DC

So I was in Washington DC from Friday evening to Wednesday midday and had some fun. Of course hit some of the monuments and museums. I must say, it's kind of depressing seeing our past great presidents and visiting war memorials. Not that I was expecting war memorials to be uplifting, but to see quotes about the horrors of war and the tremendous sacrifice makes you realize that perhaps war shouldn't be the first choice for conflict resolution. In addition, seeing momuments dedicated to truly honorable men likd FDR, Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson made me realize how much the office of the President has been forever tarnished by W. Monday I saw Bush's motorcade go by when I was visiting George Washington University to look at graduate programs. Bush was on the GW campus (for some reason during spring break?) to talk about Iraq. Tuesday, I went to a press conference by the Congressional Black Caucus on Hurricane Katrina (John Conyers and Jesse Jackson were notable headliners). Kind of cool.

Afterwards I had 2 moments of "It IS a small world after all." As I was leaving the building I ran into RT Rybak, in town for a major US Citites Conference. What are the odds that I would be leaving the Rayburn House Office Building at the same he was entering. So then I visited my congressional rep's office (Tammy Baldwin) and got a pass for the US Senate. While waiting in line, who should I run into? Former UDFL Secretary Pete Strohmeier. We waited in numerous lines for a loooooong time but got into the Senate Gallery to see them in session. Minnesota's favorite son Sen. Coleman was presiding with all the enthusiasm with someone whose been waiting at a bus stop in the rain for much longer than expected. We got to see all the stars (Clinton, Biden, Kerry, Lieberman, Kennedy who looks better in person, Feingold, Bayh, McCain, Santorum, Specter, Hutchinson, Lott, Frist) in action, and Sen. Cobrun (R-OK) walked past us while we were in line. They were debating some budget stuff, and there was constant chattering, and friendly banter across the aisle.

I'll get off my soap box now, so you can get back to your brackets. Pacific/BC is going to overtime which could destroy me.

-Noah