Congressional Report

My report from Capitol Hill? You can’t get there anymore. The whole area is completely torn up. Some of it was planned renovations, some of it is the new “visitor’s center” they’re scrambling to build so they can funnel the public through a single entrance, a lot of it is security stuff, but basically the Capitol looks like one big messy construction zone, and if you have to walk from one side of it over to the other, you have to go the long way around, which is a major pain in the ass, especially on days like yesterday when it’s up over 80 and ya gets a little sweaty in the suit. Also, they’ve thrown up traffic barriers everywhere, so the whole thing has been transformed from the old Capitol that we all used to chant on the steps of to something that looks like a police state. The Iraqi prime minister (bonus points for someone who can name him without googling him) was there yesterday to address Congress, so security was hyper anyway. A few police here and there does in fact make me feel more secure; police every time you turn around makes me nervous. We’ve gone down this path without hardly a thought. On the other hand, I got through ALL metal detectors on the first try yesterday, which is a personal best.

In other Congressional news: Mary Bono. I don’t think I’ve felt that way about a member of Congress before.