Reporting From New York

The Grocer’s Daughter

Excerpted from Paul Johnson’s, “Modern Times”

“The watershed year was 1979, and the battlefield was Britain. After an unprecedented series of strikes, especially in the public sector, dubbed by the media ‘the winter of discontent,’ Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to become leader of a British political party (in 1975), became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister on 4 May 1979, having led the Conservatives to a 43 seat electoral victory. Mrs. Thatcher, soon dubbed by the Brezhnev regime ‘the Iron Lady’ (a title she relished), called herself a ‘conviction’ politician, as opposed to a consensus one. She implicitly repudiated much of Conservative post-war policy, and especially its tacit agreement with the Labour Party that whole areas of British public life, including the welfare state and the nationalized sector, were sacrosanct. Her first task was to curb the legal power of the trade unions which, as we have seen, had been growing steadily since 1945.”

Johnson goes on to describe how Thatcher used the “step by step” approach to dismantle the bloated economic system she inherited from her predecessors. Ronald Reagan wrote in his diary on 2-26-81 that during a private meeting in the ‘Oval’ with PM Thatcher, she expressed regrets for not doing economic reform, “our way-all in one package-all or nothing.”

In book form, “Electric Kool-Aid Historian,” Douglas Brinkley, pares down “The Reagan Diaries to an economical 693 pages. Mentions of Thatcher in it begin early on, and unlike other political figures, her name lingers on in its final few pages.

How to Write a “Top 5 Tips” List on Anything or The Art of Micro-Blogging

1. Number your tips! Visitors expecting to see a numbered list when they arrive are 100X’s more likely to keep reading if each tip is preceded by a number; preferably in order of 1-5 

2. Keep the list going! No one will keep reading a “Top 5 Tips” list if it ends with one. Hook your readers by adding a second tip.

3. Now that they’re hooked, leave them hanging. Deprive them of substance & they’ll be thinking, “Well, Tips 1 & 2 seemed to be in fair order; 3 sucked, but maybe 4 will be better?”

4. Insert Universal Humorous Anecdote Here

5. That’s it! You did it! They’ve made it all the way to tip 5! Now, just be yourself.

Mother May I?

Unopposed in the Republican Primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District, contender Randy Altschuler cemented his bonafides as a real vote-getter by locking in the nomination with a key, eleventh hour endorsement from…..his mom.

“As the proud mother of Randy Altschuler, I appreciate the opportunity to tell you why I think Randy is the best candidate for Congress in New York’s 1st District:

He has the drive, the energy and the determination to work day and night to be a Congressman that everyone in this district can count on to make their and their families’ lives better.”

While electioneering guidelines don’t specifically prohibit adorable baby pictures of candidates from being displayed within the demarcation lines surrounding polling places, team Altschuler is cornering the market on cute in other ways, pledging to run an A+ campaign that any mom would be proud to have pinned on her fridge.

“I learned about hard work from my parents,” said Altschuler’s mom, Sheila Brody in an e-mail to supporters. “And you better believe that I passed that same work ethic on to Randy and his brother!”

Even with Conservative George Demos out of the way, this late breaking endorsement still left Republicans with two ballot choices: did they darken the bubble for Mr. Altschuler, or Randy?

Wanting their candidate to be toughened up for the fall, the endorsement, though welcomed, raises more questions for supporters than it answers. Like, did Randy keep his room clean? What was the name of his first imaginary friend? Did he ever eat glue?

Born at the age of 55 into a doting administrative position, and rumored to be self conceived, Altschuler’s opponent, clothes horse, Congressman Tim Bishop, a five term Democratic incumbent representing Long Island Eastenders, beat Altschuler in 2010 by as many votes as it takes to fill a Harbes Family Farm hayride, will again face off against his Republican challenger in a rematch destined to be called the, “Beast in the East,” in what will be one of the most closely scrutinized, and politically thrilling congressional races of the 2012 election season.

A Devil in a White City

                                            

Witty, cheery, sometimes biting in her commentary, Julie Mason is often a burning bright spot in an otherwise drab, male-worn, landscape of mirthless political punditry.

Host of the POTUS channel’s, “The Press Pool,” on Sirius/XM’s  satellite radio, Mason helms a three hour long wonk fest she affectionately dubs, “The Cesspool.”

With access to a stable of some of Federal City’s most influential opinion makers, Mason specializes in puncturing the sound barrier of D.C.’s news media echo chamber.

“It’s a very male centric White House, this administration, I think a lot of his female supporters aren’t aware of that,” said Mason on Friday during an on-air interview with Sky News reporter, John Christopher Bua, disputing Bua’s characterization of former White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs. “He wasn’t great with the ladies,” said Mason of Gibbs, elaborating, “it’s a bit of a guy’s club over there, and so, Gibbs liked to hang out with the guys, and talk with the guys, and call on the guys, and it got to be a bit of a problem.”

