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Worst Week inWashington
The Fix’s By Chris Cillizza W
hat do you do if you are a longtime Democratic House member just weeks away from a congressional trial over alleged ethics violations
that threaten not just your political career but your party’s majority? Why, you throw a party! Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York did just that
Wednesday at the Plaza Hotel in the Big Apple. It was a celebration of his 80th birthday, which was actually in June, and a strident statement against the 13 charges leveled against him by the House ethics committee. (Apparently overcome by the show of support, Rangel danced solo on- stage during the party, a moment — thank you, YouTube! — forever captured on video.)
His statement wasn’t limited to dancing while his party’s political for- tunes burned. With Congress back in session for a single day Tuesday, Ran- gel — ignoring pleas from his party leadership, his close friends and, most important, his lawyers — took to the House floor to deliver a 31-minute at- tack against those who would have him ride quietly into the night. “If I can’t get my dignity back here, then fire your best shot in getting rid of me through expulsion,” he said at one point. “I’m the guy that was raising money in Republican districts to get you
here,” he reminded his colleagues at another. Democratic strategists — already beset by a slow economic recovery, the flight of independents from their party and grim historic midterm election trends — could not contain their indignation. “The selfishness and arro- gance of Charlie Rangel has no end,” thundered one top operative. Republicans were gleeful, sending out releases and robo-calls highlight-
ing vulnerable Democratic lawmakers who had accepted (and not returned) campaign cash from Rangel. Rangel’s political kamikaze mission might be gratifying — in a score-set-
tling sort of way — for the New York Democrat, but a high-profile ethics trial less than two months before the November elections could undermine his party’s promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington. Charlie Rangel, for dancing onstage when you should be stepping off of it, you had the Worst Week in Washington. Congrats, or something.
Have a candidate for the Worst Week in Washington? E-mail
chris.cillizza@
washingtonpost.com with your nominees.
B
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010
Anchorage Daily News, he had become Uncle Ted, the most powerful Alaskan who ever lived. In the five years I covered him, the pork was flying to Alaska so fast it was impossible to track. As a newcomer, I na- ively asked for a dollar total of the proj- ects he’d funded that season. A total? Never, he said. “My opponents would make good use of that.” Instead, after each giant spending bill passed, he’d summon Alaska’s four Washington corre- spondents to his offices, where he’d bom- bard us with laundry lists of projects and figures, from tiny to sweeping, some of which you would have been able to find in the legislation only with a special decoder ring. He had his aides comb Alaska news- papers, on the lookout for credible causes to throw money at. One morning after an especially obese bill passed, I asked about a single $500,000 earmark, a twig in the forest. How did that get in the bill? A Stevens aide told me she’d read a story in my paper about a fledgling group of volunteers and thought they had a good idea. The group had never asked for money and had no inkling it was coming. “I’ll let you break the news to them,” the aide told me. “It’s really fun!” And fun it was. For five minutes I felt like Bob Bark- er giving away Cadillacs. Over the years, most portraits of Ste- vens have highlighted his anger. He did cultivate a fearsome image, trotting out his Incredible Hulk tie at key moments. Reporters — myself included — couldn’t resist this act, but it was blatant shtick. Rage was not his defining characteris-
Covering Alaska’s ‘Uncle Ted’ I
by Liz Ruskin don’t remember an Alaska before
Ted Stevens. I was barely out of dia- pers when he became a U.S. senator, and by 2001, when I signed on as the Washington correspondent for the
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES Former senator Ted Stevens of Alaska died last week in a plane crash.
transportation committee, boasted to re- porters that he wanted to rival Stevens as the king of pork. It was his hope that the Ketchikan bridge would earn him this crown. Still, Stevens loved sending mon- ey home, so he mounted his own fist- pounding defense of the bridge on the Senate floor. And with that, its stigma be- came his.
