Promising Blossoming of Spring Edition

While it is still a weekend ahead of the National Park Services’ already bumped-up peak bloom date, this weekend past was still a marvelous opportunity to stroll through Downtown DC and over to the Tidal Basin in order to see the famous Cherry Blossom Festival.
     

After meeting two friends from work and combating unusually heavy weekend Metro crowds, I found myself in Downtown DC. After grabbing lunch from the delicious Five Guys, we headed over the National Mall to the Tidal Basin. There we found about a quarter of the trees were already in full bloom, with the rest of the blossoms just shy of coming fully into the spring air.

  
We wandered around the Tidal Basin, taking pictures like mad the whole way. We found ourselves first at that far-flung Greek temple to our third president, the Jefferson Memorial. After spending some time there, reading his rather radical political beliefs, now immortalized in stately carvings, we headed to the FDR Memorial. I was happy to note that the Park Service had turned on the water, which is critical in feeling the memorial’s intended effect, reflecting Roosevelt’s lifelong love of the sea.

I was also interested and pleased to see that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial is under construction. We peeked through the high construction fences surrounding the sight, only to see very minimal work has been done to date. However, the location is a quiet and beautiful one and it seems we are moving towards the final arrival of a long awaited memorial.
       

The day, in short, was a happy and relaxing change of pace from my rather tiring week. It is rare that I am in a place where I simultaneously have interesting people to spend time with, easy access to them, time to spend in leisurely moments, and a chance for some easy, relaxed conversation.
       
All in all, I must say it has been a week of delightful little surprises. From the chance to listen to Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg on Monday, to Ben and Jerry’s Free Cone Day on Tuesday, to my chance to attend two political fundraisers, my opportunity to cover a fascinating event on U.S. infrastructure and energy use, and finally to the chance to just wander around and enjoy the cherry blossoms, I’m constantly reminded of how lucky I am.
       
Now, as Easter approaches, Congress is in recess. Members head home to shore themselves up for re-elections, to explain their votes on health care reform, student loan reform, and financial regulatory reform. Watching these Members rush home to their districts, and listening personally to one or two pleas for campaign cash at fundraisers, I wonder how the country might benefit if we could limit the constant, 24/7 election mode for Members of Congress.
       
Unlike slower times, when Members were elected and sent to the District, where they focused on governing before having to make the long trip home to campaign for re-election, a great many of today’s elected officials seem to be engaged in constant campaigning. Forced to deal with a news cycle that never sleeps and partisan electorates hungry for answers and quick action, Members seem to spend less time here governing and far more time running for re-election.
       
Washington is a unique city, with a great many movers and shakers doing business within it’s boundaries on a daily basis. The city has so much to offer, and yet perhaps it’s most valuable offering is the fact that it often hosts 535 men and women representing every corner of the country. The city pulls together some of the most educated, most interesting people in the world. The city functions as a gigantic power center, and as a living museum, a monument to the American will. For any intelligent leader with a will to effect change, all these things should amount to more of a reason not to leave.

Of Man dates and Mandates

This past week commenced with a thrilling man date with my friend and roommate, Tom. The weekend weather was Washington’s willing first flirtation with spring time, and we headed over to Georgetown for a stroll.

One of the main objectives for our visit to the area’s oldest neighborhood was the Georgetown Barnes & Noble, which sets a new, high standard for chain booksellers in my life. Several sprawling floors with a massive and well-picked selection led to a solid few hours of reading and shopping. As usual, I began making a gigantic pile of the books which I absolutely needed to take with me. Also as usual, I had to then sit down and figure out how to boil a $100+ bill down to considerably less.

I personally was interested to discover that I was living out the quote by the famous Catholic Dutch theologian Erasmus: “When I get a little money, I buy books. And if there is any left over, I buy food.” I’ve concluded that living this way is worthwhile. Sure, I went without lunch that day and I bought considerably less groceries, but the works of H.L. Mencken, Edgar Rice Burroughs and D.H. Lawrence are some of the few things in life which can distract me from food.
    
And one way or another, things tend to work out. I received a gigantic care package from my girlfriend that actually qualifies more as a United Nations humanitarian aid program. 