Casting the present administration as a boys’ club isn’t a new refrain. Echoing similar sentiments revealed in Ron Suskind’s 2011 aptly named book, “Confidence Men,”  Mason, an experienced reporter and former White House Correspondent for Politico, built on that narrative, toggling her ire at current White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, “A good guy?” she said, again contradicting Bua. “I’m a little less forgiving, which sometimes rubs the listeners the wrong way.” said Mason.

Because, “The Press Pool,” isn’t a call in show, Mason is very responsive to listener feedback on Twitter, and deftly manages ways to incorporate it into her broadcast. As for rubbing some of the listeners the wrong way, well, she reads those Tweets on the air too.

       Scott Trever Dougan (@ScottDougan1)
@juliemason You are a font of DC conventional wisdom. I listen to your opinion, and know the opposite is true.
Fri Jun 22 18:52:24 2012

“At your own peril sir,” shot back Mason, jokingly.

For listeners craving inside baseball coverage of all things D.C., Mason delivers home runs daily, inviting her audience into the dugout to witness all of the behind the scenes cursing, spitting, and back biting that goes along with it.

“I think he’s doing the best job he can possibly do with the equipment he’s got,” said Bua, again referencing Carney. “Yeah, I don’t think he’s in the room for very much of the decision making,” said Mason, comparing him to Gibbs, whom she called, “the Barack whisperer.”

The Blond Bomber Bashes Bloomberg Beverage Ban

Former Mr. Universe, Dave Draper, on his website late last week, blasted N.Y.C. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial crackdown on carbonated beverages saying, “We the people don’t need another law, rule and regulation.”

Dubbed, “The Blond Bomber” in the late ‘60’s, Draper was a Venice Beach icon in the era now known as, “The Golden Age of Bodybuilding.” With a physique seemingly carved from sand, stone, surf, and steel, Draper, a clutch of bronzed beach bunnies perennially draped across his sun dazzled deltoids, graced the covers of countless muscle mags, inspiring an entire generation of soon to be bodybuilding legends, namely Lou Ferrigno, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Crediting Draper in a 2000 interview with GQ Magazine for a piece titled, “Pumping Irony,” the “Governator,” tells GQ columnist, Robert Draper (no relation), that not only had he, “wanted to look like Dave Draper but to live like him-to live in Southern California with all those great looking women on the beach and to be on TV shows and in film like him. If it wasn’t for him, I might not have had the determination to train hard and move: to America.”

At 70, Draper is still a mountain of a man, with an avalanche of opinions. “Sure to get into some trouble over this one,” said Draper in a recent Tweet, linking readers to a post on his blog bashing Bloomberg’s soda ban, “Let’s hear it for common sense and self-control and personal care!” writes Draper.

Admitting a “Big Gulp” has never crossed his lips, or a “Big Mac,” for that matter, Draper doesn’t even live in New York, but worries about what signals his own state of California might be recieving from its East Coast rivals. “The Big Apple, the Big Gulp and the little law that was…seriously. Soon the Golden State, the Giant Glub and legislation-lite delight…You’ve got to be kidding,” he writes.

Holding titles in all three of bodybuilding’s most prestigious competitions, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, and Mr. World, 1965, 1966, 1970 respectively, Draper’s expertise on nutrition is unmatched, and when it comes to sugary soft drinks, he writes that he is keenly aware, “of the evils that lurk therein: obesity, tooth decay, hyperactivity, acne, debilitating quick-fix sudden-satisfaction syndrome.”

Suggesting a less dainty approach than Bloomberg’s, Draper tells readers of his website, one that he’s dilligently maintained since 1999, “How about a delicate conversation with the severe offenders? That’s your plate, not a trough. That’s your mouth, a miraculous device for smiling, whistling and whispering sweet nothings, a delicate instrument for freedom of speech. It is not a chute to a vast cookie warehouse.”

And while Draper personally disdains junk food, “Still,” he writes, “It is absolutely absurd when powers outside us, outside our inner powers, barge in to govern what or how much we consume (crystal meth an exception).”

Follow Dave Draper on Twitter: @DaveDraper

Hat Tip via @CCTV101

Capitol Carnage

An inside the Beltway knife fight broke out on Twitter last Monday pitting NBC’s, Luke Russert, and WaPo’s, Gene Weingarten against @FishbowlDC’s, Betsy Rothstein. Joining the fray, the WSJ’s, James Grimaldi whipped up some Pulitzer Prize winning drama of his own, calling Fish Bowl DC, “loathesome, [sic]” and condemned its piece poking fun at a WaPo intern by name.

So square he’s got corners, Russert opened the volley with this maiden shielding Tweet,

Luke Russert (@LukeRussert)
. Take shots at us professionals all you want @FishbowlDC but making fun of an intern is a new low. @rosiepowers looking forward to yr work

Mon Jun 04 21:26:57 2012

No doubt nose deep in something scatological at the time, WaPo’s Weingarten, the ringing of the dog whistle still buzzing in his ears, took to Twitter to twist the knife:

geneweingarten (@geneweingarten)
.@fishbowlDC ‘s snide takedown of a Wapo intern is right out of their playbook: Two-bit, petty, cruel bullying. Kindergarten muckrakers.