tic: Irritability was. Stevens often acted as if he’d been slighted, and his political defeats seemed to gnaw at him, some- times for decades. Late in his career, after losing one of many votes on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he told us that his 24-year battle to open the area to oil exploration had left him “clin- ically depressed.” Whether or not he meant it, the sentiment rang true: He sometimes spoke as if his inability to de- velop ANWR overshadowed everything else in his career. And then, on a good day, Stevens could be charming, chivalrous. He wasn’t a gloater, but when he had passed a bill he was proud of, he’d flash an impish grin, as if he were bursting to tell someone about his triumph. Alaska’s senior senator was, of course, notorious outside the state for champi- oning the “Bridge to Nowhere,” a nearly $400 million effort to connect Ketchikan to its airport on Gravina Island — and a national symbol of America hitting bot- tom in its pork addiction. The funny thing is, the bridge wasn’t really Ste- vens’s pet project. It was Alaska con- gressman Don Young’s baby. Young, when he was chairman of the House
CHRIS HONDROS/GETTY IMAGES
Opponents liked to say that Stevens, who turned 80 while I was covering him, was senile. Less hostile observers used to ask whether I thought he had gone a bit dotty. He hadn’t: He could remember in- tricate details of various bills, whether it had been days or years since they passed. Still, he was getting old, and some- times he groped for a word that refused to materialize. At one news conference, he raved about the new generation of un- manned aerial vehicles. A guy with a joy- stick in California could send a drone to circle an illegal fishing boat in the Bering Sea, take high-resolution digital video and then, Stevens said, swoop in low and “play a record” ordering the ship to pull in its nets. “Play a record”? This state-of-the-art
UAV would include a turntable and vinyl 78s? We reporters had a giggle at the idea, but we didn’t think the senator was out of touch with reality. At least not usually. Once, Stevens called a news conference in his Washing- ton office to tell us about his latest trip to Alaska. Near the end, he said he was proud to report that Anchorage’s Knik Arm ferry was now up and running. Really? The other reporters and I were
startled. Wasn’t that merely a gleam in a lobbyist’s eye? An urgent murmur went up among his aides. “No?” he asked them. They murmured some more to him, and he became irate. “Then what the hell was that thing I was on?”
Far more people remember the time he described the Internet as “a series of tubes.” If only he had said “pipes,” the metaphor Internet providers use when discussing the carrying capacity of phone lines and cable. The blogosphere went crazy, and the clip of his gaffe became a YouTube sensation and a running gag on “The Daily Show,” proof to the younger generation that this old dude who reg- ulated the Web thought it ran on vacuum tubes. Imight have told him that I thought it was all a little unfair, but by then he was no longer speaking to me. Our relation- ship had taken a dive after I started re- porting on some of his absurdly lucrative business dealings in Alaska. If he wanted to get rich, he’d fume to reporters, he’d quit the Senate. He’d go out and get one of those million-dollar salaries so many of his former aides were enjoying. Couldn’t we see the sacrifices he was making to be our senator? The federal ethics charges and convic- tion came in 2008, after my watch. Even though his conviction was tossed out, he lost his Senate seat, and I felt sure that his bitterness over the loss would kill him. It didn’t. Leaving a stately lodge in
southwest Alaska, taking a fishing trip in the company of well-known friends — Stevens’s death in a plane crash last week was the sort of death I would have expec- ted when he was at the height of his sena- torial power. He may not have been Sen. Stevens anymore, but he was Uncle Ted to the end.
lruskin@gmail.com
Liz Ruskin grew up in Anchorage and was a reporter there for nine years before becoming the Washington correspondent for the Anchorage Daily News. She now lives in Tokyo.
Note to the Obamas: You can have fun closer to home O
h, Michelle. You had no idea when you broke out that Fo- dor’s guide just how much negative buzz your Spain vaca- tion would create. And now you’re all heading off to Mar- tha’s Vineyard. Tsk, tsk, Obamas. When you’re living in one of the world’s culturally richest cities, why not cheap it out
like the rest of us in these woeful economic times? Not only would you score some political points, you’d also have fun and even learn a few things about the town you’ve made your home for a year and half and counting. And the best part: You can skip the five-star hotel and stay in some of the poshest public housing in the world — the White House. So instead of a typical Vineyard vacation in late August, The Washington Post’s Weekend and Going Out Guide staff offers its best staycation itin- erary for your summer break.
The first lady has made no secret of her love for planting, what with the ever- expanding White House garden. The Obamas could get some inspiration wan- dering around the Botanical Garden during a Monday evening tour. After spending so much time raising bok choy and broccoli, a plot full of hibiscus may be a welcome change. And it’s free. Aug. 16, 23, 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. 100 Maryland Ave. SW. 202-225-8333.
