If it didn't sink in during Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's endorsement of his candidacy this past weekend, it surely must now that the elected officers of the Democratic National Committee - vice chairs Lottie Shackelford, Linda Chavez Thompson, Rep. Mike Honda, Susan W. Turnbull, secretary Alice Germond, treasurer Andrew Tobias and finance chair Philip Murphy - have together officially endorsed Sen. Barack Obama to be the next commander in chief.
"Now that this historic primary season is over," reads a joint statement from the DNC officers, "we proudly offer our enthusiastic endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States."
As for Mrs. Clinton?
"We also congratulate Senator Hillary Clinton on her extraordinary run for the presidency; the incredible amount of work she and her supporters poured into her campaign has left the Democratic Party stronger than ever."
Sign of times
We have to laugh at the disclaimer on a written invitation to a happy hour received Wednesday from one well-known Washington lobbyist: "This event is carbon neutral. No tomatoes will be served at this event."
Georgetown ghosts
We ducked into a crowded Martin's Tavern in Georgetown Tuesday night to escape the severe thunderstorm that raked the nation's capital with sharp lightning and torrential rain.
Sipping pints of beer at the bar were several groups of tourists pointing to the occupied wooden booths that overlook Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW. Instead of seeing patrons dining there, they saw ghosts.
"That's booth number three where they got engaged," a woman whispered to her husband, referring to what is now known as "The Proposal Booth." There, on an otherwise ordinary Wednesday in June of 1953 - having just returned to Washington from covering the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for the Washington Times Herald - the young Jacqueline Bouvier accepted John F. Kennedy's proposal of marriage.
Following Mass at nearby Holy Trinity Catholic Church, however, Kennedy preferred to sit in Booth No. 1 - "The Rumble Seat" - to read his Sunday newspaper while ordering brunch.
Richard M. Nixon, meanwhile, not only liked to sit in Booth No. 2, he had a hankering for Martin's meatloaf. That table is now called "The Nixon Booth."
A few seats away is Booth No. 6, "The Truman Booth," where Harry S. Truman often dined with his wife Bess and daughter Margaret.
Continued... |