Tue Jun 05 19:56:55 2012

Embroidered with manufactured moral outrage, a brocaded stream of Tweets and Re-Tweets, began unraveling from the fingertips of some of D.C.’s finest journo’s.

Then, Grimaldi piled on,

JamesVGrimaldi (@JamesVGrimaldi)
totally agree w/ @geneweingarten + @lukerussert that @fishbowldc is loathesome http://t.co/tLD5vTqx

Wed Jun 06 14:44:18 2012

WaPo’s Former Executive Director of Digital News Katharine Zaleski affirmed him,

Katharine Zaleski (@kzaleski)
+ the coward who leaked @JamesVGrimaldi totally agree w/ @geneweingarten + @lukerussert that @fishbowldc is loathesome http://t.co/I4oD5Kqj

Wed Jun 06 14:48:16 2012

Stoking the blaze, Weingarten cherry-picked an older, incendiary Fishbowl piece and RT’d it, keeping the flame war white hot. Never shrinking, Rothstein wasn’t about to retreat without leaving a fresh coat of blood on the walls.

FishbowlDC (@FishbowlDC)
@geneweingarten Fact is, Gene, you’ve been upset w us ever since we didn’t do an ass kiss writeup on that Washingtonian piece on you.

Tue Jun 05 20:15:43 2012

FishbowlDC (@FishbowlDC)
.@geneweingarten Gene, your avatar is a pile of poop. Enough said.

Wed Jun 06 00:21:33 2012

FishbowlDC (@FishbowlDC)
.@JamesVGrimaldi Right Grimaldi, and your reporting never involves internal docs - your assessment and double standard is what’s loathsome.

Wed Jun 06 14:52:44 2012

At one point, Weingarten warned Rothstein that, if everybody agrees she’s a snake, it’s probably best if she didn’t respond by hissing. Heeding that, Rothstein howled instead, taking a flame thrower to the whole joint with this.

And the chew toy getting her guts tugged out on Twitter all week, WaPo’s Rosie the intern, where was she in all of this?

Rosie Powers (@rosiepowers)
@FishbowlDC Thanks for the follow/mention!!

Mon Jun 04 21:39:46 2012

A Bridge Too Far?

Gushing over Representative Paul Ryan, and weak-kneed in the presence of Congressman Aaron Schock, boy crazy D.C. intern, Sara Vargo settles on NBC’s (c)hunky @LukeRussert with this, her opening salvo, Tweeted Monday night.

“@LukeRussert saw you on the bridge tonight, hope you had a nice run, my dog’s name is Moose by the way”

His run? I guess that’s what he means when he writes on his Twitter bio that he’s been, “Sweating it out in the streets…”

I imagine his implacable Fisher Price haircut, damp, but barely tousled; a girl, a dog, a bridge, a Tweet………..a blog post from some guy in N.Y.? Now that’s a bridge too far.

Aside from posts snarking how demanding her boss is, or entries marking the day she finally made some sense out of the amendment process, the rest of Sara’s clever little blog, “Only on The Hill,” reads like a series of drop-in lines for HBO’s “Girls.”

With insights any 9th grade girl with “One Direction” posters hanging in her locker would find riveting, like, how to avoid overheating when the elevator heats up with attractive male staffers, or how to appear serious when listening to serious political discourse, but the speaker happens to be a hot guy, maybe Sara’s political acumen would be better served by watching HBO’s, “Veep” instead. Think it, don’t say it Sara, and definitely don’t publish it on the Internet.

Obama: A ‘West Wing’ Presidency

While The Guardian’s, @RichardA and, The Atlantic’s, @c_good both smartly blog, “‘The West Wing’ Explains the Debt Ceiling,” and are citing this pithy explanation as originating from the mind of the show’s former writer/producer, MSNBC’s, Lawrence O’Donnell (Crazy Larry), a closer look also reveals the fingerprints of top Obama economic adviser, and current chairman of the president’s National Economic Council, Gene Sperling.

Presiding over the episode in question, “In God We Trust,” from Season Six, and many others like it, Sperling served as one of the show’s chief political consultants for hire; proving that in politics, fact follows fiction, while in Hollywood, it’s the other way around.

Check out this perilous episode description of, “Shutdown,” from Season Five:

“A disastrous fiscal crisis looms when the federal government is shut down after the president and the powerful Republican speaker of the house disagree over an extra two percent in budget reductions, trimming many of the president’s (Bartlet’s) key social programs.”

Sound familiar?

Advising President Obama through similar messes, it looks as if Sperling’s present consulting prowess won’t be garnering any Emmys this go around.

Check out Peter Funt’s original take in this 2008 WAPO piece: “A
Race Straight Out of a ‘West Wing’ Rerun,”