Mr NTodd Goes To Washington (Again)

It's Spring Break and as my students run to warmer climes I decided to head south to DC.  Little did I know I would bring the Vermont weather to the Beltway--sorry, Capital Denizens.

Snow on the Pink Mobile!

The big happenings this week are not actually at the House, but in Gaza as our 60-strong international delegation--including my friends Medea, whom I got to see for a hug and 30-femtoseconds of chit chat, Gael, Ann, Kit, and Jim--heads to the Middle East bringing gifts, peace and hope.  I'm doing unglamourous things like making nametags and bothering my state's Congressional delegation.  But at least this time I get the Penthouse Suite instead of the basement to crash in!

Got to Russell a bit early, so I went to the basement to check out the rotunda, where I first met the bulk of Senators back in 2007.

The plaster model of the Statue of Freedom that used to be in the Russell Rotunda wasn't there, having been relocated finally to the Visitor's Center as the security dude told me.  In its place is the exciting exhibit of old Senate office furniture.  I kid you not.

Millie still hasn't won, probably because of the media and the Electoral College and the fact that nobody knows who the heck she is.

Anyway, I made my way by all the historical furniture strewn about the hallways to Senator Patrick J Leahy's office for the Green Mountain Coffee Hour he hosts on Tuesdays in March.  There was a contingent from Norwich University, an OBGYN school, and ag extension folks.  Then there was me officially listed as representing Champlain College and Code Pink.

Leahy holding court on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?  No, regaling me with how he first met Heath Ledger.

Seriously, when I first met Pat, I told him that I loved his "star turn" in Dark Knight, and he told me that when he met Heath the actor had no makeup on.  Then they did his little party scene and that was the first time he'd seen The Joker all gussied up and was actually terrified.

So he re-enacts his "we're not intimidated by thugs" for me, then notes that Heath said it was great and asked what his motivation was. 

"I told him as a prosecutor I actually arrested two murderers. 'Really?'  Well, yes, but I had 20 SWAT guys behind me.  It was still scary."

Anyway, before all that I chatted for several minutes with Pat's scheduler and found out that her mom is in charge of a peace center at St Mike's.  Yup, did the networking thing and got her contact info.  Apparently she has a bunch of students who are gung-ho but have nothing to do, so we'll see if we can't give them a few boondoggles as we get Green Mountain Code Pink organized!

I also had a chance to speak with Pat's staffers who focused on appropriations and foreign policy.  I had to explain what Code Pink was all about, though they understood that there was a new chapter in Vermont and had a rough idea of the overall mission.  Discussed the changing message (anti-Bush, anti-war to pro-change, pro-peace), the Pink House, shortening the withdrawal window, rescinding the AUMF and general policy concerns.

I learned that the WH is still staffing up, which has made it hard for Lef staff to work with the Exec up to this point.  They're fundamentally giving the administration another month to get ramped up before they really expect to have any traction on issues beyond the stimulus--that was the same basic refrain I heard from Congressman Welch's office later in the day.

Given that it was the very first time I'd even interacted with Pat's office, let alone met the Senator, I was happy to get about 7 minutes of solo face time.  I had two main questions: how do we create space for him to set up a TRC, and is there still possibility of prosecuting the architects of immoral and illegal Bush policies?

He honestly didn't know which Senators we want to target.  Feingold is definitely a supporter, but Pat was unsure who might be persuadable at this point.  He's happy about Holder releasing Office of Legal Counsel memos, and agrees that the administration is going further than his subpoenas and moving faster than Congress usually does which potentially puts more heat on his colleagues.  My thoughts were that could enable the TRC, which could in turn enable prosecutions.

He said as a prosecutor his instinct is to go after the big guns and to give immunity to "the privates and corporals", but offering amnesty in the context of a TRC as he sees it means giving it to anybody who comes forward.  I noted that Bush would never admit wrong doing and he paused..."I've never met anybody happier to wallow in ignorance."  Then Pat admitted he would love to prosecute his "dear friend, Cheney."

He doesn't see it happening, though.  That's one reason he wants a Church-like approach.  I think he's either being short-sighted, or cagey enough to recognize that there's no political will in Congress to come anywhere near actual prosecution yet without all the narrative laid out by such a commission.  I'd like to believe the former is true since the assessment is clearly correct as I see it.

After some work at the House and other sundry detours, I stopped to warm myself in the US Botanic Garden. 

The Jungle was especially warm and humid, which was quite welcome to this Vermonter.

Everything was lovely, though I specifically recommend the African-American Gardens of the South exhibition.  After a recharge, I headed back up to the Longworth House Office Building for a drop-in to sound out our at-large representative.

I didn't expect to actually talk to Welch's staff at all since it was lunchtime and a totally impromptu thing.  Figured I'd just find out when there'd be a good time to come back but Cal, the legislative assistant I met last time, came out and chatted with me for several minutes.  Long and short: the Congressman doesn't have any specific position yet on a TRC per se, though he's always held that knowing the truth is important and necessary (which explains his extreme earnestness in pursuing impeachment *cough*). 

Nothing earthshattering from the visit, but I wanted to maintain our nascent relationship and reinforce the idea that I would be a gadfly.  Cal seemed surprised I was there at all without having made prior arrangements--I liked even the small amount of pressure one can apply when not giving the other party time to prepare.  Guess I'll follow up with my usual charming and effective missives before I set up another formal meeting.

On tap for tomorrow: Leahy's hearing, then lunch with an old prof before a meeting on peacemaking at Search for Common Ground.

ntodd

Comments

[Hecatedemetersdatter]

You completely rock

[erg]

Then Pat admitted he would love to prosecute his "dear friend, Cheney."

love that. makes me all feel warm and fuzzy.

[Karin]

Very cool. I donated money for one of the Gaza gift baskets.