A final entry from Washington...
Friday was a busy day, trying to catch up with some of the Connecticut folks before they left the city for the return trip home - some interviews up on the Hill - and then lots of writing (three stories and the Sunday column for the paper).
Last night was take out pizza and relaxing. This morning it's pack up the car and make the return trip myself. But as I was emptying my notebooks yesterday, I came across an interview with someone who just didn't fit with any of the stories I was writing. So I thought I'd use the blog to tell his story.
His name is Mike Parker and he lives in Mississippi, although he spends quite bit of time in Wahington. Parker is a lobbyist with Welch Resources Inc. based in Alexandria, VA. He's also a former Congressman. A Republican congressman, no less. He served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989-99.
I ran into Parker outside Union Station. He was there to U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's victory party at the train station. My interest was peaked for a number of reasons. First, Lieberman's support from lobbyists was an issue in last year's mid-term elections. His Democratic challenger Ned Lamont tried to use that againt the incumbent - so here was a chance to talk to a lobbyist who supported Lieberman's indepedent bid.
It's also very obvious that the Nov. 7 election outcome did little to sway anyone's opinion regarding the junior senator from Connecticut. Those back home opposed to his re-election continue to be opposed. So Parker, who knew Lieberman as a Congressional colleague and worked with him as a lawmaker, struck me as someone who could offer an outsiders view of the senator and the controversy.
His opinions are his own - and likely those who have their own opinions will either disagree or agree. That's your choice. But here is what Parker had to say about Lieberman:
"He may be, I don't know the right word, but he may be the most morale man I've ever met. I can only think of people in my own family that I find that same level of morality."
"I've known him a long time. I worked with him when we both served in Congress and I've worked with him since I've left Congress. He's a very issue-oriented man. He wants to know exactly what the issue is, then he makes his decision - on the issue, not the politics of it."
"I've never known him to play the partisan game - not when I was in Congress, and not since. So I expect him to continue to do the same job he's done in the past. He's not someone who's going to change who he is. He does things for the right reasons. I think that's why people respect him so much. I really think that's something the people of Connecticut should be very proud of. In this city, that's not something you can say about everyone."
Time to start packing up the car...
Last night was take out pizza and relaxing. This morning it's pack up the car and make the return trip myself. But as I was emptying my notebooks yesterday, I came across an interview with someone who just didn't fit with any of the stories I was writing. So I thought I'd use the blog to tell his story.
His name is Mike Parker and he lives in Mississippi, although he spends quite bit of time in Wahington. Parker is a lobbyist with Welch Resources Inc. based in Alexandria, VA. He's also a former Congressman. A Republican congressman, no less. He served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989-99.
I ran into Parker outside Union Station. He was there to U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's victory party at the train station. My interest was peaked for a number of reasons. First, Lieberman's support from lobbyists was an issue in last year's mid-term elections. His Democratic challenger Ned Lamont tried to use that againt the incumbent - so here was a chance to talk to a lobbyist who supported Lieberman's indepedent bid.
It's also very obvious that the Nov. 7 election outcome did little to sway anyone's opinion regarding the junior senator from Connecticut. Those back home opposed to his re-election continue to be opposed. So Parker, who knew Lieberman as a Congressional colleague and worked with him as a lawmaker, struck me as someone who could offer an outsiders view of the senator and the controversy.
His opinions are his own - and likely those who have their own opinions will either disagree or agree. That's your choice. But here is what Parker had to say about Lieberman:
"He may be, I don't know the right word, but he may be the most morale man I've ever met. I can only think of people in my own family that I find that same level of morality."
"I've known him a long time. I worked with him when we both served in Congress and I've worked with him since I've left Congress. He's a very issue-oriented man. He wants to know exactly what the issue is, then he makes his decision - on the issue, not the politics of it."
"I've never known him to play the partisan game - not when I was in Congress, and not since. So I expect him to continue to do the same job he's done in the past. He's not someone who's going to change who he is. He does things for the right reasons. I think that's why people respect him so much. I really think that's something the people of Connecticut should be very proud of. In this city, that's not something you can say about everyone."
Time to start packing up the car...
posted by Ray Hackett at 7:41 AM
1 Comments:
Ummmm.... about those tough questions for your boy Courtney....?
Post a Comment
<< Home