  
Furthermore, I had twin, back-to-back opportunities to attend Congressional fundraisers this week. And fundraisers usually involve food: free for interns, and upwards of $1,000 for everyone else.
       
Fundraisers are interesting times. They’re essentially miniature parties, with varying levels of social comfort (usually dependent on the host and organizers), whose guests of honor are always Members of Congress. They are organized on a partisan basis, for obvious reasons. The attendees are relevant company and association representatives, people who represent an industry from the home state or an advocacy group allied with the Member over a particular issue. Sometimes, Washington feels like a very small town and cores of people recognize each other at fundraisers and clump together in a very familial circle that is hard to penetrate. Other times, nobody knows anyone in the room, which hardly limits these networking powerhouses.
    
As an intern, we are encouraged by our superiors to mingle, to make conversation and contacts. I have found this advice to be helpful, but in need of an addendum. The reality is, while you may be lucky enough to get a front row seat on some of the action on the Hill, you are in no way part of the action. This may sound harsh, but it’s a reality: these pleasant fundraisers, full of laughter, cheery drinks and delicious food are simply a slightly more relaxed version of a high stakes, high powered business meeting. In fact, I would say I’ve seen just as many important conversations, judgments and decisions made at semi-formal events such as fundraisers as I have in a formal, office setting.
       
For an intern, however, such events can be excellent learning opportunities. Aside from finding a guest or staffer who might be willing to talk to you, the opportunity may also arise to listen to off-the-record war stories from Members of Congress present. I was enthralled during one fundraiser this week to meet and listen to, personally,  a Member of Congress who held the presiders chair during the health care reform debate, which I (and the rest of the world) had followed so eagerly earlier in the week. 
       
It’s been an extremely long and tiring week, but I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly (as usual). In addition, I’ve been buoyed by several victories which our President has engineered and which the American people now stand to benefit from: health care reform and the creation of a new, long sought nuclear arms control treaty with the Russian Federation. Across the world, Iraq appears to have held a successful election, giving everyone hope that perhaps something has been accomplished there. 
       
The takeaway lesson learned here at Capitol Transmissions: no matter how long, exhausting, and grueling your week is, if you work hard in Washington, chances are there is someone who is working harder than you can even imagine. And a great deal of the time, such people are subject to derision and outright threats. I think that’s a fact that many cynical people outside the Beltway either don’t understand or choose to ignore, but would do well to remember.
       
Most leaders, especially those in public office here, understand the mandate they have been given, and they know what needs to be done. Our job, the job of the voters, remains the same: to learn what we can from serious, minimal bias sources and to make informed decisions about which leaders we send to the world’s most powerful city as our representative.

“Oh the weather outside is…actually, quite delightful.”

This past week has been more of a routine week at the office. I haven’t attended any hearings, and everyone left Friday with baited breath, wondering how the Reconciliation Act of 2010 and it’s enclosed health care and student loan reform would fare in Sunday’s House vote.
     
In a different sense, my fellow interns and I are a bit distracted by Washington’s pleasantly balmy weather. As a Mainer, I am shocked that a scant few weeks after snow drifts were still piled high around the area, there is not a single trace of it left, and the temperature has flirted with the low-70’s range all week long. The major downside to this during the work week is, of course, that instead of enjoying the loveliness of nature, you’re inside an office under the blinding heat of fluorescent lights.
     
This past Monday, The Washington Center’s Political Leadership Program took us on a tour of the U.S. Capitol, which included a special perk: a chance to walk on to the floor of the House of Representatives. I had been to the Capitol a few times before, and the closest members of the public are usually allowed are the Senate and House galleries, which ring the upper level of each chamber. This time, with the help of a Washington Center alum, we were able to walk onto the floor.

A few notes on that excursion: first and foremost, pictures were strictly prohibited, and so I apologize for not having cool photos to share. Second: the chamber is far, far smaller than television makes it look. I had noticed this effect in the White House, and found it true on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue as well. The chamber felt small enough that for a brief, confused moment, I thought we were in the Senate and not the House.
       
On another note: the chairs that are in place  (should Representatives ever quit the constant campaigning back home and come to Washington to actually use their chairs outside of events like the State of the Union) are quite comfortable. Little details such as that fascinate me, because it’s something you can never really find out unless you’ve been there, there is no information out there that I’m aware of on chair comfort in high-up places.
       
