Washington Bunch
E-mail sent to “Washington Bunch” on December 1st, 2000 – Addendum VI of “My Last Peace” mini series.
The following constitute the Washington Bunch:
King Golden Esq. in his “Thanks for letting me share” failed to mention the story how later in 1972 while standing next to Senator Muskie he failed to act crazy and jump into the crowd to distract the cameras as Muskie broke down incapable of responding to soft balls thrown at him, “his eyes started to glaze over…” Later King became a Democratic congressional hopeful butt lost by a few hundred votes. After these series of defeats he joined the ranks of SAIC, a large defense contractor as general counsel.
Roger W. Robinson [RWR shares the same birthday as Ronald Reagan, February 6th, as well as the same initials RWR.]
Lisa Foster [Whistle blowing attorney, married to former prosecutor, Alan Bersin.]
Laurie Black [Mother, current pick for next president of the United States should Devin Standard decide not to pursue a similar course.]
Three weeks ago, I believe it was, I eventually got hold of Roger’s wife. Later I spoke with his aide. Joan and I had a great chat. It had been a while since we had spoken. Both of us, though. remembered the good times. The fact is there had never been one rough spot between us. She may have forgotten, though, the one Washington party we all attended where I grabbed hold of a Confederate flag, insisting that it join all the other flags and wannabees and offshoots and lesser Jews and better ones that seemed nothing more than potted plants. As I recall, none of us really watched our Ps and Qs for there was no one with a camera or microphone.
Because of my funny accent, though, I was always able to get away with being more outrageous perhaps then some of you folks. In the end, I moved on to my main order of business. When I began to torch the flag, all hell then broke loose. Again, I was just trying to prove a point. I don’t think Vernon Jordan was at that particular party. I only say that because all the white women were hanging around King, Roger and I. Although I have never met Rev-non Jordan, I know a thing or tTOo about tall, good-looking, black guys.
As King knows, one of my friends is a heavyweight boxer. Now Michael even on a bad hair day is at least as good looking as Vernon. Michael, however, has a couple of inches on Jordan and more importantly he has pectorals that drive even happily married white women crazy. Michael visited us here in Del Mar a year or so ago. Now for those of you unfamiliar with this former Mexican territory, there are not that many black people still.
Where was I? Oh yes the flag burning ceremonies. Although there were no journalists there with their photo apparati, there were some media people. I think it is fair to say most of you are in the media of sorts, right? I have always been curious about how the media people always talk about “the media” as though they have no role to play in calling elections before the polls are closed, especially in close elections, particularly when the polling stations in places like Tallahassee, Florida have a ways to go, where folks in the north east track homes are not so easily confused by how to make dots connect up with the solid boards below.
What do you guys think about the “hand count” in Florida? Shouldn’t we, from a standpoint of fairness have looked at the statistical deviations that occur between those polling stations say in South East Florida and those in the Pan Handle, particularly as they apply to “spoiled” returns. Just as it is necessary when becoming a citizen that we can read, shouldn’t we be also required to follow instructions that call for pushing a pointed object into a roundish hole and if you fail then it should be back to square one wherever home may be?
Why didn’t George W. and James Baker agree to a hand count that would make it impossible for the Democrats to comply with, such as the filming of all reviews and the segregation of all changed ballots by an independent board made up of Republican officers? Maybe it was George W. who was schooled to be a gentleman? See if I were in the media, as opposed to looking over your shoulders, can you imagine how straight we would all be able to draw the lines that divide us? Yes, those of us in the know are well that Gore may have won hands down with you folks doing the hand count.
If this one couple my friend Anne and I met at brunch just before the election had anything to do with the outcome, the Bores would have won but they are not your hardcore environmentalists. The hardcore would vote Bush before they would vote for a panderer.
This couple, like all of you, seem fairly well schooled. In fact, the lady comes from DC. She thought, however, the better for it, and headed west as soon as her head cleared. King, remember you and Valerie are transplants of sorts. Perhaps it is time for you to rethink your environmentalist leanings. Smoking pot is no longer considered a prerequisite for being green. If, however, it keeps you coolheaded then that would be fine with me. Please tell me though what proposition on the voting card I punched were you all working so hard on, beside of course for the decriminalization of pot growers?
So just come and party and let’s get crazy, shall we. The party invitation will arrive shortly. Invite George W., if you please Roger. As you know, I had hoped to get your email address from King but he thought you would be bugged speaking to me. King, probably, has yet to get over his days working as legal counsel at SAIC and all the bugging he said that went on there. At the time, King had yet to miss a heartbeat although the first signs of trouble appeared when he met my most special friend Amos, also a former navy officer just like Wade but more you Roger inclined. Amos gave our poor friend King quite a tongue lashing on his liberal politics. But that is a now byg-one.
