on the Iraq war, other than to say that I believe it is important to defend America from our enemies, and if fighting Al-Queda in Iraq is necessary to do that, then I support our President's decision. There are a lot of very intelligent people with more information than I have making that call.

My greatest frustration when it comes to politics is when politics takes precedent over good policy, which, unfortunately is the case far too often. Sadly, I think this has been especially true when it comes to Iraq, and to me, that is one of the greatest tragedies of our generation.

Going back to the issues raised in that article... if I were a Democrat, I would be enraged that my party's leadership would so blatantly admit that for them, the politics of winning elections in 2008 are more important than our nation winning a war against terrorists, and that winning in Iraq would be "a big problem for us." (That one's courtesy of Rep. James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip.)

Regardless of your political leanings or beliefs about any war, the success of your country and safety of your fellow citizens should always be priority number one.

Unfortunately, comments like that aren't just transparent, they are reckless and dangerous when coming from one of the most powerful political figures in America.

Let's hope that his disturbing remarks are the exception and not the rule for Democrats.

A House Divided

In the way of a quick update, here are just a few of the articles that ran in response to Thursday night's fiasco in the House.

I found it particularly amusing that Nancy Pelosi felt the need to insult both Republicans and the legislative process itself when she called Republican requests to resolve the issue "frivolous" - even after her Democratic colleagues had admitted to the egregious mistake.

(From the Washington Post article:) Pelosi was unsympathetic. "There was no mistake made last night," she said. "Apologies were made for the early announcement of the vote," but the early announcement would not have changed the outcome, she added. Thankfully, her legacy and leadership are shaping up to be less than stellar... and even her hometown paper isn't singing her praises, and polls show that Democrats aren't exactly seen as the knights in shining armor they puported themselves to be.

In the end, though, Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer and his colleagues supported a measure that will form an investigative committee to look into the incident.

What America is Saying About The Stolen Immigration Vote
“Stolen Vote” … “An Outrage” … “High-Handed Tactics”

“It is particularly egregious for House Democrats to attempt to rescind the outcome on an issue so clear-cut as public assistance for illegal aliens.”

“Such powerful investigative committees are usually reserved for issues such as the Watergate scandal…”

"House Forms Special Panel Over Alleged Stolen Vote”

“The House last night unanimously agreed to create a special select committee, with subpoena powers, to investigate Republican allegations that Democratic leaders had stolen a victory from the House GOP on a parliamentary vote late Thursday night.

“The move capped a remarkable day that started with Republicans marching out of the House in protest near midnight Thursday, was punctuated by partisan bickering, and ended with Democratic hopes for a final legislative rush fading. … The agreement to form a special committee was extraordinary. Such powerful investigative committees are usually reserved for issues such as the Watergate scandal and the funneling of profits from Iranian arms sales to the Nicaraguan contras in the 1980s. ‘I don't know when something like this has happened before,’ said House deputy historian Fred W. Beuttler. He called the decision ‘incredible.’ …

“GOP lawmakers had marched out of the House chamber about 11 p.m. Thursday, shouting ‘shame, shame’ and saying that Democrats had ‘stolen’ a vote on a parliamentary motion to pull an agriculture spending bill off the floor until it incorporated an explicit denial of federal benefits to illegal immigrants.” (The Washington Post, 8/4/07)

"The GOP measure would have amended the agriculture bill to ensure that no funds could be used to employ or provide housing for illegal immigrants — about half of the 2.5 million workers on U.S. farms. … The move infuriated Democratic leaders, who saw it as a political maneuver to force their party's vulnerable freshman members to take a difficult vote that could be used against them next year on the campaign trail. … In a maneuver that recalled the high-handed tactics of House leaders from generations past, the Democrat lawmaker presiding over the chamber brought down his gavel, ending the vote…” (Los Angeles Times, 8/4/07)

“It usually takes several years for a House majority to overreach like Democrats did Thursday night. But now we see enraged House Republicans credibly accusing Democrats of stealing a vote, followed by a Republican walkout, the first in the House in years. …The short version: Republicans sought to send the agriculture bill back to committee to block federal employment and rental assistance for illegal aliens. Democrats supported these agriculture-bill loopholes.

“Glitch or no glitch, this was an outrage. Democrats at minimum were content to appear to tell Republican lawmakers that their vote and their silm apparent victory didn't count. On Friday, House Minority Leader John Boehner and Minority Whip Roy Blunt vowed to halt all House business except foreign intelligence surveillance reform and bridge-safety legislation until the matter is resolved — as they should. …

“A vote is a vote. It is particularly egregious for House Democrats to attempt to rescind the outcome on an issue so clear-cut as public assistance for illegal aliens. Illegal aliens who disregard our immigration laws should not also be allowed to enjoy public benefits courtesy of the American taxpayer.” (Editorial, The Washington Times, 8/4/07)

"…House Republicans remained spitting mad. At one Capitol Hill press conference, Republican lawmakers to a person, referred to the Democratic leadership as the "Democrat leadership" a subtle difference that upsets many Democrats because of the fondness of conservative bloggers to emphasize the last syllable. … Republicans framed the issue as Democrats violating the rules of the House as well their own rules in order to transfer taxpayers' money in the form of welfare benefits to illegal immigrants. If you're in the Democratic leadership, that's got to give you a headache.” (Chicago Tribune, “The Swamp” blog, 8/3/07)

“Vote cutoff creates furor in House”

“The trouble began about 11 p.m. Thursday, as Republicans tried to send an agriculture spending bill back to the drawing board. They said it needed to be altered to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining taxpayer- funded food stamps. Furious Republicans shouted ‘Shame, Shame, Shame,’ before leaving the House floor. Republicans want the vote to be reversed, said Cincinnati Republican Steve Chabot. ‘They don't count our votes any more,’ added Springfield Republican David Hobson. ‘They ran for these jobs and accused us all of holding votes open and doing chicanery to them, and now they're doing worse. Our people are just enraged by it.’” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8/4/07)

“Democrats Cheat On House Vote”

“We're laughing at this but this is a serious thing. The Democrats are hell-bent on getting these illegal immigrants here and making them voters. They're hell-bent on expanding the redistribution of wealth. They are hell-bent on getting them in here and getting them on our welfare rolls and the social safety net, which we, more properly, have termed here the hammock. The Republicans thought they defeated it last night, and I'm sure they did, and the Democrats just couldn't put up with that so they just stole the vote. The Republicans are not letting go of this.” (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/3/07)


“Republicans continued to steam … over the episode in which they appeared to be the winners by a 215-213 tally on a procedural motion designed to make sure illegal immigrants would not get certain benefits from an agriculture spending bill. … Republicans prevailed upon their Democratic rivals to establish a special panel to investigate the manner in which the vote was handled.” (AP, 8/3/07)

While You Were Sleeping

Anyone who doesn't watch CSPAN should start - you don't know what you're missing.

Last night just before 11pm, the House went crazy. And I do mean c-razy. Republicans were shouting and eventually stormed out en masse to protest the Democrats' procedural "oops" regarding a vote on a motion to recommit. The motion would have changed the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving government services, then send it back to the House for passage. I know all that sounds really boring, but it was insane.

I'm a total nerd when it comes to parliamentary procedure, and I realize that whoever is in the majority gets to run the show, but what happened last night was just plain wrong. Just because you don't like how a vote turns out doesn't mean you can change the vote, and then erase any record of what happened.

The only article on what happened so far anywhere in the media
Update: AP story (SF Chronicle)
Update: A Pattern of Behavior?

The video


Blunt's response this morning...