Of course, by the time you read this, a historic vote will already have taken place in that chamber, a vote that will extend health care to millions of uninsured Americans, prohibit the “pre existing conditions” excuse popular among insurers, switch student lending back to a more efficient system (away from the banks), and reduce the deficit by about $138 billion over the next ten years.
     
It’s interesting to me that these stand as the basic facts, reported through various established print (online and paper) media sources, and yet when I talk to people outside of Washington, all I hear is a wash of partisan, misinformed rants which seem lifted directly from cable news. If my time at KSCW and in this city has confirmed anything for me, it’s that cable news has gotten so deeply into entertaining people that it should never be trusted for nuanced, in-depth coverage.
       
A final, unrelated note: in a previous entry, I related my adventure over in DC’s SE district, near the Anacostia River and the now defunct DC General Hospital, which for years was the city's only public health facility. Well, it turns out that portions of DC General are actually used for a gigantic homeless shelter, the integrity of which has been questioned recently.
       
Now, it seems to me that the DC General problem would be an easy fix. The city could invest in making necessary renovations and upgrades at the facility for a relatively minimal cost, in order to continue providing a place for the homeless to go. I don’t know if this is the case at DC General, but I would also think it would be worthwhile to establish vocational/training resources at the facility for people to make use of, in the hope of moving them on.
       
But, I am a stranger here myself, and sadly my tenure in the city is already past the halfway mark.

One of the Vice Presidents at KSCW has a friend who is a member of the National Security Council. Aside from having that awesome title and responsibility, this NSC member also has White House staff clearance (and a lot of scary stories to tell). We were lucky enough to secure a few spots on an early morning South Lawn sendoff to the President as he boarded Marine One.

We arrived at one of the Secret Service checkpoints, had our information verified and passed through security.  As we entered the White House grounds, we approached the side entrance to the West Wing, where a man stood waiting for a car. I had one of those classic double take moments that always hits me when I’m near a celebrity. I looked a bit more closely and then tried not to make a big deal when I realized it was Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Standing alone, waiting for his car.

I readied my camera, but again, didn’t want to make a touristy scene. I did however, catch a rather useless shot of his back as he ducked into the SUV which pulled up seconds later.

From there we proceeded to a small, excavated area where the West Wing meets the main Mansion itself. This area was paved, set below ground level and seemed to be used for holding grills, equipment and other stuff. This is also the rather notorious "back door exit" that the Dalai Lama was urged out of after a meeting with President Obama. We waited here for about ten minutes (no trash or laundry bags present this time. But I did spy members of the cable news media, so: close enough), before we were taken through a corridor linking the West Wing to the Mansion, and out to the other side where the Rose Garden awaited us.

It was a beautiful day, really perfect in every way. Washington, shaken and battered by two record shattering snowstorms, was finally emerging into warmer weather. The grass was greenish, the fountain was on, the South Lawn was a perfectly sized paradise in the middle of the city. The land seemed carefully sculpted at each end of the lawn, creating small knolls to shield the area from the noise, smell and security issues that all percolate a few hundred meters away.

The president’s dog Bo was outside being tended to by Secret Service officers. Visitors stood near the Mansion, behind the rope line and watched. The press I mentioned above set up their cameras and boom mikes, just in case anything of interest happened. The weather was perfect, the temperature hovered in a strange 60 degree mark that allowed for jackets to be worn or not worn with comfort.

Marine One roared in from somewhere past the Washington Monument, came in close, turned to orient itself onto three pads for the wheels set into the lawn, and with a bump, it was on the ground. This of course, was after the powerful rotors sent bits of dirt, dust and leaves into onlookers eyes. But it was worth it.

Once on the ground, the waiting game began. The helicopter sat, its Marine pilots craning their necks to scope out the line the President would use in his walk from the Oval Office to the South Lawn. The crowd got excited and cameras were readied. This all proved premature, as the President took his time in emerging from the West Wing. I don’t understand what took so long, it’s not like he has anything to do right now. 