The last party in Vegas was a great evening despite your absence King. Valerie was great. I thought at one point losing the car was a blessing in disguise. I sure hope our Molly’s driving has improved as of late. Can she “d-oven” though? Yes, King this friend is very much Jewish and honest. At that same dinner, another one of your Jewish Washington lawyer friends showed up for dessert, the same one we once had su-h-siwith, also in Vegas, a few years before when I felt compelled to retort that he must be some kind of “Jew-hat–ing-Jew.” And so I must apologize to him and everyone else for I was certainly out of line. I think I may even have accused him of sponsoring the New York Times just because he had it delivered.
Perhaps it is now time to spell out loud and clear the issue that has me knocking on your doors. It is JONATHAN POLL–ARD. Now Valerie, it is true I never spelled things out as clearly to you as I did to King and Wade et al. Remember, I tried. You were too busy. Again, I also wanted to spell it out for Roger but I didn’t have his number or even his email. You heard what King had to say about protecting “Roger from me-ni-me?
Yes, King I was just trying to talk reason to you. You were obviously shaken that things were not going all that well for your candidate. I was simply calling you to invite you to the party. Okay, the fact that I reminded you that maybe you could make amends for failing to take action back in 1972 with Muskie at your side, yes that probably didn’t help maintain your composure. As you have always known, politics has never been my passion therefore it could never be my business. Although you were protesting you were just protecting “Roger from me” – a joke when you consider Roger is the one who has all the bullets – perhaps you realized that the Pollard case is in fact the weapon of the Republicans.
I told you when we spoke previously, when I was explaining my meeting with Wade at the Valencia Hotel, that I am simply wanting to get you guys and girls with all our Washington connections to address this injustice. Perhaps, though I stumbled on to something more. Not the first time I have killed tTOo birds with one arrow wouldn’t you agree, King? Yes, all these poor miserable people clogging up the jails on petty marijuana offenses, as you say, are injustices, and yes I voted for the measure that seems to want to decriminalize the habit.
No, this is not babysitting time any longer either. This, my friend King is very serious business. You know King I have always known how to draw lines clearly between play dnA business.
I do not want to disrupt anyone’s life too much, certainly not Roger who is much more of doer than the “ponti-us-ficator.” As far as I am concerned, Roger has always made more political sense than you. Yes, even George W’s “fuzzy” numbers make a great deal more sense than anything put forward by your Democratic buddies, one of whom ended up on a park bench in Washington all laid out in straight line, no doubt.
How often have we joked in the past about the person coming up to the native American Indians saying, “Gentlemen, I am from the Government. I am here to help you.”
You know perfectly well that by the media calling Florida early cost the Republicans. No one in their right mind would believe the ridiculous arguments you put forth that there were all these folks lining up in South East Florida, registered Democratic aliens, who suddenly decided to run en-masse from the polling booths. The only people who would believe such nonsense are friends of mine who have too many TV sets in their Scarsdale houses and whose brains too are now fried. If you can’t remember that exact point try replaying the conversation right from the beginning. Call me if you need help. Please, however, don’t tie up my emails with any more of your gobbledegook.
King, I am assuming you are still in DC with that very same ACLU buddy who we stayed with in Denver; the one who argued the case so brilliantly on behalf of the American Indians before the U.S. Supreme. I will always remember that day for he did us all very proud. I guess the Indians got their comeuppance with all those casinos run by white men? This must explain how come he too is going underground, hooking up the world through the sewer systems using tiny robotics in the quest to be the first? How about being first at being one with someone like Jonathan Pollard? Should Olson win today, would you all encourage him to again seek proper justice for Pollard?
Now I have other business still to take care of before I go on my travels, meeting up with all types of people, good, bad, even indifferent who may be the toughest nuts to crack. Maybe in fact that is it with most of you. You are simply indifferent. Anything and everything is negotiable. Pollard is just another name. What about your names? Roger shares much with the former President, but our RWR doesn’t seem to have quite your hang-up King. Roger not returning my phone calls simply indicates he is busy unless of course he now serves a King? Roger, as I mentioned to your assistant one of the other reasons I wanted to speak with you was to discuss that home steel tubing business you and Bill Clark once had me investigate in South Africa. It seems that the timing may now be right throughout the world. Check out attachment Chase Brass – One hope for the future – Addendum III.
I am offering you King a way out of your misery. Let me help you so that you can help me. The same with Wade, the same with you Valerie and trust me I will get this email through to Roger even I have to call up Bill Clark who was handling Interior while Roger held the secrets of the National Security Agency so close to his chest. Do I have this all these facts correct?