What better way for the fashionable first lady to spend next Saturday than at the kid-friendly Mid-Century Modern Game Day at the Textile Museum? Sasha and Malia could try the scavenger hunt and play with retro toys (Lite-Brite, anyone?), while Michelle tours the stellar exhibi- tion of female midcentury textile design- ers, including Lucienne Day and Marian Mahler. The suggested donation for non- members is just $5. Aug. 21. 2-4 p.m. 2320 S St. NW. 202-667-0441.
Nothing says family fun quite like a county fair, and there are plenty for the Obamas to choose from around here, in- cluding the Arlington County Fair, which kicks off Wednesday, and the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair ($10 admission), offering monster truck
rides, which runs through next Saturday. The president’s basketball skills may come in handy for securing giant stuffed animals for the girls. Arlington fair: Aug. 18-22. 3501 S. Second St., Arlington. 703- 228-1853; Montgomery fair: Aug. 13-21. 16 Chestnut St., Gaithersburg. 301-926- 3100.
What does Maryland have that Martha’s Vineyard doesn’t? Steamed blue crabs. For great crustaceans and a waterfront view, the Obamas should head for Mike’s Crab House, just outside Annapolis, where diners sit outdoors at picnic tables enjoying a feast — $65 for a dozen large crabs — with all the fixins while watch- ing boats drift by. It’s also a great spot for the couple to enjoy their own beer sum- mit. (Hey, they have a designated driver, after all.) Mike’s Crab House, 3030 Riva Rd., Riva. 410-956-2784.
The theater-loving first couple could make a date night at the upcoming D.C. premiere of “In the Next Room or the Vi- brator Play” at Woolly Mammoth Thea- tre. The Pulitzer-nominated drama is by one of the nation’s hottest playwrights, Sarah Ruhl, and its amusing dissection of female empowerment surely would resonate with Michelle. Tickets range
CHARLES DHARAPAK/ASSOCIATED PRESS Outlook’s editors welcome comments and suggestions. Write to us at
outlook@washpost.com. MATT KNOTT/RIVER RIDERS
from $30 to $65, but if they’re really try- ing to save a buck, it’s “pay what you can” the first two nights of the run. Aug. 23- Sept. 19. 641 D St. 202-393-3939.
It may not be quite as convenient as hav- ing Paul McCartney perform at one’s home, but there is something exception- al about sitting under the stars with a picnic while catching a concert. And since the president has established his love of jazz, seeing Al Jarreau and the George Duke Trio at Wolf Trap on Wednesday might be just the ticket (and it’s just $25 for the lawn). Aug. 18. 1645 Trap Rd., Vienna. 703-255-1900.
ANN CAMERON SIEGAL
No need to go far, when there’s inner-tubing near Harpers Ferry and dinner at Mike’s Crab House outside Annapolis.
In keeping with Michelle’s campaign to keep kids active and in shape, a day at one of our lovely parks or hiking trails should definitely be on the agenda. Sasha and Malia could become junior rangers at the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and hikes are beautiful and challenging at Great Falls. Added bonus: run time for Bo! (Don’t forget the leash.) Great Falls: 9200 Old Dominion Dr., Mc- Lean. 703-285-2965.
To really get a taste of their home city, the Obamas should take a walk up 16th Street to Meridian Hill Park on a Sunday afternoon, when the beat of
drums will greet them. A drum circle (feel free to bring your own drums!) bangs away until sundown. Dancers, jug- glers, yoga enthusiasts and a wide variety of the city’s residents add to the boister- ous atmosphere. Again, dogs welcome. And you can see your house from there. 16th Street NW between Euclid and W streets.
Finally, if it’s the city the Obamas truly want to escape, there’s always tubing. For a real change of scenery — and only $19 to $32 each — the president and first lady can slip into inner tubes provided by Butts Tubes for a lazy roll with their daughters down the Potomac and Shen- andoah rivers, near historic Harpers Fer- ry. (The girls can get in a little history les- son before returning to school.) 10985 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville. 877-723- 8284.
That adds up to less than $500 for a won- derful D.C. vacation — and plenty of good publicity. One last thing: Can we come along?
The Obamas relaxed last month in Maine’s Acadia National Park.
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