Finally, the President emerged and the crowd began clapping and cheering. This was somewhat subdued, however, for two reasons: the first being that dozens of digital cameras were in action, the second being that it doesn’t do much good to try and shout over the noise of Marine One (see also: Sam Donaldson). President Obama waved, walked to the helicopter and boarded. Moments later, several aides and an Air Force officer joined him, the Air Force officer holding the “football” case containing nuclear launch codes for the President’s use in case of attack.

With everyone on board, the Marine pilots cracked their strained necks and prepared for takeoff. Moments later, the helicopter was off the ground, headed toward Andrews Air Force Base.

A Day In The Life

It has been suggested that I provide the run through of an average day in the life of a Washington intern. Hopefully this can be of use for prospective students for The Washington Center, or for potential interns in general.

The work day in D.C. starts far earlier than what I call the triple-S back at school (Sleepy Student Stumble). Back at school, it is quite possible to roll out of bed at 9 or later every morning of the week. Here, it’s necessary to boot up a bit earlier, closer to 7 am.

I’ve completely given up trying to predict rush hour patterns on the Metro. The first few weeks I thought I saw a pattern: packed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday, the crush of people seemed to taper off a bit. But since the snowstorm, the seething mass of well-dressed commuters is about as predictable as New England weather systems. Or New Englanders in general, for that matter.

After getting motion sickness from a Metro system which refuses to use their Automatic Train Operator mode (in a faulty attempt to make riders feel more safe after last June’s Red Line collision), I arrive at my stop, where I make my way topside, down K Street (home of the American lobbying empire), to KSCW, Inc.

Intern mornings are spent summarizing relevant and important news items for our clients. These summaries are carefully edited, which is a great learning process for me, as someone interested in writing. Once these summaries have cleared our outboxes, we turn our attention to various special projects which firm partners or associates assign to us.

These projects usually involve a great deal of in-depth research. Interns at this level are generally expected to know how to do that research, how to pull out only the most relevant data, summarize that and present it in an appropriate and easily accessible format. I wouldn’t be surprised if over 50% of what I learn and read during the day is never really used, but that’s my job: to act as a human filter for the volumes of information made available for and by millions of users worldwide.

It seems that the fluorescent-lit, cubicle contained American office environment does something to people. It either turns them into power-tripping petty dictators, or it makes them question why they took their job in the first place, or it makes them revert to school children complete with pranks and child-like joy at simple things. I think I can safely say that, after a long week in the office, we are most susceptible to this last behavior. Whether it’s the joy of having Girl Scout cookies for the very first time, or having a competition to name a pet fish, or celebrating a Canadian hockey victory; we try and keep the atmosphere fun.

There are a great deal of out and about opportunities for us as well. In my work so far, I’ve been lucky enough to get to witness something I came to K Street to see: the lobbying process. Because lobbying has been so intensely focused on in the past decade or so as the boogeyman of government, I wanted to see for myself how the governing process works, from the business and advocacy angle, which is not discussed in any textbooks I know of. In fact, the best information available to the general public on lobbyists is from large media outlets, and it’s not always pretty.

What I’ve seen so far, sitting in on business lunches, strategy sessions and Capitol Hill meetings is this: lobbyists are a sophisticated class of lawyers, experts, former staffers or elected officials. They are there because they have connections and they know how to get ideas turned into law. They are hired by every group possible from every corner of the country, any coalition, association or alliance imaginable. These groups pay well because they are paying for the experts to maneuver through Washington for them and get results. While it is an atmosphere that has seen it’s fair share of corruption, I’m still hard pressed to find a better system for advocacy within our capitalist based economy.

When I've finished a day's work of research, taking notes, sitting in on strategy sessions, meetings or hearings of interest, it’s time to head home. My work for KSCW being done for the day, I turn first to any assignments from my Washington Center program or academic course. If the chance comes up, I’ll meet friends for a few drinks after work or we’ll do dinner together.

Usually once or twice a week, we’ll go to one of many, many fascinating events hosted in the city: from talks by public figures (such as Howard Dean) to cultural events (such as the Chinese New Year celebration), to Kennedy Center performances. All these night-life attractions are easy to find out about, and some of them are either free or open to the public (or sometimes both).

In general, my days are fantastic. Doing an internship, especially removed from your home school, is a delightfully refreshing taste of the real world, a world without classes whose legitimacy you question, a world where people and events run on time, a world of responsibility, independence and so much more to do.