Remember, King this is not about you and our friends. It is about all injustices that no one is willing to address in a serious way. Without knowing anything really about a local politician I went over to Laurie’s Democratic fundraiser, paid my dues and listened to a speech where everyone was thanked graciously. Wade clearly wasn’t a potted plant. We spoke. I also spoke with Lisa whose business is dealing with government whistle blowers and who disagrees with my assessment of Jonathan Pollard. Lisa says she was once given the book written on the subject by Wolf Blitzer of CNN and what she has subsequently read still hasn’t moved her. She sure took the time to listen to Wade talk about exactly what? Of course she is entitled to her opinion but this honest soul who is so careful about where she appears so as not to appear improper should know better than to simply dismiss me.
As an advocate lawyer, Lisa should know better. Interesting most of you are lawyers and yet you fail to address the fundamentals of your profession, i.e. the better the evidence the better the proof. Lisa, please come along to our block party where you can meet more of our gang. No money will be changing hands, just “big kisses”, as the Spanish say. Bring your husband the former prosecutor along. Anne Miller will tame him should that be necessary.
You Lisa should think twice before you ever decide to look afar and cast dispersions on my Jeff’s purposes, as distracted as all you lawyers tend to be when viewing pretty things, especially the green stuff. Being a whistle blower lawyer doesn’t necessarily give you the automatic high ground. The same with me. Remember though I have no credentials. Some might want to certify me a nut – I’ll let you know how that goes. I don’t however hide behind privileges that make you so sacrosanct and mostly contributes to your slurs, although I guess strong morning coffee can contribute toward that as well.
At least go read Wolf’s book and then email me your thoughts. Simply saying “bullshit” like Wade will not be offensive. Remember, it only serves to sharpen you know what? Think also twice before you set your prosecutor husband on my side of the Del Mar track for he may really get to appreciate my artist and then you may have to rely on your moral character to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Despite my very recent explanation of events, you King, simply would not hear for your head was still not clear despite our years of separation. I begged you to stay focused, so you would understand things better but I guess it was not meant to be. The first truth in life comes from being level headed – that is why I left you as I did — for you to think more seriously about how you were going to spend the rest of your life. In the end, you would call the house to let me know how excited you were to be heading finally to Washington DC to seek your fortune. I knew then that there was the possibility I was going to have to give you the toughest love your father and mother and brother and sisters and Valerie and Roger and the rest of them in DC who make out like bandids, all failed to give you.
Try and be at our party.
GG
Below is an excerpt from one of the emails from the “Me-ni-me Series” I sent to Randall Kaplan, co-founder of AKAMai on the subject of indifference as it pertains to the hi-flying Washington Bunch.
“Randall, it is a true story about King Golden and Senator Muskie together in 1972. King has always been involved in Democratic politics certainly since his days at UC Berkley. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law – the “GentlemenSchool”, King immersed himself in the politics of those who he thought had it all right. Known as “Mr. Clean” for his hard-line environmental stances, Muskie was the early front-runner as a Democratic presidential hopeful. He captivated the nation, sometimes inviting hecklers to share the speaking platform with him. With his lanky 6-foot-4 frame, his craggy appearance and his modest manners, Muskie caught the imagination of political analysts, who dubbed him “Lincolnesque.”
Muskie, however, lost presidential ground one snowy Saturday while campaigning for the New Hampshire primary. Speaking from a flatbed trailer outside the Manchester Union Leader newspaper, Muskie denounced a story critical of his wife, Jane, then openly wept. Although he won the New Hampshire primary, the episode came to symbolize the collapse of Muskie’s quest for the White House. ‘It changed people’s minds about me, of what kind of guy I was. They were looking for a strong, steady man, and here I was meak.” [sic].
Today Muskie lies in Arlington National Cemetery, the same place where one of our close-knit buddy’s father-in-law once lied. King was standing alongside the Senator as the tears starting to roll down his cheeks.
King tells a great story, very animated, “Jewish-like” my friend Anne Miller would say, of how he was perfectly positioned to Ñ history, turn things upside down some might argue, to act completely crazy, to throw himself into the crowd, distracting the cameramen and reporters but he blew it. How many of us in our lifetimes have such an opportunity? Can you imagine the awesome guilt that King bears considering his strong views about how the world went downhill from that point forward? King Golden Jnr although few refer to him as “junior” always had a my-opic sense of history, which only later surfaced in our relationship. He certainly, however, could make an excellent case that had Muskie become President we would never have experienced the same number of sorties flown over Cambodia. Would Muskie have kept Kissinger on the payroll, or the same secretary of the offense? Perhaps, they would have been the same but certainly with different names. Perhaps, it would have been much of the same, but none of us will ever know. Why? Because King should have gone nuts.
What would he have lost as a result? A bruise here, perhaps a blow there? Nothing quite like the beating he has taken in the course of the past few weeks. This is the price we pay for being in the right place at the right time and deciding to be indifferent.”
